Great exploration of statehood contestation and borderland during UniTartu Summer School

Hello everyone, I am Gaëlle, a final-year PhD student at Ghent University and the United Nations University in Bruges. My research focuses on documenting and analysing the social consequences of contested borders in Transnistria, Abkhazia, and the Samegrelo region of Georgia. During my PhD trajectory, I had the pleasure of presenting on a panel with Professor Eiki Berg, the course leader of the Secessionist and Statehood Bids in Times of Crises summer course. I was delighted when Prof Berg informed me about the course and the 10 full scholarships for students from ENLIGHT partner universities. It was great news to be awarded one of them. The summer school team was incredibly responsive and helpful throughout the enrollment process, and the dormitory they arranged for us was both affordable and conveniently located just 10 minutes from the classroom.

This course enriched my knowledge of statehood contestation and legitimisation. I also gained valuable insights into negotiation theory and practice through a simulation of the complex peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine, a challenge that has eluded even the most experienced negotiators. The discussions were particularly enriching, thanks to the diverse backgrounds, research interests, and experiences of the participants. The sessions were highly participatory, and in the afternoons, we watched and discussed films offering perspectives from Transnistria, Somaliland, Abkhazia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.

These films are available on a dedicated page of the de facto state research unit at the University of Tartu, and I plan to watch more of them in the future.

Over the weekend, our course group travelled to Narva, a city located at the border between Estonia and Russia with a Russian-speaking majority population. The current Estonian Minister of Education has explained the policies to increase Estonian language knowledge in schools and emphasised that the Russian language in Estonia was a matter of national security, especially given Vladimir Putin's aggressive posture toward countries with Russian-speaking populations. The question, "Is Narva next?" often surfaces in discussions. I particularly liked the answer of the filmmaker Jelena Pazilina's: yes, Narva is next—but as the next European Capital of Culture. I share her hope that Narva will indeed achieve this recognition.

Given my research focus, observing the continuous pedestrian crossing across the glass bridge connecting Estonia and Russia was particularly interesting, especially as it remains one of the few crossing points amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. One might have expected a no man’s land, but the closeness of Narva and Ivangorod on the Russian side was striking, with the two inhabited banks facing each other. Having read about the embeddedness of both cities in the past, it was even more compelling to witness this dynamic firsthand at a time when the EU and Russia are at odds following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

Lastly, I enjoyed the evening social programmes, including a scenic boat ride along the Emajõgi River, visits to various museums, and time spent with fellow course participants at several Tartu European Capital of Culture events. One highlight was watching the film Portrait of a Certain Orient during a free open-air film festival. I met many interesting people during the summer school, and we continue to stay in touch. I look forward to reconnecting with many of the course participants at future events.

On the same topic:

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