Friday 23 October 2026, 11:00–12:00 CEST · Online ·
AEC members only
Following our save the date, we are pleased to share the programme for the members’ online session ahead of the Annual Congress. The session is part of AEC’s ongoing work towards a shared and transparent framework for how AEC as a transnational academic network engages with political conflicts, crises and human rights situations.
The session is a listening exercise: nothing will be concluded or decided on the day. Our aim is to better understand the range of experiences and perspectives within our community, and to explore what AEC’s role can and should be in situations of conflict or crisis.
A conflict looks different, and so do the possible responses, depending on how directly an institution feels its effects: through its students, its staff, its partnerships or its funding. Geographic proximity is only one of many factors at play.
To bring this diversity into the discussion, three colleagues whose situations differ will each respond to the same three questions:
- Sima Khoury Odeh, Executive Director, Edward Said National Conservatory of Music
- Prof. Bernard Lanskey, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (Australia)
- Dr Judita Žukienė, Rector, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA)
The session will be moderated by Niels Righolt, CEO and Director of the Danish Centre for Arts and Interculture and former Vice President of Culture Action Europe.
The session is for AEC members only. It will not be recorded, and there will be no press or public record.
Context and previous Sessions
AEC Council Meeting - March 2026
Following the AEC Members’ Dialogue Session held in January, the AEC Council engaged in an in-depth discussion reflecting on the values that underpin AEC and how these resonate with our members, many of whom demonstrate in their daily work the humanitarian principles that AEC upholds.
Reflection on the AEC Members’ Open Dialogue - January 2026
The purpose of the session was to create a safe space for members to express their concerns and viewpoints, and for AEC, as a membership organisation, to listen carefully in order to gain a deeper understanding of how it can navigate the political and value-based dilemmas that emerge within the membership as a result of developments in society.
