Dashkova Centre

Honorary Erickson Lecture

The Erickson Lecture is hosted by the Princess Dashkova Russian Centre, the University of Edinburgh Europa Institute and the University of Edinburgh Politics and International Relations.

2015

Dr Jacek Saryusz-Wolski

The 2013 Honorary Erickson Lecture entitled ‘The European Union and its Values under Test: Terrorism, Greece, Russia’ was given by Dr Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Member of the European Parliament on Monday, 16th March 2015.

Elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2004 and in 2009, Dr Jacek Saryusz-Wolski is currently the Chairman of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and a Member of the Conference of Delegation Chairs, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, as well as Substitute Member of the Budget Committee. In the years 1991-1996, he served as the Government Plenipotentiary for European Integration and Foreign Assistance, leading negotiations of the Polish Association Agreement with the European Community.

 

2013

The 2013 Honorary Erickson Lecture entitled Russia XXI: Challenge for the West was given by Dr Lilia Shevtsova (Carnegie Moscow Center) on Wednesday, 24 April 2013.

The 2013 Erickson lecture examined the state of democracy and the integration with the West in contemporary Russia. Dr Shevtsova addressed the uncertainty of the political situation in Russia today, and posed questions about the country’s future path and its relationship with the West.

 

2012

The 2012 Honorary Erickson Lecture was given at the Dashkova Centre on 8 February by Igor Yurgens, of Moscow's Institute for Contemporary Development.

In this lecture 'Modernisation in Russia: Things to Come, Things to be Overcome' Professor Yurgens, a former economic adviser to President Medvedev, addressed the social and political future of Russia. Positing a cyclical nature of the country's political and economic tranformation, he speculated that Russia's current "era of stability" is coming to an end.

About the lectures

The annual Erickson Lecture was established to mark the seminal contributions to military history and analysis made by John Erickson (1929-2002) while Professor of Defence Studies at the University of Edinburgh. It acts as a platform for prominent analysts and politicians to discuss relations between Russia and the wider world.