Members of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences visited the EARL

On 29 2022, the EARL had the great honour of welcoming distinguished members of the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The Chinese delegation was led by Professor Liu Zuokui, Deputy Director of the CASS Institute for European Studies. The visit represents a further strengthening of working contacts between the CASS and the EARL, which began with a successful seminar on thirty years of cooperation between Slovenia and China, conducted online in December 2021.

The delegation was introduced to the work of EARL and briefed about the possibilities of cooperation between the CASS and the EARL. Then, the delegation attended a seminar on "Ukraine crisis and its impact on CEE countries".

The content of the seminar was designed by Nina Pejič, MA, and Dr. Marko Hočevar, who moderated the seminar. In addition to Professor Liu, Professor Zhang Chao, Professor Mitja Saje, Assistant Professor Jelena Juvan, and Professor Zlatko Šabič took part in the seminar. The seminar opened a number of issues concerning the international, economic, and historical dimensions of the tragic events in Ukraine, especially in light of the perception of this war by China and Slovenia. Among the many issues raised is the diversity of responses of Central and Eastern European countries when it comes to approaching the crisis, the perception of superpowers regarding the nature of war (whether it is a global or a regional conflict), and the role of actors: the EU, NATO, and individual countries, including Slovenia. Special attention was paid to the economic consequences of the war (particularly in the fields of energy and food production), which, as all participants pointed out, must end immediately.

After the visit, the representatives of EARL and the CASS outlined forms of further cooperation for the period 2022-2023 and the expected results, which will of course be reported on our website, too.