ÀÖÓãºǫ́

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Conflict Studies at Utrecht University, scholars, practitioners, students, and alumni are invited to explore critical issues of violent conflict, war, and peace on 13 and 14 February. The conference aims to highlight pressing questions, address emerging challenges, and open new avenues of inquiry within the field.

A turning point?

This celebration coincides with what some argue is a paradigm shift. Many of the recent Conflict Studies innovations focused on intrastate violent conflict and the micropolitics of violence. Yet, the military invasion in Ukraine and the war on Gaza highlight that interstate war, geopolitical competition, and organised state violence against civilians are important features of our contemporary world. Are we at a turning point? What have we learned as a field, and where do we go from here?  

The programme includes three plenary expert debates, nine thematic panels, artistic performances and exhibitions, two keynotes, and a public event with Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.