The 4th Central European Symposium entitled ‘1989 & Beyond: The New Shape of Europe’ will focus on three consequential periods, looking at 1989 as a catalyst of change, analysing the view from 2019 as a part of the European Union and further debating the future of Europe and its new perspectives. The symposium will gather academic speakers, practitioners and experts from Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.

Thirty years after the events, it is now possible and necessary to provide a historical perspective on the ruptures triggered in this decisive year, and evaluate their significance. The speakers will reflect on a range of issues from a variety of Central European perspectives and consider how states and societies of the region fit in to Europe’s current crisis - and how they may contribute to its possible solution. The shape of the European Union is more in flux today than at any time in its history, with the planned Brexit and negotiations for enlargement of the EU. What role will the Central European states and economies play in the new geopolitical landscape of an EU that expands eastward? 

More information about the Symposium is accessible at the web page of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies.

This symposium is co-organised with the Austrian Cultural Forum London, Embassy of the Czech Republic, Embassy of the Republic of Poland, and Embassy of Slovakia.