About Us
Rebuilding Futures in Times of War and Repression
Project 2022 examines the consequences of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine for knowledge communities across Europe. As part of the Eastern Academic Alliance, funded by the EU, we work together with academics, students, activists, archivists, and educators from different disciplinary and cultural backgrounds.
Our aim is to document and analyse the experiences and challenges faced by educators, students, and cultural workers in the contexts of war, violence, and political repression. These challenges include forced migration, interrupted careers and study paths, censorship, social and intellectual isolation, and jeopardized individual and social well-being. Our activities comprise research, mentoring, policy recommendations, and the development of innovative educational and research resources.
In the news
Latest publications & events
Law in a Lawless State
This seminar examines Russia’s transformation of law, legal institutions, and governance under democratic backsliding, authoritarian control, and war. Led by constitutional law expert Elena Lukyanova and human rights lawyer Maria Voskobitova, students critically assess how courts, rights protections, and criminal justice have shifted since 2022. The course combines legal, political, and historical analysis to provide evidence-based understanding essential for policymakers, civil society actors, and engaged citizens. Understanding Russia’s legal system is increasingly vital for European security and the international legal order.
“Mr Nobody Against Putin” Discussion with Pavel Talankin
How does a state bring schools into line? In “A Nobody Against Putin,” director Pavel Talankin documents the systematic suppression of academic freedom in Russia. This discussion explores how media, academia, and schools have become instruments of state conformity. We ask: How should we engage with Russia’s “black box”? What ethical standards apply when documenting war crimes? What lessons can democracies draw from this unfolding story? Join us for a conversation about resistance, complicity, and the courage to think differently.
Interview with Hubertus Jahn For New Eastern Europe
An in-depth conversation with Cambridge historian Hubertus Jahn on Russia’s war transforming Russian Studies. Jahn describes Soviet-era restrictions returning, advocates decolonizing rather than abandoning Russian history, and traces a “blood trail” of political assassinations proving Russia operates as a mafia state. Drawing on German post-Nazi reconciliation, he calls for increased funding for Eastern European Studies, media literacy education, and support for independent Russian media in exile.
Teachers and the Future of Russian Education
This issue examines the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on Russia’s educational system, with a focus on schoolteachers. It was curated by Project 2022’s own Dina Gusejnova and Dorine Schellens as guest editors for the Russian Analytical Digest.
Rebuilding futures
Our Focus Areas
Focus Area
Mapping Problems
Project 2022 partners with leading experts to develop publications that map and analyse the problems and challenges faced by researchers, educators, and students in the post-Soviet region as a result of Russia’s war violence and political repression. Drawing on the latest primary data, the papers translate research findings into actionable recommendations for policymakers and other relevant actors and organisations in education and civil society.
Focus Area
Education in Times of Hybrid Wars
Project 2022 develops and tests educational approaches and learning formats designed to engage with students under conditions of (hybrid) war and censorship. All resources are created collaboratively between experts from the post-Soviet region and the EU, combining diverse perspectives, knowledge, and expertise.
Focus Area
Building Diverse Communities of Experts
Our events connect scholars, policy makers, educators, and learners to discuss the challenges of researching, teaching, and learning under conditions of ongoing war violence and censorship. From conferences and roundtables to workshops with learners in secondary and higher education, they create collaborative spaces and communities for dialogue and new forms of engagement.