Introduction to the International Relations (IR) in Central and Eastern Europe Forum

• Published in: Journal of international relations and development Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 168 - 173
• Main Author: Drulak, Petr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Palgrave Macmillan UK 01.06.2009; Palgrave Macmillan
• Subjects: Academic discipline; Academic Disciplines; Area Studies; Central Eastern Europe; Central Europe; Cross-national analysis; Development Studies; East and West; East-West relations; Eastern Europe; Europeanization; Forum: International Relations (IR) in Central and Eastern Europe; Geopolitics; International Relations; International relations theory; Overqualification; Philosophers; Political Science and International Relations; Political Science and International Studies; Eastern Europe; Russia
• ISSN: 1408-6980; 1581-1980
• DOI: 10.1057/jird.2009.2

This journal, in its capacity as the official journal of the Central and Eastern European International Studies Association (CEEISA), has been encouraging a reflection on the state of the IR discipline and its figures in the region for some time (Drulak and Drulakova 2000; Sergounin 2000; Kratochvil 2007; Sarvary 2008). Even though IR studies in the region have experienced a dynamic development since the late 1980s, when they were either non-existent or subject to heavy political tutelage, their contribution to 'Western' IR in terms of publications, projects and conference participation has been limited. Not only does the western IR community know little about what is going in the IR discipline in the Central and Eastern Europe3 (CEE), but even CEE scholars do not know much about the region beyond their own narrow national contexts. Indeed they are often better informed about the American or British IR than about the IR in their neighborhood. This forum contributes to filling in this knowledge gap by inviting scholars who work in CEE or who are in contact with the region to reflect on their experiences. Adapted from the source document.