Milan, October 2024

The first World Security Studies conference was held in the historic city of Milan, bringing together researchers and experts from across the globe. Participants from countries like Albania, Latvia, the UAE, Bulgaria, Poland, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria came to share their ideas, experiences, and research.

The conference provided an open and welcoming space to discuss some of today’s most pressing global challenges—including national stability, preventing violent extremism, cybersecurity, the issue of foreign fighters, NATO’s strategic direction, and more. The success of this first edition, along with the strong engagement from participants, has opened the door for more future editions.

Virtual Session

Title. Name		Institution, Country	Paper Title
	Dr. Elira Luli	“Luarasi” University, Albania	Small states dilemma of insecurity! Multi-lateral security cooperation in Western Balkans
	Dr. Kristīne Kuzņecova	Rigas Stradins University, Latvia	Distinct Security Challenges of the Baltic Region in the Context of NATO’s Strategic Concept
	Dr. Fjorida Ballauri	Security Academy of Albania, President of the Republic Office, Albania	Foreign fighters. The criminalization of the involvement in military operations in a foreign state, as an important prevention measure. The case of Albania
	Dr. Aldona Kipāne	Rīga Stradins University, Latvia	New Security Contexts of Present-day Geopolitical Situation
	Dr. Zia Ul Haq	University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates	Exploring the Notion of Peace in Islam: An In-depth Analysis of Qur’anic Discourse
	Romāns Gagunovs	Rigas Stradins University, Latvia	Distinct Security Challenges of the Baltic Region in the Context of NATO’s Strategic Concept
	Vitalijs Rakstins	Rīga Stradins University, Latvia	Shift from Cybersecurity to Cyber Resilience
	Teya Radeva	Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgaria	Power Dynamics and Security Dilemmas: Untangling Complexities in the Black Sea Region
	Gniewomir Wycichowski-kuchta	Institute of Legal Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland	Non-criminal asset recovery measures in the fight against transnational and global organised crime. The Bulgarian example
	N’gana Lazeni SORO	Institut Régional d’Enseignement Supérieur et de Recherches en Développement Culturel (IRES-RDEC), Côte d’Ivoire	Gender Initiatives, Community Resilience, and the Prevention of Violent Extremism and Terrorism in West African Countries at Risk: Towards a Participatory Development Approach
	Joseph Oye	Landmark University,Omu-Aran, Nigeria	Navigating Nigeria’s Security Crossroads: Comprehensive Solutions for National Stability