Lectures

      Grit Friedrich         Why is there a perceived higher affinity with Russia in East Germany? Some months before elections in eastern federal states, Pro-Russian parties are leading the polls. Grit Friedrich, a former GDR civil rights advocate, suggests that one factor is a correlation between the unresolved traumas of the Soviet occupation and the strong conditioning of GDR citizens to the state doctrine of that time – which can also make subsequent generations more susceptible to Russian subversion due to unconsciously transmitted traumas.  By comparing East Germany with other states and territories of the former Warsaw Pact, the mechanisms can be understood in a …

  Sara “Beau” Hjalmarsson:       In her presentation titled “How to Turn Your Grandmom Into a Terrorist,” she shows how the digital world has made it cheaper and easier for extremists and criminals to recruit people. Contemporary strategies are so subtle that even the most innocent can be both targeted and successfully radicalized. In this talk, Sara Hjalmarsson looks at how radicalization works in our digital world, the traps we can fall into when combating it, and what policymakers, law enforcement and citizens need to do differently to effectively fight this problem.

    Aaron Gasch Burnett     BerlinsideOut Special Episode The keynote will be followed by a special live episode for BerlinsideOut, the podcast that takes an expert look at international politics from Berlin – and this time from Munich. Co-Hosts Benjamin Tallis and Aaron Gasch Burnett will build on the previous keynote to discuss “Zeitenwende”, grand strategy, and Neo-Idealism. They will address questions by the audience. [Additional guests TBD] Aaron Gasch Burnett, a journalist specializing in German politics, we look at how Germany sees the world and the world sees Germany.

  Anastasiya Shapochkina             The Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted evolving geopolitical dynamics with China over the past decade, which is disrupting regional and global balance of powers. Since Western sanctions following Russia’s Crimea annexation in 2014, Russia and China have developed comprehensive cooperation in economics, finance, technology, and defense. From a geo-economic perspective, China has exploited Russia’s isolation to deepen Moscow’s dependence on Beijing in energy and AI. This maneuver enhances China’s geopolitical influence while keeping ties to the West. A growing China-Russia coordination in the UN Security Council challenges the rules-based international order. In the US-China relationship, Russia plays a wildcard role, …