cutting-edge research into peace, conflict,
and international security
In our time of rapid change, the risks of major violent conflict are rising. The need to prevent unnecessary human suffering calls for a deeper scholarly understanding of the causes, consequences, and dynamics of violence, and for an elaboration of new measures to foster international cooperation. These are the main goals of our interdisciplinary Center of Excellence, funded by Charles University.
This study by Irena Kalhousová, Eugene Finkel, and Jiří Kocián, explores how political leaders in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic use historical analogies to frame and justify their nations' responses to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Through analysis of speeches and statements, the authors reveal how each country's foreign policy narratives draw upon distinct historical traumas and national experiences, like the Second World War, the Cold War, and specific events such as the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
We conducted a survey of Czech citizens and members of parliament on attitudes towards Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The results show that parliamentarians are more supportive of pro-Israel policies, blame Palestinians more for the conflict and view Czech-Israel relations more positively than the general population. Our findings provide the first empirical evidence of a gap between elite and public attitudes towards Israel, contributing to debates on foreign policy preferences.
Join us for Election Night 2024, where we will analyze and discuss the results of the upcoming U.S. Presidential Elections. The event will take place on Tuesday, November 5th, from 20:00 at Kavárna na Boršově (Náprstkova 272/10, Prague 1). Together with Voxpot and the Department of North American Studies at Charles University, we'll explore the potential outcomes and stream live election results.
Don't forget to register via the provided form!
Join our research team and contribute to a prestigious European Research Council (ERC)-funded project. The "Microfoundations of Collective Defence" (MICROCODE) project explores how public opinion shapes decision-making in military alliances and collective defence, with a focus on NATO countries. We are offering an exciting Ph.D. opportunity with competitive pay, flexible working conditions, and the chance to make meaningful contributions to groundbreaking research in a friendly and supportive team of excellent scholars .
We are happy to publish the new report on public support for nuclear arms control conducted by the Experimental Lab for International Security Studies (ELISS)!
The report offers results of a cross-national survey regarding public support for nuclear arms control with Russia and China, in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland. Furthermore, the survey included an embedded experiment investigating cross-national attitudes toward nuclear and chemical weapon use.