Conference Program

The author intends to indicate, name and analyze the roles of the Russian Federation’s regions (subjects of the federation) in international relations. An additional goal is to compare the international roles played by individual (selected) Russia’s regions and to indicate the factors determining differences in this area. The study is intended to fill the gap related to the application of the theory of international roles to analyze the international activity of sub-state entities (in this case: regions) and to verify the usefulness of this research approach on the example of paradiplomacy of Russian regions. The turning point in time is, on the one hand, the establishment of the “new Russia” (Russian Federation), and, on the other hand, the beginning of a full-scale war against Ukraine and the related open confrontation with the West (which had an obvious impact on a fundamental change in the possibilities of international influence of Russian regions). The work is mostly based on the application of the theory of international roles. Moreover, the research approaches relating to international status studies could be also recognized as useful in this regard. The research methods used are primarily: analysis of existing data, including primary sources and scientific and expert studies, as well as comparative analysis.

International relations should develop a more sophisticated understanding of the concepts of paradiplomacy and multi-level governance held at the supranational, national and subnational levels in which sub-state entities exercise international agency in several ways. For CEE cities and regions, usually, international partners are other European entities. Nevertheless, cities and regions also seek cooperation with partners outside the EU, including China. To analyze this phenomenon, I have surveyed 218 CEE cities and 188 regions in the member-states of the original 16+1 format.

This study has uncovered the significant scope and intensity of CEE-China subnational relations. This paper analyzes the survey results to show which CEE cities and regions cooperate with China and in which thematic areas. It also provides evidence of policy coordination patterns toward China in those cities and regions with regional, national and European authorities. Finally, the paper argues that paradiplomacy can be a "bridge" for ineffective cooperation at the national or supranational level. The results indicate that the 14+1 initiative does not meet expectations at the supranational level. Therefore, I argue it represents a "zombie mechanism" as it has limited activities outside annual summits. Despite this, we can observe the growing importance of contacts at the subnational level through various fields of cooperation.

In an increasingly interconnected world, the role of European cities in shaping global diplomacy is becoming more prominent. These entities are pivotal within the European Union and play a significant role in international relations beyond Europe. This aspect of IR, though, often remains underexplored. The rationale for this study is, therefore, to shed light on the often-overlooked role of European sub-state entities in global diplomacy. By focusing on Germany's extensive cooperation with American and Chinese partners, this research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of sub-state international relations and their impact on national foreign policy. The presentation aims to conduct a comparative analysis of Germany’s subnational engagements with the US and China. It seeks to identify similarities, differences, and key factors influencing these relationships, offering insights into European sub-state diplomacy's broader context. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the paper analyzes survey data and interviews with city officials. The study identifies critical factors such as city size, geographical location, historical connections, diaspora presence, economic and academic ties, institutional frameworks, and leadership attitudes that shape the subnational relationships. The paper provides valuable insights into the influence of subnational actors on German foreign policy towards major global powers. It contributes to the understanding of German foreign policy and the European Union's international relations from a multi-level perspective. Additionally, the inclusion of smaller cities in the analysis brings a unique contribution to the field of city diplomacy.

Highlighting the contradictions and inconsistencies associated with the lenient treatment of democratic principles significantly impacts issues related to compliance with gender equality standards. It is easy to disregard women's rights by rendering them invisible. Equally important is the marginalization of this problem. This presentation aims to illustrate how women's rights are not considered and are often overlooked during the process of constructing democracy rankings. Therefore, the objective of this presentation is to make the invisible visible, the marginal central, and the trivial important.

The presentation seeks to answer the question: What is the correlation between the level of democracy and gender equality, and is there a variation in gender equality based on different political regimes? The presentation comprises two parts. The first part analyzes the role of democracy in shaping attitudes towards gender equality. In the second part, the Pearson correlation coefficient method is employed to examine the correlation between gender equality and the level of democracy. Subsequently, the analysis of variance is conducted using the ANOVA method to explain the probability with which identified factors influence differences between gender equality and political regimes.

The research aims to describe the role of women in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia in facing the environmental degradation crisis as a result of the influence of the Indonesia's food regime. Initiated by Indonesia's development program through the expansion of agro-industry and mining in areas considered less fertile or "marginal". As a result, indigenous peoples have also experienced a shift from collective-based land ownership and production systems to household-based management systems. In response to this livelihood shift, women are utilizing the weaving skills they have acquired over generations to sustain their families' food security. They also form women's groups that actively oppose the domination of large-scale capitalist food regimes by fighting for indigenous rights and values. This research adopts a decolonization framework with a gender approach to critique the characteristics of LIO that tend to be centered on Western perspectives. In addition, LIO is considered ineffective in addressing global challenges, such as environmental degradation and climate change. LIO also ignores the rights of indigenous peoples, which is a major obstacle in addressing environmental issues. The research also highlights that LIO maintains injustice by establishing gender-differentiated systems in food regulations. The results show that LIO has contributed to economic injustice and environmental degradation in NTT. The research also seeks to describe the active roles and subjectivities of women's groups, as well as support their resistance movements against the influence of LIO in Indonesia's food regime. The involvement of women and indigenous peoples in designing inclusive and sustainable environmental policies is needed.