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PRCP Annual Conference 2026

  • Kampus Hybernská Hybernská Nové Město, Hlavní město Praha, 110 00 Czechia (map)

The contemporary international order is undergoing profound strain, marked by the erosion of international norms, intensifying geopolitical rivalry, and accelerating technological disruption. The PRCP Annual Conference will explore how these dynamics intersect across three critical domains. First, we will discuss Europe's role in the disintegration of the international legal system and the resulting increase in armed conflicts in world politics. Second, we will examine how dual-use technological competition, from AI to space-based systems, reshapes power politics and strategic stability. Third, we will present new findings from cutting-edge research on the practices of foreign interference in today's era of geopolitical and technological changes.

The event will take place on March 19, 2026 at the Kampus Hybernská, Cirkulární Hub (Hybernská 998/4, 110 00 Nové Město). All discussions will be held in English.

The capacity of the venue has been fulfilled. It is no longer to register for the conference.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

  • 08:30 – 09:00

  • 09:00 – 09:05

  • 09:05 – 10:15

    Less Law more War: How Europe Helps Shatter the Global Order

    The keynote speech will address the parallel trends of risking rate and intensity of armed conflicts around the world and a weakening of legal and institutional structures meant to prevent and constrain the use of force in international relations. Janina Dill will explore how major recent and ongoing armed conflicts in the Middle East and beyond violate international law and how the international community has an urgent interest to diagnose these violations of international law and collectively react to them. The speech will also address how shifting global power structures threaten the rule of international law and what it could mean not to stand up for and preserve international law and institutions. 

  • 10:15 – 10:45

  • 10:45 – 12:00

    From Space to AI: Technological Competition in the Age of Dual-Use Innovation

    As international relations are going through deep and disruptive structural changes, the technology domain appears as one of the most dynamic facets of these shifts. In particular, the dual-use nature of emerging and disruptive technologies of our time raises critical questions and challenges for policymakers, scholars, and the public alike. Our panel will discuss these questions, looking at how new technologies and innovation processes interact with international strategic competition on a broader scale. Panelists will specifically address the issue of dual-use in technological innovation,  examining its consequences for conflict and cooperation, proliferation trends, and strategic competition.

  • 12:00 – 13:15

  • 13:15 – 14:30

    Foreign Interference in an Age of Disorder

    Foreign interference in an age of disorder presents shared challenges: contested definitions, asymmetric tactics, and the tension between security and democratic norms. This panel examines how conceptual clarity, practical state responses, and the regulation of emerging technologies together shape policy (or should do so). The debate will start by clarifying why agreeing what counts as foreign interference matters for effective detection, public debate, and legal remedies. Lithuania’s case show how a small state has shifted from a pragmatism to a security‑oriented posture towards China, translating threat perceptions into tailored strategy. Finally, we will explore civilian AI’s dual‑use role in countering interference, assessing ethical trade‑offs and how the EU AI Act frames cooperation between tech and defence while safeguarding rights.

  • 14:30 – 14:40

The PRCP Annual Conference 2025 is organised by the Peace Research Center Prague (PRCP), the Institute of International Studies (IMS) and the Political Science Club (PK). The event is supported by the Johannes Amos Comenius Operational Programme (OP JAK) (reg. no. CZ.02.01.01/00/23_025/0008692).

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