prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Kříž, Ph.D.
Research Group Leader
Armed conflicts in the post-Soviet space; NATO and crisis management; security and defence policies of Germany and Central and Eastern European states; Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
Conflict and Order Transformations
The Conflict and Order Transformations (CORT) Research Group examines security dynamics in Europe and its neighbourhood amid transformations of the international order since the end of the Cold War. It treats Russia’s aggression against Ukraine as a critical turning point and studies Russia’s changing role as a great power, the evolution of strategic narratives and their use in legitimising foreign-policy behaviour, and the adaptation of European states and institutions to a changing security environment.
The group pays particular attention to regional conflicts in the post-Soviet space and the South Caucasus, the mechanisms of conflict escalation, prevention and management, and approaches to conflict forecasting and early warning. It also examines the transformation of European security policies and the evolving roles of NATO and the European Union in crisis management, deterrence and collective security.
By connecting research on armed conflict, international order, strategic narratives and institutional adaptation, CORT explains how major geopolitical disruptions reshape regional security environments and the broader architecture of European security.
Research Areas
- European security and international order
- Russia’s foreign policy and great-power role
- Russia’s aggression against Ukraine
- Armed conflict in the post-Soviet space and South Caucasus
- Strategic narratives and foreign-policy legitimation
- Conflict escalation, prevention and management
- Conflict forecasting and early warning
- NATO and EU crisis management
- Deterrence and collective security
- Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and statistical analysis
Researchers and Areas of Expertise
Mgr. Kateřina Fridrichová, Ph.D.
Russia and the post-Soviet space; ethics in international relations; strategic narratives; Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
Mgr. Zinaida Bechná, Ph.D.
Russia and the post-Soviet space; the Caucasus; hybrid warfare; the European Union and crisis management
Ing. Mgr. Adriana Ilavská, Ph.D.
Armed conflicts; conflict escalation and forecasting; statistical analysis; Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
Selected publications
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FRIDRICHOVÁ, Kateřina and Zdeněk KŘÍŽ. “Diminished Hegemony: Consequences of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.” Problems of Post-Communism, 2025, 72(4), 343–355.
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FRIDRICHOVÁ, Kateřina and Adriana ILAVSKÁ. “Taking a Snapshot: Discovering Escalation-Prone Countries Through Structural Conditions and QCA.” Obrana a strategie, 2020, 20(2), 5–22.
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KŘÍŽ, Zdeněk. “The Costly Gamble: How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Weakened Its Role as a Balancing Power.” Defense & Security Analysis, 2023, 39(3), 387–406.
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KŘÍŽ, Zdeněk. “The Security Perception and Security Policy of the Czech Republic, 1993–2018.” Defense & Security Analysis, 2021, 37(1), 38–52.