The following ANIR Working Research Groups have been established:

Identity Group, Julie Reeves, CEP Visiting Fellow, Belarusian State University
Culture of Peace Group, Ralitza Zhekova, Varna Free University
International Relations History Group, Diana Dumitru, State Pedagogical University of Moldova "Ion Creanga"
European Integration Group, Alaksandr Lahvinets, CEP Local Faculty Fellow, European Humanities University
Contemporary International Relations: Theory and Practice, Dmitry Pobedash, The Urals State University named after M. Gorky
Security Issues Group, Sergey Glebov, Center for International Studies, Odessa National University 

Identity Group, Julie Reeves, Ph.D., CEP Visiting Fellow, Belarusian State University

The Identity Working Group is looking for academics and postgraduate students interested in issues relating to identity, culture and international relations. The working group will provide an email forum for discussion and exchange of ideas. Membership is informal and free - the aim of the working group is to connect scholars (at all stages of their careers) who share similar interests in the subjects of identity and culture.

If you would like to be part of the working group, please email Julie Reeves at juliereeves289@hotmail.com. Please supply a short list of your academic interests and contact details.

Culture of Peace Group, Ralitza Zhekova, Varna Free University

The Culture of Peace Working Group is looking for academics and postgraduate students interested in issues related to the concept of the culture of peace (peace education, international peace and security etc.). The aim of the research group is to open an electronic forum for discussion and exchange of ideas.

To become a member of the research group, please email Ralitsa Zhekova at rali_jekova@hotmail.com. Please supply a short list of your academic interests and contact details.

The International Relations History Working Group is looking for academics, PhD and graduate students, interested in issues relating to the pre-modern, modern and recent history of International Relations. Our main goal is to connect scholars who share similar interests in the subjects of International Relations History. To this end we are creating an interdisciplinary working group in which members will exchange ideas, share experiences, results of study and information, or develop common research projects in the field.

Contemporary International Relations: Theory and Practice, Dmitry Pobedash, The Urals State University named after M. Gorky

Why worry about IR Theory?
The new challenges and threats of the changing world, the ongoing global and local processes have been making it increasingly difficult to separate domestic issues from foreign ones. A strike in Venezuela provokes an immediate reaction in the farthermost corners of the world. Big politics reaches down to every individual. A cook makes a political decision when choosing between chicken breasts produced in France and in the USA. Our everyday routine has suddenly become globally important.

Political and social studies, area studies and economics can only be properly understood, studied and taught in the global context. Some scholars argue that the Theory of International Relations has become the ultimate ‘ology’, the discipline which seeks answers to the most important questions, and which can and should bring together achievements of science and scholarship.

In addition to that, scholars of international relations and politics are burdened with the responsibility of telling the truth to political leaders. And, what is even more important, in doing so they actually change the world, shape ideas which, in their turn, shape thinking and decision-making of politicians. Therefore it would seem more appropriate to speak of IR Theory as being very practice-oriented, or, in fact, inseparable from practice.

If you would like to participate in our forum on IR Theory, please contact Dmitry Pobedash at pobedash@yahoo.com sending your name, e-mail address, affiliation and research interests. If you wish to publish your article on IR-related issues, send an abstract to the same address. Please, also visit http://ir-theory.freeservers.com.

European Integration Group, Alaksandr Lahvinets, CEP Local Faculty Fellow, European Humanities University, Minsk

Research in the European Integration Group will focus primarily on the following issues:

Institutional issues of European and Pan-European integration and cooperation;
Europe and the EU in a globalising world;
Sub-regional co-operation in Europe;
The impact of the EU enlargement on the EU and on accession and non-accession countries;
The political dimension of human and minority rights protection in Europe.

If you would like to participate in our forum on European integration, please send your name, e-mail address, affiliation and research interests to Alaksandr Lahvinets at lahvinets@ehu.by.

Security Issues Group, Sergey Glebov, Center for International Studies, Odessa National University

The Security Issues Research Group aims to provide a forum for cross-regional research in the field of security studies. The goal of the group is to conduct multilateral research on the current European and world security issues with special emphasis on "Changing Security: from State Interests to Common Concerns".

The contribution of every group member will consist of two stages:

individual research on the security issues of the member’s home country (outlined in a 15-20 page report)
collective comparative analysis of the state interests of each country as presented by the members, summarized in a final report on future models of a stable security system.

The particular topics and the research plan, including political and geographical foci of research are open for discussion and will depend on the number of participants and the countries they will represent. The findings of the research will be disseminated through ANIR publications (ANIR On-line Journal, ANIR Annual Collection of Papers). Once established, the group may become a permanent body to work within the framework of ANIR and/or other professional associations.