Professors in the Pub: the Current World War

Each month, come to Café des Taxis to have a drink and discuss important world events with professors and subject-matter experts. Share your questions and views and join the long tradition of politics in the pub! 

This month:

The war in Ukraine has echoes of Cold War divisions, but it reflects not just regional but global power struggles, with Russia’s actions resonating through Eastern Europe and beyond.

In the Middle East, tensions between Israel and Iran are intense and fanning the flames of the war in Gaza, all while interconnected with the war in Europe. In East Asia, we see alliances between China, North Korea, and Russia, tying European concerns to the Far East.

There are strategic interests that link these nations–Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea–including economic ties, political philosophies, and mutual opposition to Western influence. Just recently, the US Congress approved a military aid package to support its allies in all three theaters.

Are we in the opening stages of World War III? If so, what are the roles of hybrid, information, space, nuclear warfare? Are there connections between these global tensions and the rise of political extremism in the West? What happens next?  

Come discuss these questions and ask your own on May 9, 2024, at 6:30 pm, in Café des Taxis.

The lead professor for this discussion will be David Erkomaishvili, lecturer of cyber security and post-Soviet security at the Department of Security Studies, Charles University.