Conference on Baltic studies to be held at Stanford in 2018

TALLINN - A conference is about to be held at Stanford University next year to celebrate two important milestones – the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) and the 100th anniversary of independence for the Baltic countries.

The conference will bring together scholars interested in Baltic studies from all over the world and foster collaboration between Baltic and Stanford researchers. The three-day program, to be held on Stanford University campus on June 1-3, 2018, will feature panels, roundtable discussions, and workshops on 16 broad topics, Stanford University said.

Keynote speakers will include former Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga, currently president of the World Leadership Alliance/Club de Madrid; Norman M. Naimark, professor of East European studies at Stanford University; Agnia Grigas, an energy and political risk expert based in Washington DC who specializes in energy and foreign policy of the U.S. and Eurasia; as well as Lauri Malksoo, professor of International Law at the University of Tartu.

Altogether more than 200 people are expected to take part in the conference.

The conference will also include numerous additional events, such as keynote talks by leading Baltic scholars, evening receptions, film screenings, exhibits, and tours of Stanford's Baltic collections.

The conference is organized by AABS and the Stanford University Libraries (SUL).

SUL is considered one of the top academic libraries in the United States in terms of the size and strength of its Baltic collections. The library not only holds one of the best Baltic collections in the country, but also actively engages in supporting Baltic projects and activities, and enhancing Baltic studies at Stanford and beyond.

Held every two years, the AABS conferences are the biggest meetings on Baltic studies worldwide. The conference was held at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, at Yale in 2014 and at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2012.

Former president of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves joined Stanford University as a visiting fellow in January this year.