The Institute of International, European, and Defense Analyses is organizing the Annual Ilias Kouskouvelis Lecture, honoring the memory and legacy of the scholar, professor, and colleague. The lecture will take place on Monday, May 19 at 12:30 p.m. in Amphitheater 13 at the University of Macedonia.
This year, we are honored to welcome Dr. Balkan Devlen as the keynote speaker—an internationally recognized analyst of international relations specializing in great power politics and transatlantic relations.
At a time of increasing uncertainty in American politics, transatlantic relations, and the international system, Dr. Devlen will analyze developments in transatlantic relations in light of the changes following Donald Trump’s presidency. His lecture, titled “The Trump Factor: Quo Vadis the Transatlantic Relations,” will explore the consequences of shifting U.S. foreign policy, the cohesion of the transatlantic alliance, and the strategic reorientation of Europe and North America amid renewed great power competition.
Dr. Balkan Devlen is a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Canada, a forecasting expert at Good Judgment Inc., and a Researcher at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University. He is also a founding board member of the Alliance for Global Security (AGS) and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Geoeconomics.
In parallel, he is the co-founder and head of Pendulum Geopolitical Advisory, providing strategic analysis and geopolitical risk assessments to governments, private entities, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He previously served as Director of the Transatlantic Program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and held academic positions in the United States, Turkey, and Denmark.
Two years ago, we established this annual lecture to honor Ilias Kouskouvelis, who left an indelible mark on generations of students through his teaching and mentorship. He was a driving force behind the outward-looking orientation of the Department of International and European Studies and the University of Macedonia as a whole. He served with dedication as Department Chair, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, and as Rector of the University, and was among the pioneers in the field of International Relations in Greece. His research focused on International Relations theory, European integration, nuclear strategy, crisis management, and decision-making. A distinctive part of his work was the study of Thucydides, as well as research on the foreign policy of Greece and Cyprus. With the aim of honoring his scholarly legacy and contribution to the academic community, we established this annual lecture.
We invite you to attend this event, which honors the memory of Ilias Kouskouvelis while addressing one of the most pressing geopolitical issues of our time.
