Junior Scholar Symposium in PRIO

Advancing Peace and Security Thinking

Throughout the conference, participants presented cutting-edge research on a range of pressing issues, including regional security dynamics in Central and Eastern Europe, the influence of political discourse on security policies, great power technological competition, the security impact of climate change, hybrid threats and critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region, and the relationship between humanitarian access and community resilience.

The event highlighted how cross-regional perspectives and international collaboration are essential to navigating today’s shifting geopolitical landscape.

“This was more than just a research workshop: it was a platform for connecting diverse perspectives from across Europe and rethinking what peace and security mean in today’s political context,” said Giacomo Bruni, who organized the event on behalf of PRIO.

Collaboration and engagement were central to the conference. In addition to presenting dissertation chapters and article drafts, participants partook in peer review, exchanged methodological insights and discussed the challenges of translating research into policy-relevant outputs. The event showcased how the next generation of European scholars is actively redefining peace and security in a shifting global order.

Building Networks, Generating Impact

The conference led to several concrete outcomes:

• Development of inter-institutional research ties among PhD candidates
• Strengthened informal networks that promote trust and collaboration across borders
• Deeper awareness of shared challenges and opportunities in European peace and security scholarship
• A foundation for future training, mobility and joint research initiatives

The conference reinforced CENTREPEACE’s commitment to building a lasting culture of research excellence in European peace and security. It also underscored the value of investing in junior scholars as vital contributors to long-term academic innovation and policy development.

The Symposium

The Junior Scholar Symposium was hosted by PRIO on 3–4 April, as part of the Horizon Europe-funded CENTREPEACE project. CENTREPEACE aims to reposition Central and Eastern Europe within EU security discourse by fostering research excellence and strengthening institutional cooperation. The conference marked a key milestone in this effort, with PRIO playing a central role in CENTREPEACE’s in shaping research-based insights that inform European security policy.