On June 26-27, 2020, CRRC is organizing the Sixth CRRC Methods Conference, this time virtually. 

The last decade has seen broad political, economic, and social changes across the South Caucasus. In the previous ten years, events including Armenia’s 2018 ‘Velvet Revolution,’ the 2016 ‘Four-Day War’ in Nagorno-Karabakh, the region’s first ballot box-driven change in government in the 2012 Georgian parliamentary elections, the devaluation of the national currency in Azerbaijan, and volatility in relations between the European Union and Russia have reshaped the region. Such events have raised questions as to whether the three nations of the South Caucasus are growing increasingly apart, and if so, whether these changes reflect substantial divergence among societies or if they are simply an outcome of the interests of national elites.

The two-day virtual conference that will be held on June 26-27, 2020, seeks to answer these questions. Five thematic panels and two roundtable sessions will unpack questions posed in this year’s conference theme. The Sixth CRRC Methods Conference will feature two keynote speeches, from Professor John O’Loughlin (University of Colorado Boulder) and Professor Julie A. George (The Graduate Center, City University of New York). Furthermore, CRRC offices will celebrate the release of another wave of the Caucasus Barometer survey.

The CRRC offices are committed to promoting innovative research methods and creating a platform for social science professionals to exchange ideas. The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered how research organizations conduct fieldwork operations. Therefore, this year’s methodological roundtables will discuss the challenges and potential solutions to problems researchers face in the South Caucasus and broader Eurasian region.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all scheduled events will take place virtually. Panel presentations, roundtables, and keynote speeches will be broadcasted via CRRCs’ Facebook and Youtube pages. Audience members will be able to pose questions to presenters via feedback forms. Those who wish to participate in discussions must RSVP via this form. Detailed information about the conference program and an abstract book are included in the attached document.