The CGLG is honored to host various speakers throughout the semester. Varying from insights to discussions about the challenges in practice, we are constantly striving to provide the St Andrews community with opportunities to learn from fellow academics and practitioners.
Practitioner Talks 2025/26
Digital Sovereignty in the European Union
with Michal Czerniawski
Wednesday, 11th March 2026
Michal Czerniawski works in the Justice Committee of the European Parliament, specialising in digital laws, personal data protection, and transparency. As part of the EU fellowship programme, Michal’s research project at St Andrews focuses on ‘Strengthening the EU’s Normative Digital Sovereignty’. This CGLG event is an opportunity for students and faculty members to learn more about the EU’s – and Michal’s – work on digital sovereignty as practitioner and academic fellow.
Michal will speak about how the transatlantic tensions surrounding EU digital legislation, including the Digital Services Act and the General Data Protection Regulation, expose a clash over jurisdiction and authority online. US criticism and recent developments show that matters such as content moderation, data protection/privacy and artificial intelligence are now geopolitical issues. Although justified in terms of international law, the EU digital laws face a test of the Union’s capacity for credible extraterritorial enforcement.
“Bridging research and practice – insights from a career in Developmental Evaluation and Practicioner focused research”
with Lara Olson
Friday, 26th of September 2025
Bridging research and practice: Insights from a career in developmental evaluation and practitioner
Lara Olson is an Independent Peacebuilding Researcher, Consultant & Evaluator. In this interactive event, she provided insights on how research skills can be used for policy impact in peacebuilding, development aid and beyond, and then conducted a Q&A session with those attending. Lara has practical aid experience, held leading roles in practitioner-focused learning projects, and has expertise in developmental evaluation, and university-based teaching and research on conflict and peace. She holds degrees from the University of British Columbia, LSE and Oxford University, and has worked extensively in the South Caucasus and post-Soviet states, and on the Balkans (Kosovo), Afghanistan, and Liberia. Her goal is to support innovative approaches and more effective local-international partnerships to prevent and end deadly conflict and build sustainable peace.
See below the Interview with Dr Lara Olson