No War, No Peace? Lecture on the South Caucasus by Dr. Zinaida Bechná at the University of Helsinki
Lecture by Dr. Zinaida Bechná on South Caucasus geopolitics and peace prospects.
CENTREPEACE Holds Interim Project Meeting in Helsinki
On May 28, 2025, the CENTREPEACE project held its interim project meeting at the University of Helsinki. Representatives from Masaryk University, Peace Research Institute Oslo, and the Aleksanteri Institute gathered to reflect on the first year of the project and to shape future plans for the upcoming period.
On May 28, 2025, the CENTREPEACE consortium convened for its interim project meeting at the University of Helsinki. Team members from Masaryk University, the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), and the Aleksanteri Institute came together to review the project's first year and outline strategic steps for the years ahead.
The meeting was opened by Markku Kangaspuro, Director of the Aleksanteri Institute, and Zinaida Bechná, Principal Investigator of CENTREPEACE. Markku Kangaspuro welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of international collaboration within the project. Zinaida Bechná thanked the University of Helsinki for hosting and provided a brief overview of the project’s achievements to date.
The first session featured a panel on consortium building, moderated by Marián Koval (CENTREPEACE Project Manager, Masaryk University). Panelists included Ladislav Čoček (Grants Division, Masaryk University), Anne Duquenne (EU Advisor, PRIO), Dr. Katalin Miklóssy (University of Helsinki), and Anna Korhonen (Senior Advisor, University of Helsinki). The discussion focused on engaging new partners, best practices for proposal preparation, and strategies for effective communication and coordination within consortia.
Following the panel, Professor Vladimir Gel’man (Aleksanteri Institute) reminded the group of CENTREPEACE’s communication and publication goals. Maija Harju, the project administrator, then gave an update on the planning of the Aleksanteri Conference 2026, which will be hosted by CENTREPEACE.
The second part of the meeting was dedicated to focus group sessions, where members of the four thematic groups—Cognitive Warfare, Defence Industry, Eastern Partnership, and Research Managers and Administrators—reflected on past activities and outlined plans for the upcoming year.
Each group then presented its progress and upcoming activities, including planned publications and events. The meeting concluded with final remarks and a wrap-up by Maija Harju, who thanked everyone for their contributions and outlined the next steps.
The interim project meeting marked an important milestone in the life of the CENTREPEACE project. It strengthened cooperation among the partner institutions and reaffirmed that CENTREPEACE is on a successful path, with many exciting developments still to come.
