Colloquia Series

Each semester, the Havighurst Center hosts the Havighurst Colloquia Series. This lecture series, which is attached to an undergraduate, cross-listed topics course focusing on Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (REEES), is comprised of invited guest speakers who lecture on some aspect of the topic being taught that particular semester.

Spring 2026 Havighurst Center Colloquia Series
Democracy in Post-Communist Eastern Europe

All lectures are open to the public

Organizer: Dr. Venelin Ganev, Professor of Political Science
Mondays, Harrison Hall 302, 11:40am - 1:00pm

This series will look at a political development that has transpired in post-accession Eastern Europe-- democratic backsliding--examining it from different analytical perspectives: conceptual, theoretical, comparative and empirical. In addition, we will take a closer look at the rise of illiberal practices in Eastern Europe, examine its roots and causes, and explain why and how illiberal politicians win voters’ support. Finally, we will explore the policies such politicians launch when they win elections, as well as the immediate consequences and broader ramifications of these policies.

February 9
Courtney Blackington, University of Pittsburgh
Conspiracy Theories and Democratic Attitudes in Eastern Europe.

February 23 (this lecture will be on Zoom and will begin at 12:05, not 11:40)
Laura Jakli, Harvard Business School
Mass Mobilization and Demobilization in Declining Democracies

March 30
Lenka Bustikova, University of Florida
Uncivil Society and Polarization in Eastern Europe.

April 6
Maria Popova, McGill University
Cities and Democratic Resilience during Autocratic Waves

April 27
Michael Bernhard, University of Florida
Paradoxes of Democratic Accountability in the Age of Democratic Backsliding