International Conference “Georgia in Turbulent Times” at IEiAK UW

On April 24, 2026, our Institute hosted the international conference “Georgia in Turbulent Times: Political Developments and the Future of Knowledge Production,” organized by the Global Easts Centre and Studies at the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Warsaw.

The event, held in a hybrid format, brought together invited international guests and a large audience participating both in person and online.

The conference focused on the current political situation in Georgia and reflected on the condition of academic research in a country facing increasing pressures and restrictions, particularly in the field of anthropology and, more broadly, the social sciences. Presentations and discussions addressed, among other topics, social protests, legislative changes affecting university autonomy, and tensions surrounding international academic collaboration.

Participants agreed that the developments unfolding in Georgia extend beyond the national context. Situated at the intersection of European and Russian spheres of influence, the country constitutes an important laboratory of regional and global transformations, particularly in the context of the so-called Global Easts.