On 11 June 2026, Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius hosted the international conference “Best Practices in the Protection of National Minorities in Europe.” The event was co-organized by the Institute of Central Europe, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Vilnius, Mykolas Romeris University, and the Department of National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. The conference focused on the protection of national minority rights, European legal frameworks, and the challenges facing state policies toward minority communities in the context of ongoing social and political change.
The event brought together distinguished experts, researchers, and representatives of public institutions from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Poland, and Lithuania. Discussions focused on best practices in the protection of national minorities, language policies, models of cultural autonomy, and the impact of globalization, migration, and armed conflict on minority communities. The conference provided an excellent platform for in-depth dialogue and the exchange of experiences, while both the panel discussions and informal conversations proved highly productive and inspiring.
Two analysts from the Institute of Central Europe took part in the conference. Aleksandra Kuczyńska-Zonik contributed to the academic content of the event, co-organized the conference, and moderated a panel devoted to state policies and legal frameworks for the protection of national minorities in Europe. Agata Tatarenko participated as a panelist in the conference’s third session, where she highlighted the role of museums in shaping collective memory, memory politics, and the public representation of minority groups in contemporary Europe.
How Can Minorities Be Protected in Europe? Conference in Vilnius