More than 50 Belarusian historians were forced to leave the country after 2020 and continue their work in Poland

Belarusian researchers in Poland take stock at a roundtable discussion

More than 50 Belarusian historians were forced to leave the country after 2020 and continue their work in Poland. Before 2020, no more than 20 researchers from Belarus held permanent positions in the country. These figures were presented during the roundtable “Belarusian Researchers and Research on Belarus in Poland: Opportunities and Challenges,” which was held online on 12 February 2026.

The roundtable was organized as part of the Community Building Initiatives of the European Union’s EU4BELARUS: Support to Advanced Learning and Training (SALT II) programme. It brought together 33 Belarusian and Polish researchers, as well as experts from other countries. The co-organizers were the Forum for Historical Studies of Belarus of the German Association for the Study of Eastern Europe (Berlin), the Association “Astafey Vałovič Belarusian Research University” (Warsaw), and the Belarusian Association of Education and Science (Vilnius).

The discussion was moderated by Professor Viktar Shadurski. Key presentations were delivered by Professor Sviatlana Sialvierstava and Professor Andrei Maskvin, followed by a discussion of current challenges facing the development of Belarus-centred research in Poland.

Participants and organizers of the roundtable emphasized that historical research is only one part of the broader field of Belarusian studies in Poland, which has a long history and is widely represented in research and analytical centres as well as universities across the country.

Key conclusions of the discussion

• Participants noted that after 2020, more than 50 professional historians were forced to leave for Poland from the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, universities, museums, and archives. This forced migration was a consequence of the repressive policies in Belarus, but at the same time it has contributed to strengthening Belarus-centred research in Poland.
• After relocating, some researchers received international and Polish support, which enabled them to remain in the profession. Some obtained permanent positions at Polish research and educational institutions.
• The work of Belarusian researchers abroad is published in academic journals and in the form of monographs in Belarusian, Polish, and English. In Poland, specialized publications devoted to Belarusian issues continue to be published, including Belarusian Historical Review (founded in 1994), Belarusian Historical Collection(Białoruskie Zeszyty Historyczne), the Yearbook of the Centre for Belarusian Studies (Rocznik Centrum Studiów Białoruskich), Belarus and the World, and The Free Belarus Journal. At the same time, it was noted that these publications face financial difficulties and have limited representation in international ranking databases. To a significant extent, they are oriented toward a Belarusian audience, creating a risk of the formation of a closed academic space. A similar problem affects conferences and other academic events.
• Participants drew attention to the decline in contacts between researchers abroad and those who continue to work in Belarus. This could lead to a gradual divergence of academic discourses, as had already happened during the Soviet period in Belarus.
• The training of a new generation of Belarus-centred specialists remains a serious challenge. Many young historians and social scientists who have been forced to leave Belarus have limited opportunities to obtain grants, defend master’s and doctoral dissertations, and pursue academic careers. Ideas for opening master’s programmes with Belarusian as the language of instruction and for defending dissertations on Belarusian topics in Belarusian have been discussed, but systemic solutions have yet to be found.
• Challenges also exist in the field of Belarusian-language education in the social sciences and humanities. The “Free Belarusian University”, the Białystok branch of the Higher School of Management Personnel, continues to operate and is intended for Belarusian students and lecturers. The “Astafey Vałovič Belarusian Research University” association organizes public lectures in Polish cities. However, these initiatives do not yet fully address the need to train new highly qualified Belarus-centred specialists.
• Participants noted a quantitative and qualitative growth in events promoting the history, language, and culture of Belarus in Poland. Initiatives are being implemented both at the professional level and by enthusiasts in various cities. However, the public sphere lacks systematic information about these activities, while coordination and the exchange of experience remain limited.
• Overall, participants noted that Belarusian researchers in Poland have achieved significant results in academic, teaching, and educational outreach activities. At the same time, there is a lack of horizontal connections and structures capable of bringing Belarusian and Polish researchers together.
• There is currently no professional association that would provide systematic exchange of information about research results, events, and joint projects. One of the steps discussed was the creation of an electronic coordination platform in Belarusian, drawing on the experience of the “H-Belarus” platform, which has been operating in English within the H-Net network since September 2025.

Participants’ proposals

1. One of the participants’ top priorities was the need to strengthen coordination within the Belarusian research community abroad. The “H-Belarus” platform was identified as one possible instrument, while the creation of a professional association of Belarusian researchers and an electronic platform for systematic coordination was also proposed.
2. An important priority identified was broadening the scope of research and publications. Foreign colleagues expect proposals for more modern and relevant research projects, including the analysis of historical and contemporary issues in Belarus within broader regional and global contexts and in comparison with other countries, particularly neighbouring states. Publishing in internationally ranked English-language journals remains a promising avenue. Belarusian historians in Poland should be more active and initiate modern, relevant research projects.
3. To maintain contacts with colleagues in Belarus and increase the international visibility of research, participants proposed making wider use of open-access formats for scholarly texts by Belarusians living abroad. Academic connections could also be strengthened through more active publication of high-quality reviews in foreign journals. The need to prepare comprehensive academic and popular-science works on the history of Belarus in Belarusian and English was also emphasized, particularly in the context of intensifying propaganda and disinformation. Such publications should also be aimed at young people. Promising ways to develop cross-border contacts include preparing a bibliographic guide to recent scholarly works on Belarus published in Poland, as well as holding online meetings with authors of monographs on Belarusian history.
4. The potential for cooperation with Belarusian businesses in Poland and other countries was highlighted as a way to find additional sources of funding for research and publications.