The Institute for Russian Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (Director: Sang-Yong Pyo) co-hosted the 12th East Asia Slavic–Eurasian International Conference (EACSES) with the Korean Association of Slavic and Eurasian Studies on June 28–29 at the International Hall of Hanyang University’s Seoul Campus. The conference was held under the theme “Re-building Peace in Eurasia beyond Conflicts: Humanistic and Socio-Cultural Reinterpretations.”

Opening with welcoming remarks by Prof. Deok-Soo Kang, Professor Emeritus at HUFS and former president of the Korean Association of Slavic and Eurasian Studies, the two-day event brought together 108 presenters from 16 countries, including Korea, Japan, China, Mongolia, India, Russia, and several Central Asian states. Over the course of 36 sessions, specialists in Slavic and Eurasian studies addressed a wide range of topics spanning politics, economics, society, culture, and the arts across the broader Eurasian region, including Russia.

This year’s conference marked the first fully in-person gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic, and interest in Eurasian research—particularly in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine—resulted in the highest participation rate in the conference’s history.

In addition, the conference welcomed ICCEES (International Council for Central and East European Studies) President Andrii Krawchuk and board members representing Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Finland, and other countries, who attended the event onsite. The ICCEES Board convened its meeting in a hybrid format, and a dedicated roundtable examined the current state of Russian studies worldwide following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Scholars exchanged perspectives on the evolving landscape of Russian and Eurasian studies not only in East Asia but also across North America and Europe.