Lecture “Technologies of international political communications”
Recently, at the invitation of the Serhiy Konoval Department of Political Science and Philosophy of WUNU, Paul Meerts held an online lecture for WUNU students. Paul Meerts is a political scientist, international negotiations analyst, and honorary deputy director general of the Netherlands Institute for International Relations "Clingendael".
Lecture “Technologies of International Political Communications” aroused great interest among the 1st-4th year students majoring in Political Science, International and Regional Political Communications. The speaker explained the phenomenon of international negotiations, their role in human history, as well as the peculiarities of negotiation processes and the factors that most influenced the conclusion of important agreements. Through the prism of history, recalling landmark agreements that changed the course of history, he showed what influenced the negotiators, the mistakes they made, and the factors that contributed to the longevity of agreements and those that led to chaos and war.
Special emphasis was placed on current challenges, in particular the Russian-Ukrainian war. Summarizing, Paul Meerts noted that negotiations are an alternative to war, but their success depends on the context, procedure and role of the participants.
Following the main part of the lecture, students had the opportunity to ask a number of questions, particularly about the particularities of the current relations between Ukraine and the United States.The students discussed the main successes and failures of the Munich and Paris talks and the conclusions that should be drawn from them.They also touched upon how modern digital communications and social media are changing the protocols and traditions of international negotiations. Additionally, the group explored potential future scenarios for alliances such as the EU and NATO in response to current global challenges.
The event provided a wealth of valuable information that is essential for understanding the factors that influence the conclusion of long-term agreements between parties in the international arena. This is especially true in today's global context, which is marked by significant challenges facing not only our country but the world at large.
The staff of the Serhiy Konoval Department of Political Science and Philosophy sincerely thanks Paul Meerts for an informative and interesting meeting! We look forward to further cooperation!
