Dr George Kyris co-founds new ECPR Research Network

George Kyris (POLSIS) together with Dr Vera Axyonova (Free University of Berlin) were successful in their application to ECPR for the establishment of a new Research Network on Sovereignty, Statehood and Conflict.

The Network seeks to bring together scholars working on the issues of statehood, sovereignty and conflict in different regions of the world and from a variety of sub-fields of political science or related disciplines. It is intended to serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas among scholars who engage with a diverse set of theoretical and methodological approaches, yet they are united by their interest in advancing our understanding of the concepts of statehood and sovereignty and contributing to academic and wider debates on conflicts related to, amongst else, secession, territory, governance and recognition. The network places an extra emphasis on supporting early career researchers working on these areas.

The main objectives of the network are to:

• Enable the continuous exchange of expertise and networking through organising research events and activities
• Encourage research mobility and collaboration opportunities for network members
• Establish a platform for coordination of applications among members to international research funding schemes
• Explore possibilities for methods training for the network members, particularly for early career researchers, such as mentoring workshops with more senior members of the Network, publishing advice sessions, etc.
• Facilitate outreach and engagement with non-academic audiences, including policy-makers, civil society and the wider public.

The network is open and free for anyone working on the areas of sovereignty, conflict and statehood.