At the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, we value societal engagement: from media commentary and policy advising to co-creation in research. We see impact as a continuous dialogue with society. We decided to celebrate our collaboration with local partners in a series of interviews. Enjoy!

How do you translate complex academic knowledge into a clear story for a broad audience? Read the interview with CEEhub's Professor Giselle Bosse and Maurice de Heus of regional broadcaster L1 on the role journalists and scholars play in informing public debate on Europe.

En Russie, la "messagerie nationale" Max s'impose bon gré mal gré grâce à une promotion massive et aux blocages de WhatsApp et Telegram par les autorités au nom de l'indépendance de Moscou vis-à-vis de l'étranger - avec @mariellew.bsky.social information.tv5monde.com/economie/rus...

Great piece by FRANCE 24 on how Russia pushes the Max messenger onto its citizens with a massive promotion campaign and the simultaneous blocking of Whatsapp and Telegram - with some comments by me.

"'Dit is een poging om elke vorm van oppositie onmogelijk te maken,' zegt professor internetbeleid Mariëlle Wijermars." Mijn commentaar op de op handen zijnde blokkering van Telegram en vergaande internetbeperkingen in Moskou en andere delen van Rusland voor Knack.

In my latest policy brief, I argue policymakers should anticipate further escalation of Russian internet censorship, including the blocking of all remaining foreign platforms and messaging apps *very soon*. #Russia #Censorship #InternetGovernance #Polisky #IRsky #commsky

nos.nl/artikel/2600... Met bijdragen van mijzelf en @mariellew.bsky.social

New article by CERiM CEEhub expert Aline Sierp: The past as resource – memory and emotions in Russia’s war on Ukraine. In the article, Sierp analyses where, how by whom and to which effect historical analogies are used in EU policymaking, using Russia’s war on Ukraine as a case study.

Please help share this vacancy for a 4-year postdoc in Disinformation and European Democracy at Maastricht University #Polisky #EUsky #Commsky #Academicsky

Great opportunity at @fasosmaastricht.bsky.social: we have 4-year postdoc position on disinformation and European democracy. Possible disciplinary focus includes, e.g., political science and computational social science. Interdisciplinary approaches to disinformation are encouraged.

1/Quick thoughts of implications of US National Security Strategy for Europe -- weaponized interdependence meets nationalist international. The US will use its tools (economic, technology, and financial dominance) to press for far right agenda. www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...

"Europe’s leaders privately warned that the United States may be preparing to pressure Ukraine into territorial concessions without offering real security guarantees." Their only clue was absolutely everything the Trump administration have been saying and doing since 20 January.

ONLINE FIRST & OPEN ACCESS! This article by Olga Dovbysh & @mariellew.bsky.social examines the intersection of digital innovation and algorithmisation with restricted #media freedom, introducing the concept of #authoritarian algorithmic publics. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

New publication by @mariellew.bsky.social on authoritarianism and digital journalism.

New article just published in @digitaljournalism.bsky.social with Olga Dovbysh, in which we conceptualise the nexus of authoritarianism and digital innovation uptake in Russian media and introduce the concept of 'authoritarian algorithmic publics' (AAP). #Commsky #Polisky #CEEsky #Academicsky

A very timely research project on the myth that bringing far-right parties into government coalitions will somehow “expose” them — a strategy that simply doesn’t work.

'We hebben een periode van overwegend stilstand achter de rug. Wat wel lukte was bezuinigen op de wetenschap, op de publieke omroep en op ontwikkelingssamenwerking, en die eerste twee zijn [...] autocratische agendapunten die tegenmacht in de democratie minder sterk maken.'

How can the EU strengthen democratic resilience in Eastern Europe and integrate democracy support into its foreign policy amidst accelerating autocratisation? Meet Prof Giselle Bosse, CERiM CEEhub expert on EU enlargement, democratisation and autocratisation. #EUsky #Polisky #CEEsky #AcademicSky

9 december! Zegt het voort! ukrant.nl/hoger-onderw...

Cloud computing services power Europe’s digital future, enabling AI development & driving innovation. Today, we have launched three market investigations on cloud computing services under the #DMA.

What role does memory play in political decision making? Meet Dr Aline Sierp - CERiM Central and Eastern Europe Hub's expert on transnational memory and identity politics. #AcademicSky #HistorySky #PoliSky #MemoryStudies #EuropeSky #CEE

What role does memory play in political decision making? Meet Dr Aline Sierp, CERiM CEEhub expert on transnational memory and identity politics. #HistorySky #PoliSky #MemoryStudies #EuropeSky #CEE #AcademicSky

Hugely important academic paper repository arXiv says it will no longer accept Computer Science papers that are still under review due to the wave of AI-generated ones it has received. This will radically change preprint and open access scientific research www.404media.co/arxiv-change...

