The two-day conference will focus on perspectives for transition in the Arab world: have the revolutions started a process of democratisation that will stabilise these countries in the long term? Or will the outcome be political chaos that will destabilise the entire region for many years to come.

Open to public debate
Alongside hope, the current situation also gives rise to a feeling of disorientation - not only in the Arab world, but also in Switzerland. The conference offers an opportunity to gain information on historical developments and talk to political scientists from different countries - about the different paths taken by the Arab countries, the forces behind the push for democracy and the role of international and regional actors.
The conference will be attended by both young and experienced researchers from the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) "Democracy - Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century", which co-organised the event together with the Centre for Comparative and International Studies (CIS).

The conference takes place on 27/28 October and features an open panel discussion titled "What comes after the Arab revolutions?" on the evening of the first day. The panel consists of experts on the Arab world: correspondents from Europe and North Africa and a Swiss diplomat.