Participation in the CEEISA Convention – A UACES Microgrant Report
By Dominika Furtak
Air transport is one of the strategic sectors with broad socio-cultural and economic importance. Global in nature, the sector allows thousands of passengers and tons of products and mail to be transported daily between even the most remote corners of the world. The smooth functioning of such a complex network is not only the result of top technological achievements but also of an established broad legal and political framework. My research addresses the changes in the global aviation system from the perspective of the European Union as a new player in the arena. Part of the project touches on the issue of the extraterritorial effect embedded in the EU legislative framework on civil aviation and its consequences. Based on instruments adopted in various subject areas, I argue that applying EU law outside its territory may supplement the formal External EU Aviation Policy and, as such, provides an innovative mode of international engagement.
With support from the UACES Microgrant, I was able to cover the cost associated with participating in the Central and East European International Studies Association (CEEISA) 2022 Bratislava Convention held on 22-24 June at the University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia. It enabled me to present my results before a group of international scholars and subject my conclusions to critical discussion. Lessons from this experience will feed into the final work on a scientific article based on this inquiry on the global reach of air Union rules of the air, as well as into further work on the doctoral project.
In addition, participation in the CEEISA Convention was an important step in my scientific career. Especially for young researchers like me, this is a great opportunity to interact with the academic community, learn about new trends in the field, and cultivate soft skills. All this translates into opportunities and improved quality of further scientific work. In addition, the Bratislava meeting led to the launch of a network of Ph.D. students in the field of IR from Central and Eastern Europe or those interested in this region. Therefore, I am very grateful to the Association for providing the funding opportunity to cover this type of cost.