Call for Papers

Europe’s Strategic Shield: Defence, Security and Democratic Resilience on the EU and NATO Eastern Frontier

6th EUXGLOB International Conference

Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
3–4 December 2026 | Hybrid format

The Centre for the Study of the EU’s External Relations and the Global Order (EUXGLOB), Faculty of European Studies, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, is pleased to announce the call for papers for the sixth edition of the EUXGLOB International Conference.

Building on the success of previous five editions, this year’s edition turns to one of the most urgent strategic questions facing Europe today: how the EU and NATO can strengthen defence, security and democratic resilience on their Eastern frontier.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has transformed the European security order and placed the Eastern flank of the EU and NATO at the centre of the continent’s strategic future. The Black Sea region, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, and Central and Eastern Europe more broadly have become key spaces where military pressure, hybrid threats, cyber operations, energy insecurity, information manipulation and democratic vulnerability intersect. These developments require not only stronger defence capabilities, but also deeper cooperation between academic communities, public institutions, think tanks, civil society and international partners.

The 6th EUXGLOB International Conference invites scholars, researchers, practitioners, policy experts, PhD candidates and early-career researchers to reflect on the evolving role of Europe’s Eastern frontier as both a zone of vulnerability and a strategic shield for the European and transatlantic security order. The conference will explore the impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the future of EU–NATO cooperation, the security of the Black Sea region, the pressures affecting the Republic of Moldova, the development of European defence, and the growing relevance of hybrid, cyber and information threats. These priorities reflect the thematic focus of the new edition, which is dedicated to defence, European security and democratic resilience at the EU and NATO Eastern frontier.

The organisers welcome paper proposals addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:

• The EU and NATO Eastern Frontier: strategic challenges, vulnerabilities and opportunities
• Russia’s War against Ukraine: consequences for European and transatlantic security
• Black Sea Security: military adaptation, regional instability and strategic competition
• The Republic of Moldova and the Eastern Neighbourhood: resilience under pressure
• European Defence and Strategic Autonomy: capabilities, coordination and political constraints
• EU–NATO Cooperation: institutional responses to emerging security threats
• Hybrid Warfare and Democratic Resilience: political interference, societal vulnerability and institutional responses
• Disinformation, Cognitive Security and Information Warfare: narratives, actors and countermeasures
• Energy Security and Strategic Dependencies: lessons from the Eastern flank
• Civil Society, Media Literacy and Public Resilience: strengthening democratic defence

The conference will be organised in a hybrid format, with panels held onsite at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca and online for international participants unable to travel. The working language of the conference is English. No participation fee is required.

Scholars, practitioners and researchers are invited to submit paper proposals of approximately 250–300 words, accompanied by a short biographical note of 100–150 words, by October 20, 2026. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by November 1, 2026. Proposals should be submitted via the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeb6MsxtKjqpM3LAorJK3kzasmokhJm5OYMg1oSczknkq3rDQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor.

Meals and coffee breaks will be provided during the two days of the event for onsite participants. Upon request, the organisers may assist with accommodation reservations; accommodation costs are not covered.

Papers presented during the conference will be considered for publication in a peer-reviewed collective volume More details about previous EUXGLOB conferences and publications can be found at www.euxglob.ro.

We look forward to receiving your paper proposals and welcoming you to the 6th EUXGLOB International Conference in Cluj-Napoca in December 2026.

For further queries, please contact us at: euxglob@gmail.com or raluca.moldovan@ubbcluj.ro.