Initiatives

We have been actively contributing to international discussions on paradiplomacy through editorial work with the journal TIP: Paradiplomacy Worldwide, including two special volumes focusing on both theoretical and practical perspectives.

Download: Volume 1 and Volume 2

During the ISA’s 67th Annual Convention, in a roundtable session on non-central governments as diplomatic actors, Joanna Ciesielska-Klikowska, Tomasz Kamiński (University of Lodz), Jorge A. Schiavon (Universidad Iberoamericana), Lucia Kovacikova (Marquette University), and Andre Lecours (University of Ottawa) discussed the current state of knowledge on paradiplomacy, presenting the recently published Routledge Handbook of Paradiplomacy.

Paradiplomacy Lab of the University of Lodz and ELTE CERS Institute for Regional Studies organized an online conference on the role of cities in international relations in the context of global challenges and crises.

The Academy of International Affairs NRW, in cooperation with the Paradiplomacy Scholars Forum, hosted an online seminar on Brazilian paradiplomacy.

This seminar examined how cities and regions represent their interests within the European Union. 

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This online seminar explored how Israeli cities engage internationally, combining scholarly analysis with practical insights. The discussion brought together researchers and senior practitioners to examine urban agency, governance structures, and the everyday practice of municipal diplomacy in interaction with national foreign policy. 

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On 26 September, the online conference “Cities and Regions Bypassing Central Governments?” took place, co-organised by Paradiplomacy Lab, the Institute for Regional Studies (KRTK), Hungary, and the Centre d’Étude de la Vie Politique (CEVIPOL) at Université libre de Bruxelles.

The online seminar presented the key contributions of both volumes, fostering discussion among contributors and a broader international audience  

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A workshop held during EWIS 2025 in Kraków fostered interdisciplinary dialogue on theories and methods of paradiplomacy. Almost 20 scholars from 8 different countries attended this event.

This seminar addressed the evolving agendas of city networks, the relationship between state capacity and subnational performance, and the autonomy of cities operating under heightened geopolitical pressure. By drawing on cases from Europe, Latin America, and Asia, presented by Seven Erdoğan (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Turkey), Lucas Franco (Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University, Japan/Brazil) and Fedor Zolotarev (University of Pécs, Hungary), this seminar offered comparative insights into how local and regional actors position themselves internationally amid both opportunity and constraint.

This seminar explored new conceptual and empirical directions in paradiplomacy studies. Contributions: Zane Šime (UNU-CRIS), Igor Ksenicz (Adam Mickiewicz Univesity), Ana Dias (University of Minho) and Agata Rydzewska (University of Warsaw), examined subnational engagement in knowledge diplomacy, the first analytical insights into Georgian paradiplomacy, and the role of cities and regions in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly gender equality.

This seminar introduced a comprehensive research framework for analysing sub-national diplomacy in the international arena. Presented by Ilona Pálné Kovács, Balázs Brucker, and Zsuzsanna Zsibók (HUN-REN, CERS, Institute for Regional Studies, Hungary), the session outlined conceptual foundations, key variables, and methodological approaches for studying the external engagement of regions and cities.

We organised a workshop and the whole paradiplomacy section at the WISC conference in Warsaw. More than 30 scholars from our network attended this event during which we started works on the Handbook of Paradiplomacy.

The seminar provided a state-of-the-art overview of contemporary developments in paradiplomacy research. Contributors – Fritz Nganje (University of Johannesburg), Lucia Kovacikova (Concordia University), Janina Stuerner-Siovitz (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg) and Marinana Andrade e Barros (PUC Minas) – discussed theoretical advancements, empirical gaps, and the increasing relevance of cities and regions in global governance debates. Particular attention was devoted to the growing diversification of case studies beyond Western Europe.

This seminar addressed the pedagogical dimension of paradiplomacy studies. Participants – Cristian Cantir (Oakland University), Joanna Ciesielska-Klikowska (University of Lodz), David-Pierre Giudicelli (Cités Unies France), João Pedro Gurgel e Silva (Federal University of Uberlândia), Stéphane Paquin (École nationale d’administration publique) and Maciej Raś (University of Warsaw) exchanged experiences on curriculum design, simulation exercises, and innovative teaching formats related to subnational international relations. The discussion highlighted the need to integrate research-based insights into classroom practice and to develop shared teaching resources.

This inaugural meeting brought together scholars from Europe, South and North America to discuss emerging research agendas in transatlantic paradiplomacy. It marked the beginning of a structured international exchange within the Paradiplomacy Scholars Forum. Over 50 scholars from both sides of the Atlantic took part in this inaugural event. 

This event expanded the scope of discussion beyond paradiplomacy narrowly defined, opening a broader conversation on subnational international relations. Scholars: Craig Simon (University of Nottingham Ningbo China), Nidhi Nagabhatla (UNU-CRIS), and Michał Gzik (University of Lodz), reflected on conceptual boundaries, actor constellations, and the interaction between local, national, and supranational levels.