Book of Abstracts: The 6th Student Conference on International Relations: Knowledge as Resistance: Student Perspectives on Power, Crisis and Change in the International Community

The 6th Student Conference on International Relations (SCIR) is a two-day academic event that was held on 7–8 May 2026 at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, organized by the Chair and Centre of International Relations at FDV UL in partnership with the Student Association for International Relations, Globallis. As an instrument of EUTOPIA’s Connected Community “Maintaining International Peace and Security,” the conference brings together Bachelor’s and Master’s students from the wider IR field to critically engage with contemporary global challenges through thematic panels, peer feedback, and dialogue with established researchers and university teachers. Set against a backdrop of intersecting crises—climate change, technological disruption, erosion of academic freedoms, and ongoing conflicts—the conference positions student-led intellectual engagement as a form of resistance to autocratization, corruption, injustice, and polarization. It provides a simulated academic setting in which young scholars develop and practice scientific research and writing competences, present their work, and refine their academic knowledge through constructive recommendations from peers and senior academics. A specific aim is to foster academic collaboration between EU-based institutions and universities in the Western Balkans, thereby strengthening a growing network of early-career researchers committed to critical inquiry, solidarity, and innovation in International Relations.