This summer, I embarked on a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) to the University of Cambridge, neatly nested within the ambit of COST Action CA22121. It turned out to be far more than a research trip—it was a moment of vibrant discovery and meaningful collaboration.

Kicking off with groundwork in the Czech Republic, I explored key themes: genealogy, nationalism, and academic freedom in the Czech Republic. I met Prof. Jo-Anne Dillabough in Cambridge and enjoyed a dynamic exchange of ideas, unfolding across intense discussions. Additionally, I visited the Cambridge University Library. It was during these sessions—interspersed with conversations—that the core of my research sharpened. Together, we bridged theory and praxis, and charted paths for future grant collaboration and work within WG1 and the broader CA structure.

Each discussion refined our theoretical architecture—from genealogy as a Foucauldian investigative lens to resisting static understandings of lineage, to probing the contours of freedom across Anglo-Saxon and German traditions—through philosophers like Hobbes, Kant, Arendt, and others. We also traced the arc of academic freedom, from its early 20th-century roots to its current struggles in polarized contexts, with spotlight issues such as religious, racial, and gender dynamics alongside the creeping forces of corporatization.

Two themes surfaced with particular clarity: first, the Post-Truth Era, reflecting on truth through Arendtian and Foucauldian lenses; and second, geopolitical currents, analyzing how Chinese—and to some extent Russian—influence shapes academic spaces in the EU, UK, and Czech Republic. These analytical threads are now evolving into full-fledged research outputs.

I’ll be sharing these findings at the upcoming WG1 session in Vienna in September 2025, and further collaboration focused on grant calls and scientific papers lies ahead.