Security Conference - Introduction

2024 KU Security Conference: The Russo-Ukrainian War and Global Human Security

Russia’s war against Ukraine is more than a conflict between two states; the war threatens human security across the globe. Russia’s invasion has caused the largest refugee migration in Europe since World War II, disrupted global food supplies, damaged ecosystems, and reshaped alliances in the Middle East, Asia, and elsewhere. On the internet, the war has been accompanied by disinformation campaigns that undermine democratic institutions and influence political decision-making. This two-day conference, organized by the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES), the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (ICCAE), Graduate Military Programs, and the Dole Institute of Politics, will consider how the world can respond to the many challenges posed by the war. The conference will bring together scholars and practitioners from academia, the intelligence community, and the military. On April 10, General Philip M. Breedlove, Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, will open the conference with a public keynote address. On April 11, conference panels will address the war’s environmental impact, the informational battles accompanying the armed conflict, and the future of Russia and Ukraine in the international system.

Conference Agenda

April 10

Location: Dole Institute of Politics

7:00pm

Keynote Presentation:

Introductory Remarks: Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer, University of Kansas, General Philip Breedlove, Georgia Institute of Technology
Moderator: Vitaly Chernetsky, University of Kansas

April 11

Location: Bruckmiller Room, Jayhawk Welcome Center

8:00am

Breakfast & Poster Exhibition

9:00-9:15am

Opening Remarks:

Executive Dean Arash Mafi, University of Kansas

9:15-10:30am

The Russo-Ukrainian War and Global Politics:

General Philip Breedlove, Georgia Institute of Technology
Volodymyr Dubovyk, Center for European Policy Analysis and I. I. Mechnikov National University (Ukraine)
Moderator: Erik Scott, University of Kansas

10:30am-12:00pm

The War and Environmental Security:

Kristina Hook, Kennesaw State University
Antonina Broyaka, Kansas State University
Kurt Preston, University of Kansas
Moderator: Shannon O’Lear, University of Kansas

12:00pm

Lunch & Poster Exhibition

1:00-2:30pm

The War, Disinformation, and Global Influence Campaigns:

Anton Shirikov, Columbia University
Rebecca Johnston, University of Kansas
Kat Romanova, University of Kansas
Moderator: Mahir Ibrahimov, Cultural and Area Studies Office, US Army Command and General Staff College

2:30-4:00pm

Ukraine’s Future: Military and Intelligence Perspectives

Matt Dimmick, Spirit of America
Glenn Corn, Institute of World Politics
Moderator: Joshua Campbell, Sand Hill Geographic/National Geospatial Intelligence Agency

4:15pm

Closing Remarks: Michael Denning and Erik Scott, University of Kansas