Project Plans
Among the plans for expanding the Center’s activities some of the most important ones are as follows:
Creating an English language online Cold War History Researchers’ database
The Center has initiated the creation of an English language online database containing all important personal and professional data of scholars working on Cold War topics in East Central Europe.
This database will help researchers of the former Soviet bloc to make their work and results known to the international scholarly community. The database will also enable researchers from the region to get basic information about each other’s work and findings what will facilitate the organization of regional comparative projects that are so much needed for the authentic reconstruction of the post Second World War history of the former Soviet Bloc countries. Last but not least Western scholars could also acquire up to date basic information about the important research projects and new findings in the countries of the former Soviet bloc.Completion of an English language comparative chronology of the Soviet bloc countries’ international relations, 1945–1991
The chronology will be the result of an international cooperation, whereby the material concerning individual countries will be compiled by local research teams using both published and archival sources. In addition to the individual countries’ relationship to the Soviet Union and the West, an important goal of the project coordinated by the Center is to give a detailed and document based presentation of the bilateral and multilateral connections inside the Eastern camp. The chronology promises to be a unique and indispensable source of both the international Cold War research and university level education.Creation of a Permanent Cold War History Workshop in Hungary
For Hungarian researchers dealing with this topic, the Center will regularly organize discussions, seminars and workshops, occasionally with the participation of foreign guest speakers from both East and West. For this purpose we seek to establish close cooperation with institutions in Budapest like the Institute for Foreign Affairs, Central European University, Corvinus University, the Open Society Archive, the History Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Europa Institute and Collegium Budapest.
Creation of a Cold War History library
In order to facilitate the work of the researchers the Center seeks to create a workshop library collecting the latest publications on Cold War history. This collection that would consist of books and articles (either as original publications or copies) could provide an up-to-date aid for the researchers in the region.Launching of a Cold War History Ph.D. Program
In cooperation with a Hungarian university and involving the best experts the Center would like to organize a Ph.D. course that besides offering a high level theoretical education lays also stress on the practice of working in archives. In this way the students can not only acquire skills in the technique and methodology of archival research and in using primary sources, but can join outstanding international research projects, coordinated by the Center already during their studies that can positively influence their future academic carrier. The program could, therefore, also play an important role in the formation of a new generation of internationally oriented well skilled young historians dealing with contemporary history.