From April 24–26, the 16th Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe took place in Cambridge, the United Kingdom under the title “Converging Paths: The Baltic Between East and West.” The conference was organised by the Baltic Programme at the Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge in cooperation with the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies and other local partners.
The programme was dense and rich: presentations and panel discussions were held at five different venues across the city. More than 500 participants attended the event, engaging in discussions about the current state and future challenges of the Baltic States. A recurring theme throughout the conference was the Baltic region’s growing and continuing geopolitical significance, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Marko Poolamets represented the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory at the conference, delivering a presentation on the second day, titled “Kogu Me Lugu Portal: Layers and Opportunities of Oral History.” In his talk, he emphasised the importance of collecting oral history, the methods used, and future plans, drawing on over 350 interviews collected to date. Particular focus was given to the memories of 1944 refugees collected in Sweden over the past four years, along with both archival and personal sources.
Presentations by other speakers on the topic of oral history were also highly engaging and inspiring, offering hope for future collaborative projects.
More info: https://www.cfg.cam.ac.uk/. The conference can be viewed here.