On Thursday, January 26th, two professors from the POSI department — Drs. Franziska Boehme Newell and Ionut Popescu – participated in a panel discussion moderated by Dean Mary Brennan as part of the College of Liberal Arts’ Salon Series.
Entitled “The Ukraine-Russia Conflict One Year Later,” the discussion focused on the history of relations between Ukraine and Russia, the current state of the war, and the war’s international implications. Following the interviews Drs. Popescu and Newell fielded questions from the audience on a wide variety of topics including possibility of a coup in Russia, what the chances for a peace agreement are and why, and more.
“One of the most worrying things to come out of the war,” Dr. Newell remarked, “has been the vast number of attacks on civilian infrastructure and housing by Russia, that may all be prosecuted as potential war crimes through the International Criminal Court. There are reports of the use of cluster munitions, torture and mass atrocities like in the Bucha suburb of Kiev, attacks on hospitals, churches, and theaters. These things are violations of the laws of war under the Geneva Conventions.” Dr. Popescu spoke about the options the United States has to further the chances for a negotiated peace agreement between Russian and Ukraine”
This College’s Salon Series was founded to foster meaningful discussions about the humanities, and it aims to provide facilitated conversations in an intimate setting with the college of Liberal Arts faculty. During this event, faculty are able to showcase their research and explain its impact on the world around us. Students, alumni, and friends of the college are invited to meet and engage with faculty to explore a variety of topics and to promote thoughtful dialogue.
