On Thursday, April 6th at 12 PM (CET), we hosted the CAS SEE Seminar with Gregory Morgan Swer on Technology and The Decline of the West. Critical Perspectives on Oswald Spengler’s Apology for Violence, in conversation with our Fellow Andreas Wilmes.

Violence plays an integral role in Oswald Spengler’s historico-philosophical project. In his best known work, The Decline of the West, Spengler argues that expansionist violence is the only way left for an enervated Western Civilisation to prolong its existence.

I suggest that the theme of violence remains central to Spengler’s less known later works, particularly Man and Technics. In Spengler’s later philosophy violence is no longer presented as a last resort for Western cultural preservation but rather operates as a result of a tragic technological addiction.
This addiction, Spengler claims, can never be abandoned even though it guarantees the death of the culture that wields it.

Gregory Morgan Swer is an associate professor in philosophy at the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

He is the editor-in-chief of the Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology. His research focuses on technological politics. He has published several papers on Oswald Spengler’s philosophy.

CAS SEE Seminars with Guests: Gregory Morgan Swer

This event was hosted by CAS SEE on the 13th of December 2023,  in collaboration with the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM Vienna).

While current news about Ukraine is dominated by the war, it is essential to think about how Ukraine can shape its own future after the conflict and how it can address the political, economic, and societal aspects of dealing with the war experiences and traumas.

What similarities and common challenges existed in Croatia and Ukraine before the war, such as a transition to a different type of economy, national independence, minority issues, and different approaches to national history? How can a post-war situation be addressed from legal, political and social perspectives? How can divisive issues like minority rights and debates on memory politics be effectively resolved?

This online panel discussion we will explore how Croatian politics, society, and economy have changed during and after the war, as well as how Croatia and other neighboring countries have addressed the challenges of the post-war period, including addressing war crimes, dealing with EU integration, memory politics, and historical debates.

Speakers:
- Prof. David Lewis (University of Exeter)
- Dr. Oleksandr Moskalenko (CAS SEE, University of Rijeka / National Scientific Centre, Bokarius Forensic Science Institute, Kharkiv)
- Dr. Senada Šelo Šabić (Institute for Development and International Relations – IRMO, Zagreb)
- Dr. Iva Vukušić (University of Utrecht)
- Dr. Vanni D’Alessio (University of Naples ‘Federico II’)

Moderators:
- Dr. Tena Prelec (CAS SEE, University of Rijeka)
- Dr. Peter Techet (IDM Vienna)

Ukraine and Croatia: Navigating (Post)-War Hopes and Challenges

On 11 June 2024, more than 40 participants attended the riveting GEO-POWER-EU event, held at CITY College, University of York Europe Campus, both online and offline. The event, part of the GEO-POWER-EU project, aimed to enhance the European Union's influence and capabilities in the Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans.

Event Highlights

The webinar commenced with a presentation of the GEO-POWER-EU project by Nikolaos Tzifakis, Project Coordinator and Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Peloponnese. This was followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by Nina Caspersen, Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of York.

Panel Discussion

The panel featured esteemed experts who shared their insights and strategies to amplify the EU's influence in these dynamic regions. The discussion proceeded in the following order:

Brusylovska Olga, Professor, Department of International Relations, Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University
Kakha Gogolashvili, Senior Fellow and Director of the European Studies Programme, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (Rondeli Foundation)
Branimir Jovanovic, Economist responsible for the Western Balkans, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw)
Tena Prelec, Assistant Professor, Centre for Advanced Studies on Southeast Europe, Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka
Alberto Domini, Policy Officer, DG Research, European Commission

The event fostered dynamic discussions and the emergence of interesting theories and ideas. Participants, both online and offline, engaged actively with the speakers, unraveling strategies to enhance the EU's geopolitical influence and impact in the Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans.

GEO-POWER-EU Kick Off Event: Unlocking the Geopolitical Power of the EU

This episode features a high-level discussion on the state of EU enlargement, focusing on the recently published EU enlargement reports, analyzing its implications for the Western Balkans, Eastern Neighbourhood, and the future direction of EU policy.

Speakers:
-Kakha Gogolashvili, Director of European Studies at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies
-Vesna Pusić, MFA Croatia (2011-2016)
-Odeta Barbullushi, Permanent Professor at the College of Europe (Tirana campus), former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania
-Toby Vogel, Senior Fellow at the Democratization Policy Council
Moderator: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye (Director of the European Neighbourhood Council

GEO-POWER Talks: The State of EU Enlargement

This episode features a high-level discussion on the new US administration, Ukraine and the Western Balkans, focusing on the 2024 US elections and their implications for Euro-Atlantic relations.

Speakers:
-Daniel Fried, Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council and Former US Ambassador to Poland
-Dr. Anna Osypchuk, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Kyiv-Mohyla School of Journalism and Director for Research, School for Policy Analysis 
-Dr. Kurt Baussener, Senior Associate, Democratization Policy Council (DPC)
-Dr. Senada Šelo Šabić, Scientific Advisor at Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO)
Moderator: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye (Director of the European Neighbourhood Council

GEO-POWER Talks: The New US Administration, Ukraine & the Western Balkans

This episode features a high-level discussion on the EU’s strategic role in the Western Balkans and Georgia in the evolving post-Trump geopolitical landscape. The conversation draws on the GEO-POWER Interdependence Database to explore how shifting power dynamics, dual alignments, and foreign influence are reshaping the EU’s neighbourhood and what this means for security, investment, and political leverage in the region.

Speakers:

Dr. Sonja Stojanović Gajić, Senior Researcher, University of Rijeka

Dr. Valery Perry, Senior Associate, Democratization Policy Council (DPC)

Dr. Branimir Jovanović, Economist, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw)

Kakha Gogolashvili, Director of EU Studies, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS)

Moderator: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, Director, European Neighbourhood Council (ENC)

👉 Explore the GEO-POWER Interdependence Database at https://geo-power.eu/research-output/database/

GEO-POWER Talks: Opportunities & Risks for the EU in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership after Trump

This episode explores the EU’s evolving approach to defence cooperation under unprecedented geopolitical stress. The discussion delves into how the European Union can stay secure amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and uncertain U.S. engagement. Drawing on findings from the latest GEO-POWER-EU Deliverable “EU Defence Cooperation under Geopolitical Stress” the conversation examines the EU’s emerging roles as Defender, Protector, Actor, and Arsenal and the industrial, political, and strategic hurdles shaping Europe’s collective security ambitions.

Speakers:
Dr. Björn Fägersten, Senior Researcher, Swedish Institute of International Affairs
Denis Verret, Vice-President, EuroDéfence-France

Moderator: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, Director, European Neighbourhood Council (ENC)

👉Read the report on our website: https://geo-power.eu/research-output/publications/

GEO-POWER Talks: EU Defence Cooperation under Geopolitical Stress: Roles, Hurdles and Opportunities

GEO-POWER-EU aims to enhance the EU's ability to navigate complex geopolitical dynamics in the Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans.
*The project is funded by the European Union under grant agreement ID 101132692