cutting-edge research into peace, conflict,
and international security

In our time of rapid change, the risks of major violent conflict are rising. The need to prevent unnecessary human suffering calls for a deeper scholarly understanding of the causes, consequences, and dynamics of violence, and for an elaboration of new measures to foster international cooperation. These are the main goals of our interdisciplinary Center of Excellence, funded by Charles University.

Our Peace Research Center Prague team is comprised of renowned scholars on various topic surrounding international security, such as arms control, nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation or public-elite opinion gaps. We cover the majority of conflict areas around the world, such as Russia and Ukraine, the Middle East or China and Taiwan.

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Why do civil society organizations engaged in cross-border cooperation remain institutionally fragile?
Why do civil society organizations engaged in cross-border cooperation remain institutionally fragile?

Cross-border cooperation between Czechia and Germany has been proven to be the best way of normalizing neighborly relations between countries burdened by a troublesome past. In their new article, Karel B. Müller, Jana Urbanovská and Zuzana Lizcová analyze how “border effects” are mediated through the cross-border valuation and convertibility of different forms of capital, and why many people-to-people initiatives remain institutionally fragile despite decades of European integration. Find the full article here.

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Does the public support the usage of autonomous weapons? Findings from a cross-national survey experiment
Does the public support the usage of autonomous weapons? Findings from a cross-national survey experiment

Public support against usage of autonomous weapons is well documented, yet prior experiments focus largely on U.S. samples and “terrorist” scenarios, limiting cross-national generalizability. This preregistered experimental survey in the United States, Brazil, Germany, and China finds that the public responds similarly to risk-based primes across countries, enemy identity has no significant effect, and Chinese respondents show higher overall support. Find the full study here.

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Register for the PRCP Annual Conference 2026!
Register for the PRCP Annual Conference 2026!

Join us for the PRCP Annual Conference on March 19 at Kampus Hybernská (Cirkulární Hub) for a timely discussion on the current erosion of the international order. Welcoming Prof. Janina Dill from Oxford University as the keynote speaker, we will discuss three themes: Europe’s role in the disintegration of the international legal system, dual-use tech rivalry, and new research on foreign interference. Register via this link.

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New article in Survival: How the EU integration took inspiration from the US before Trump
New article in Survival: How the EU integration took inspiration from the US before Trump

Jan Hornát’s article in Survival explores how the European Union long reflected the United States’ federal “peace pact” model, and why this mirror shattered under Trump’s administration. The article highlights how Trump’s interpretation of the EU as a hotbed of liberal culture wars and his open support for populist and far-right movements destabilises the European peace architecture the United States once encouraged.

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Our work has been featured in Ukraine: The Latest from The Telegraph
Our work has been featured in Ukraine: The Latest from The Telegraph

As the New START treaty expires in February 2026, there will no longer be any agreement constraining the United States and Russia from a nuclear arms race. In these times, it has become imperative to understand the nuclear dynamics between the two great powers. Our recent working paper mapped the chronology of nuclear signaling between Russia and NATO during the first three years of the war in Ukraine and has been featured in a recent episode of Ukraine: The Latest by The Telegraph.

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Can nuclear deterrence and disarmament go hand in hand? Evidence from 24 countries shows they do
Can nuclear deterrence and disarmament go hand in hand? Evidence from 24 countries shows they do

Nuclear deterrence and disarmament do not necessarily need to go against each other. A new paper by Lauren Sukin and colleagues shows many people hold both pro- and anti-nuclear views. Using survey data from 24 countries (N=27,250), the study finds publics value both deterrence and disarmament rather than categorical positions.

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Featured
PRCP Annual Conference 2026
Mar 19
PRCP Annual Conference 2026

Join us for the PRCP Annual Conference on March 19 at Kampus Hybernská (Cirkulární Hub) for a timely discussion on the current erosion of the international order. Welcoming Prof. Janina Dill from Oxford University as the keynote speaker, we will discuss three themes: Europe’s role in the disintegration of the international legal system, dual-use tech rivalry, and new research on foreign interference. Register via this link.