In her lecture, Marylia Hushcha sketched a political history of Belarus, starting from 1991, when it gained independence, and exploring the political realities in the country today. She discussed attempts at democratization in Belarus, including the mass protests of 2020, the country’s relations with its major neighbors and key partners—Russia and the European Union—and considered potential scenarios for the future development of the nation.
Marylia Hushcha is a researcher and project manager at the International Institute for Peace in Vienna. Her research interests include EU relations with Eastern Neighborhood countries and Russia, as well as the gender and security nexus. Marylia previously worked at the Pontis Foundation in Slovakia, where she managed a capacity-building project for NGOs in Russia. She has completed training and fellowship programs at the United Nations Office in Belarus, the European Academy of Diplomacy in Warsaw, and the University of San Diego, USA. She holds a Master’s degree in European Studies from Comenius University in Bratislava.