The opening of Sakharov Research Centre for Democratic Development

On 18 December, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) hosted the grand opening of its new subdivision, Andrei Sakharov Research Centre for Democratic Development. Focusing on issues of human and civil rights, the centre will conduct research into the politics in Central and Eastern European countries analysing whether they fulfil their international commitments to protect human and civil rights.

A discussion was held during the event by Sakharov’s daughter, researcher Tatiana Yankelevich from the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University (USA), political scientist and analyst Lilia Shevtsova from the Chatham House (UK), founders of the Moscow School of Civic Education Lena Nemirovskaya and Yury Senokosov (Russia), Co-Director of the Institute for Statecraft Chris Donnelly (UK), Senior Russia Analyst at Radio Free Europe Brian Whitmore (Czech Republic), Project Director of Freedom House Lithuania Vytis Jurkonis, Director of European Security Programme, Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis Simas Čelutka, and VMU representatives.