In 2026, In Statu Nascendi Think Tank will continue to strengthen Polish–Bulgarian academic collaboration, building on its work in 2025
- Piotr Pietrzak
- Dec 26, 2025
- 3 min read
Staff of the Institute of Political Science, University of Warmia and Mazury, at CONFSEC 2025 in Bulgaria
From 8–11 December 2025, Dr. habil. Krzysztof Żęgota, Professor at UWM, and Dr. habil. Wojciech Kotowicz represented the Institute of Political Science (INP), University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, at the 9th International Scientific Conference on Security “CONFSEC 2025”, held in Borovets, Bulgaria.
The conference was organized by the Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering (STU/ME), with co-organizers including the National Military University “Vasil Levski”, the Federation of the Scientific Engineering Unions, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Technical University, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, and the University of National and World Economy. The event served as a forum for international debate on contemporary security threats and ways of strengthening the resilience of states and institutions in a rapidly changing security environment.
The participation of representatives of INP UWM had both a scientific and networking dimension. The conference also functioned as a platform for meetings between scholars from various disciplines and academic institutions, fostering the confrontation of research approaches, the exchange of experience, and the development of lasting institutional contacts. In practice, this may translate into tangible outcomes such as the expansion of international cooperation, the preparation of joint publications and research projects in the field of security studies, and the broadening of professional networks useful for future conference and grant initiatives.
During CONFSEC 2025, representatives of INP UWM delivered the following papers:
Dr. habil. Wojciech Kotowicz, “Geopolitical Implications for Poland’s Security: The Problem of the Kaliningrad Oblast.”The paper focused on the impact of the Kaliningrad Oblast on Poland’s security, emphasizing both its specific geographical location and the consequences of Russia’s military presence in the enclave. Kaliningrad was presented as a heavily militarized area generating threats in the military, missile-nuclear, hybrid, and economic dimensions, while at the same time remaining logistically vulnerable. The presentation discussed the importance of the Suwałki Gap as a critical point on NATO’s north-eastern flank and the role of the enclave in Russia’s strategy in the Baltic Sea region. The conclusions highlighted the need to strengthen air and missile defense, maintain adequate defense spending, and develop civilian resilience, particularly in border regions.
Dr. habil. Krzysztof Żęgota, Professor at UWM, “Challenges to Poland’s Security in the Second Decade of the 21st Century.”This presentation addressed key challenges to Poland’s security in the second decade of the 21st century, with particular emphasis on geopolitical changes following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014. The growing importance of NATO’s eastern flank and the necessity of adapting security policy to both conventional threats and those below the threshold of war were discussed. Attention was also paid to the increasing role of hybrid, cyber, and energy threats and their impact on state resilience. An important component of the paper concerned the modernization of the armed forces and the development of capabilities to respond to migration and information crises. The conclusions emphasized Poland’s growing role as one of the key security actors in Central and Eastern Europe.
An important outcome of participation in CONFSEC 2025 was also its publication dimension: following the conference, scientific articles authored by INP UWM staff were published in the journal Security & Future, strengthening the Institute’s visibility in the international academic community.
A significant part of the stay in Bulgaria was a working meeting between Dr. habil. Krzysztof Żęgota, Professor at UWM, and Dr. habil. Wojciech Kotowicz, and Dr. Iskren Ivanov from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Dr. Ivanov is a recognized scholar in the field of international security and conflict studies, actively engaged in international academic discourse and in the analysis of contemporary strategic challenges. The meeting was also attended by Dr. Piotr Pietrzak from the In Statu Nascendi Think Tank (ISN)—an independent and interdisciplinary expert network focusing on the analysis of contemporary conflicts and geopolitical and geoeconomic issues. ISN conducts research, inter alia, on EU and U.S. foreign and security policy, defense strategy, energy security, technology, and cybersecurity, and serves as a platform for dialogue linking academia, experts, and practitioners. Discussions focused on possibilities for research and teaching cooperation, including within the Erasmus+ framework, as well as potential joint initiatives with think tanks in Bulgaria.
As part of the visit, a meeting with students was also held, during which European security and its main challenges were discussed from the perspective of Poland’s security, including the importance of allied cooperation and the consequences of hybrid and information threats for states in the region.
In conclusion, it should be emphasized that such international visits are of key importance for academic development: they enable the confrontation of research results with international debate, facilitate the establishment of project-based cooperation, and contribute to building lasting networks of contacts that lead to further joint initiatives and publications.
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