Opinie stuk in NRC vandaag: “Nederland schuift naar het midden op, Brussel kijkt mee” Ik bespreek de mogelijke verkiezingsuitslag kan betekenen voor de Nederlandse positie 🇳🇱 in Europa. 🇪🇺 👉🏽 www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

With the official prognosis giving one additional seat to PVV and one to FvD compared to the ext poll, the narrative should really not be that the Netherlands/Jetten has beaten the radical right. The far right bloc remains remarkably stable.

We are hiring a PhD student to join us at the @hertiesecurity.bsky.social (start Sept. 2026)! If you want to conduct research on topics related to digital authoritarianism, state repression, contentious politics or social movements online, then this job might be for you!

New today👇
 Abraham Newman on why writing isn’t about perfection or performance, but about conversation. 
A sharp + generous take on co-authorship, discovery & the politics of ideas. 🔗 Read here: catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/etched-in-... 🧵

When I asked what Newman what he’d etch in marble for a new generation, he didn’t hesitate: “It’s all about collaboration. See others not as competitors but as people who can push you forward.” 9/

Wil je weten hoe verschillende politieke partijen in hun #verkiezingsprogramma's denken over deze (en meer!) aspecten van wetenschap en #wetenschapsbeleid? Check het The Young Academy Dashboard Verkiezingen 2025 (dejongeakademie.nl/nieuws/31328...)

4. staan we pal voor academische vrijheid? 5. zien we hoe wetenschap nationaal én internationaal tegelijk kan zijn?

2. investeren we in het hele huis van de wetenschap, d.w.z. de volle breedte van de wetenschap, inclusief de sociale en geesteswetenschappen?

3. zien we het belang van jonge onderzoekers voor de levensvatbaarheid van de wetenschap, het risico van "wetenschapsvergrijzing", en gaan we daar wat voor en aan doen?

Vandaag in Trouw: wat er op het spel staat voor de wetenschap de aankomende verkiezingen www.trouw.nl/wetenschap/b...

I'm looking for recommendations for accessible podcasts, videos etc. for a 1st-yr course on digitalisation and politics. Suggestions? E.g. on how democracy functions and why it matters, how digitalisation reshapes elections, democratic backsliding in Europe... #EUsky #polisky #IRsky #Commsky

Pavel Guguyev was found guilty on charges of “confidential cooperation” with foreign nationals.

Al wat ouder, maar toch even in de re-post om vanavond eens terug te luisteren. #AIVD #MIVD

Meta’s decision to ban ads about politics, elections, and social issues on their platforms like Facebook and Instagram in the EU is now implemented. This is the new policy. Any ad about fx elections, civil rights, economy, health, climate, immigration, or foreign policy is now (presumably) banned.

Quite a claim from Pavel Durov

NEW: UK asked Apple to backdoor iCloud encryption. Backdoors create a massive target for hackers & criminal groups. Dictators will inevitably demand that Apple do the same for them. 1/ www.ft.com/content/d101...

How did Japan’s position of political, economic, and technological power impact the rise of East–West trade in Europe during the long 1970s? Read Aleksandra Komornicka's new article demonstrating how Japan’s rise served as a model for opening socialist economies. #Poland #historysky #IPEsky #IRsky

Ok then... so the military elite had to come back to see where their next "theater of war" will be... America's cities!

Trump declares war on Americans: "Our history is filled with military heroes who took on all enemies foreign and domestic. That's what the oath says -- foreign and domestic. Well we also have domestic."

Had a blast synergising @deconspirator.bsky.social and ARM project with @mariellew.bsky.social at the @clingendael.bsky.social REKA conference. Discussed current approaches to #FIMI and the challenges European democracies face. Despite our happy faces, we were not always optimistic...

Russian authorities have restricted calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, two of the most widely used messengers in the country. The two platforms disputed the move, with WhatsApp calling it an effort to "violate people’s right to secure communication."

🤯 Approximate movement of missiles and drones during the night attack on Ukraine…

⚡️At least 5 killed, 39 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over past day. Ukraine endured the largest aerial attack since the start of Russia's full-scale war, with at least 5 civilians killed and 39 injured across multiple regions over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said on July 9.

❗️For the second night in a row, Ukraine is yet again under a massive russian drone attack.

⚡️UPDATE: Russia's mass missile and drone strike on Kyiv injures at least 23. The attack damaged apartment buildings, businesses, a school, a medical facility, railway lines, and other civilian infrastructure in multiple districts. Fires blazed across the city, making the air dangerous to breathe.