Forum on Central and Eastern Europe - KU Leuven

08/09/2026

🎙️ How do you preserve a sound, and why does it matter?
Kris Van Heuckelom, Professor of Polish and Cultural Studies, sits down with John Beauchamp, cultural heritage researcher, broadcaster, and PhD researcher at the Jagiellonian University, to discuss the growing importance of preserving both tangible and intangible heritage.
Their conversation explores Poland's evolving relationship with its past and the ways in which history, memory, and culture have become meaningful resources in contemporary life. From historic buildings to everyday soundscapes, they examine how heritage helps shape collective identity and belonging.
They also discuss Europa Nostra, Europe's leading network of heritage organisations, and the increasing recognition that sounds, voices, and acoustic environments are an essential part of our shared cultural inheritance. (link in the first comment)

08/09/2026

In this episode, Kris Van Heuckelom, Professor of Polish and Cultural Studies, sits down with John Beauchamp, cultural heritage researcher, broadcaster, and a recognisable voice in Poland's public soundscape. Together, they explore the growing importance of preserving both tangible and intangible he...

21/07/2026

In this episode, Peter Vermeersch, Professor of Political Studies at KU Leuven, speaks with Olivera Simić, Professor at Griffith University, about Biljana Plavšić—a respected biologist and university professor who became a senior Bosnian Serb political leader during the Bosnian War and was late...

06/07/2026

The latest episode of Studio Central and Eastern Europe is out!

What would it take to build a more equal society—and what role do men have in making it possible? In this episode, Maryna Shevtsova of KU Leuven speaks with Katarzyna Wojnicka, sociologist and Associate Professor at the University of Gothenburg, whose research explores masculinities, gender equality, and social change.
Drawing on years of work in the field, Wojnicka argues that dismantling patriarchy requires more than engaging men as allies. It demands that we place men themselves within the conversation about unequal power relations and consider aspects of intersectionality.
The discussion also turns to a distinction often overlooked in public debates: the difference between care and protection. While both may appear benevolent, Wojnicka explains how they relate to power in markedly different ways, with important implications for gender equality and social justice.

What would it take to build a more equal society—and what role do men have in making it possible? In this episode of Studio CEE, Maryna Shevtsova of KU Leuven speaks with Katarzyna Wojnicka, sociologist and Associate Professor at the University of Gothenburg, whose research explores masculinities,...

19/06/2026

Stepping out for a walk? Linger by the pool? Too tired to read, yet you feel your mind is still hungry? Make use of the latest episode of Studio Central and Eastern Europe. In this conversation, Kris Van Heuckelom, Professor of Polish Studies and Cultural Studies at KU Leuven, speaks with Konrad Klejsa (University of Łódź), a leading scholar of socialist-era Polish cinema. Their exchange turns to the often paradoxical workings of censorship under communism: not merely as a blunt instrument of suppression, but as a filtering mechanism that withheld some films while—selectively—allowing others to circulate. Klejsa reflects in particular on the uneven privileges granted to specific circles of viewers, as well as on the fissures that opened within the system, where alternative modes of access could emerge in the cracks of official control.
You can explore the Foreign Feature Films in People’s Poland database—an open-access academic resource, created by Konrad Klejsa to document and visualize the circulation of international cinema in the PRL—here: http://watchedinprl.uni.lodz.pl

In this conversation, Kris Van Heuckelom, Professor of Polish Studies and Cultural Studies at KU Leuven, speaks with Konrad Klejsa (University of Łódź), a leading scholar of socialist-era Polish cinema. Their exchange turns to the often paradoxical workings of film censorship under communism: not...

08/06/2026

Peter Vermeersch: Hello, everyone. You're listening to the podcast of Studio Central Eastern Europe of the KU Leuven. In our 20-minute episodes, we discuss the latest research on the region. I'm Peter Vermeersch, professor at KU Leuven, and with me today is Zsuzsa Csergo. Zsuzsa is professor of nati...

01/06/2026

What does it mean for a country to become a “transit” state—geography or choice? And how do such choices reshape the rights and lived realities of those seeking refuge?
In the latest episode of Studio Central and Eastern Europe, Denitsa Marchevska speaks with Dr Julija Sardelić (Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington) about her new book, Refugee Protection Crises and Transit Europe (Springer, 2025).
Together, they trace how states in Central and South-East Europe have repeatedly fashioned themselves as “temporary waypoints”—a stance that narrows their obligations and reframes refugee crises as crises of protection. The conversation situates these dynamics within a hierarchical, racialised international refugee regime, and reflects more broadly on borders, belonging, and the politics of mobility in contemporary Europe.
A rich and timely discussion—do listen.

What does it mean for a country to become “transit”? Is this a matter of geography, or a political choice? And how do such choices reshape the rights and lived realities of those seeking refuge? In this episode of Studio Central and Eastern Europe, Denitsa Marchevska speaks with Dr Julija Sardel...

05/05/2026

Wonderful and truly enlightening evening at Cinema ZED. The screening, organised with the generous support of the Polish Institute – Brussels, was followed by a most rewarding discussion. Our special thanks to Kris Van Heuckelom and Konrad Klejsa for his exceptionally informative talk, which illuminated the film’s iconic scenes, their dense historical and cultural references, and the considerable political risks Wajda took in making the film under communist censorship. A memorable encounter with a classic that continues to provoke and inspire!

15/04/2026

On 21 April 2026, the European Court of Justice will deliver its long-awaited judgement in an historical case where the European Commission, for the first time ever, took Hungary to Europe’s highest court for a violation of “European Values” because of its anti-LGBT laws. Why could this judgement be a game-changer for European law? Why were European values not invoked before in courts? What are the risks when judges start using values? And more broadly: is it a coincidence that Central European Countries such as Poland and Hungary are, once more, accused of disrespecting Europe’s values and principles? And how do these countries defend themselves before the court in Luxembourg?

In this episode of Studio Central and Eastern Europe these and other questions are discussed by Antoine Bailleux, who is a professor in European Law at UCLouvain, in a conversation with Wim Weymans, who, until recently, held the Chair in European Values at UCLouvain and who is also a Research Affiliate at LINES (KU Leuven).

On 21 April 2026 the European Court of Justice will deliver its long-awaited judgement in an historical case where the European Commission, for the first time ever, took Hungary to Europe’s highest court for a violation of “European Values” because of its anti-LGBT laws. Why could this judgeme...

09/04/2026

Writer Emine Sadka (Caravane for Ravens) will be one of the speakers at our forthcoming event Minority Citizenship in Backsliding Democracy: The Case of Bulgaria. More&Register: https://fcee.substack.com/p/minority-citizenship-in-backsliding