In collaboration with the Slavic Reference Service at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, AABS welcomed scholars from around the world to the fourth annual Baltic Research Forum last month.
With the Baltic states and the region entering a new era following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2024, the Baltic Research Forum was organized under the theme of “New Directions in Baltic Studies.” AABS President Jörg Hackmann spoke to this theme in his opening keynote, “Baltic Studies at the crossroads (again)?” and several presenters framed their research in the context of revisiting existing tropes or conceptions about the region.
The virtual event featured nine presenters from six countries – Canada, Germany, Latvia, Ukraine, Belgium, and the United States – and a range of disciplines.
Since one of the primary goals of the Baltic Research Forum is to foster a supportive and open environment for scholars to receive feedback on their ongoing research, each presentation was followed by considerable time for questions and discussion. For presenters working on emerging topics and fields, this environment can be particularly helpful. For example, Zane Šime’s presentation “Latvia’s Culturally and Historically Rooted Advanced Research: Heritage Literate and Forward-Looking Approach” was followed by an enthusiastic Q&A from the attendees.
The Baltic Research Forum will return for a fifth edition in 2025. It is one of three annual research forums hosted by the SRS. The two other forums, focusing on the Caucuses and Central Asia, are held each spring.
