ABSTRACT
The war in Ukraine has highlighted that the stability of the epistemic communities is not immune to the disruptions caused by international conflicts. This paper explores why some epistemic communities (ECs) continue to function with little change, some adapt, and some cease to exist in times of disruption. It also explores different factors that might explain their resilience to such shocks, thereby shedding light on resilience capacities among these communities. We review case studies of three ECs: the European Space Agency (ESA), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the Arctic Council (AC). The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the possible ways of conceiving the epistemic communities differently than we had in the past, in light of disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine.
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Additional information
Notes on contributors
Anna Ivanova
Anna Ivanova is a PhD student in Washington State University’s School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs. Her research centres on the Arctic geopolitics and governance, with a particular focus on the Arctic Council.
Paul Thiers
Paul Thiers is an associate professor of Political Science in the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs at Washington State University where he teaches comparative politics, political economy, and environmental policy in the Programme in Public Affairs. His research focuses on the local government response to exogenous political and economic forces in both the United States and China.