IBEI - Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals

03/06/2026

Is politicization a failure or an opportunity for the European Union? 🇪🇺

Book chapter by Alex Andrione-Moylan: "Revisiting TTIP and CETA: Claim-making and Legitimacy in the EU".

By analyzing media debates across six key countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland), the author examines the impact of public mobilization against EU trade agreements.

An essential read to understand the gap, and the opportunities for reconnection, between European institutions and their citizenry.

👉 Read more: t.ly/knwv-
Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press)

03/06/2026

| Global Trade at a Turning Point: Rethinking the Global Trading System 🌐

The multilateral trading system is undergoing a fundamental shift. Rising protectionism, geopolitical fragmentation, and the evolution of digital trade are forcing a comprehensive reassessment of traditional commercial frameworks.

This panel brings together key perspectives from academia, international organizations, and public policy to analyze these structural changes:

🔹Simon J. Evenett (Institute for Management Development IMD)

🔹Meredith Lilly (Carleton University (Official))

🔹Carlos Grau (Global Express Association)

🔹Luz María de la Mora (UN Trade and Development)

🔹Cristina Serradell (ACCIÓ)

02/06/2026

What happens when culture and social movements clash with major mining projects?

Following the 2019 social unrest in Chile, a new study analyzes the case of the controversial Dominga mining project. The authors investigate how citizen pressure and cultural shifts at the time managed to halt the project and change environmental policies, even though the company stood its ground.

“Social revolution and mining projects: The potential role of cultural power in transforming mining conflict”, a key read by Yanina Kowszyk, Mariana Walter, Rajiv Maher, and Frank Vanclay to understand how the rules of the game are changing in today's environmental conflicts.

👉 Read the full study here:

Latin America has been experiencing numerous mining conflicts, leading to a critical discourse around extractivism and an increase in anti-mining move…

02/06/2026

📢 | Synthetic Geographies and the Political Economy of Generative AI

How is generative AI shaping the representation and global economy of territories? This seminar will analyze the role of large language models through the lens of infrastructure, data, and current labor dynamics.

👉 Speaker: Mark Graham (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford)
👉 Chair: Susana Galán (IBEI)

Monday, June 8, 2026

12:00 - 13:30 h

Join us t.ly/bd0jb

01/06/2026

How does the fairness of truth commissions influence the success of peace after a conflict?

In this article, researcher Lesley-Ann Daniels analyzes the impact of these organizations when they are perceived as biased or one-sided. Through an experimental study in Northern Ireland, the research demonstrates that impartiality is not just an ethical principle, but a key requirement: processes perceived as unfair significantly reduce public support and the prospects for reconciliation.

An essential analysis on the importance of building equitable transitional justice to ensure a lasting peace.

👉 Access the full article: "One-Sided Truth Commissions and Effects on Public Support and Reconciliation" at

Many post-conflict and post-transition countries use truth commissions to address the legacy of the past. However, truth commissions are products of the political context and often reflect the power balance at the time of creation. More than half of truth commissions show some form of one-sided trea...

29/05/2026

Where is peacebuilding heading in a fragmenting world?

On May 14 and 15th, IBEI researchers Lesley-Ann Daniels and Tutku Ayhan co-organized the workshop "Getting to Peace without the Peacemakers?".

Across two intense days, scholars and practitioners came together to debate:

📉The impact of geopolitics and democratic backsliding on peace processes.

🔄The emerging role of local actors and regional powers.

🤝New forms of adaptation and resistance in the face of global fragmentation.

A crucial space for dialogue bridging academia and practice. Swipe to see the photos from the event!

29/05/2026

[9/9] Concluding the Barcelona Summer School of the Mediterranean and the Middle East with our final module

✏️ From Managing to Resolving Conflicts in North Africa
While often perceived as a stable region, North Africa faces persistent, low-visibility crises with significant escalation risks. In this course, Riccardo Fabiani (International Crisis Group) combines analytical frameworks with applied geopolitical analysis to examine contemporary regional dynamics.

🗓️ 1-3 July
⏰ 15:00 - 17:00
🔗 Register here: t.ly/DlFpy

🤝 Joint initiative co-organized by IBEI, Catalonia International and IEMed

28/05/2026

How does the European Union respond to the crises transforming its political order?

Introducing "The Routledge Handbook of European Union Politics", co-edited by Michèle Knodt, Natalia Chaban, Oriol Costa, and Patrick Müller. This work offers a rigorous and updated analysis of the impact of internal challenges and the new global geopolitical landscape on European governance.

An essential read for researchers, students, and international relations professionals seeking to understand the vectors of change in EU politics.

👉 t.ly/bVZKD

Taylor & Francis

This handbook provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art account of the politics of the European Union. It pays particular attention to the profound challenges the EU faces which transform the foundation of its politics, such as internal (Brexit, democratic backsliding, growing nationalism and popul...

28/05/2026

[8/9] Next module of the Barcelona Summer School of the Mediterranean and the Middle East

✏️ War and Transition in the Middle East

This course utilizes advanced academic tools to analyze current geopolitical shifts and anticipate future trajectories across critical flashpoints in the region. Led by Yezid Sayigh (Carnegie Middle East), the module is structured around three specialized core axes:

🔹Post-Conflict Dynamics: An examination of the regional aftermath and consequences of recent conflicts in Iran and the Gulf.

🔹State Transition and Stability: An analysis of key sociological and socio-economic trends in Syria’s transition following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, evaluating the new regime's capacity to consolidate.

🔹The Future of Palestine: An assessment of the prospects for a free Palestine in light of evolving political and social dynamics among Palestinians, within Israel, and in the wider global context.

🗓️ 1-3 July

⏰ 12:00 - 14:00

🔗 Register here: t.ly/EfvZm

🤝 Joint initiative co-organized by IBEI, Catalonia International and IEMed

27/05/2026

| Global Economic Governance at a Crossroads 🌐

The architecture managing the global economy is facing a critical turning point. Structural changes, shifting centers of power, and challenges to international consensus have brought traditional frameworks to a major crossroads.

Andres Velasco (The London School of Economics and Political Science - LSE) analyzes this pivotal moment and examines the challenges of redesigning global governance in a fragmented landscape.