Critical Learning Beyond the Classroom: Global Security Students at the Palestine Conference
- Janja Mikulan
- May 18
- 1 min read
On the April 9-10, 2026 a group of students from the course Global Security attended the international conference Criminological Perspectives on Palestine: Legal Responses and Academic Complicity in Times of Genocide, organized by the Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana.
Such participation enables students to engage directly with current international debates, deepen their critical thinking, connect theoretical knowledge with contemporary global issues, and better understand the role of academia in addressing war, violence, law, and social responsibility.
The conference also served as a reminder that many professors, researchers, and students in Europe and elsewhere face numerous professional, institutional, and personal challenges when addressing these topics. For this reason, it is important to recognize that in Slovenia we are, in many respects, privileged, as we are able to discuss these issues within a relatively safe academic space. This privilege, however, should also be understood as a responsibility to address difficult social issues thoughtfully, critically, and in solidarity.
Dr. Mikulan also participated in the conference with a presentation entitled Collective Trauma and the Criminogenic Conditions of Political Violence in Gaza. In her presentation, Dr. Mikulan showed that political violence in Gaza cannot be understood as an isolated or individual phenomenon, but rather as a response emerging under conditions of prolonged structural violence, collective trauma, and colonial domination.
The conference provided me with an important opportunity to critically reflect on contemporary global conflicts through the perspectives of law, criminology, and social responsibility. I especially appreciated that the discussions encouraged us to look beyond simplified narratives and to understand the situation in Gaza within its broader historical, political, and social context.
The lectures emphasized the importance of critical thinking, academic responsibility, and solidarity in addressing complex international issues. They also reminded me that academic spaces should not only serve for gaining theoretical knowledge, but also for encouraging dialogue, empathy, and deeper social awareness.
I found it particularly valuable that the conference connected theoretical concepts with current global realities and highlighted the role of academia in understanding violence, inequality, and…
It was my first conference with this content. I felt it was the right thing and it should repet in other countries. Many presentations showed me information and presented topics I was not aware before. This international community has a true problem with human rights and equality of people. I think the conference was a rare place to freely speak out about injustice and sistemic support for Israel actions. It is time for humanity to make one more step in direction of respect of human lives and nature and disrespect for wealth. Colonisation of peoples must stop and world should start act equal to all nations, crimes are crimes and must be prohibited for all and everyone with no exception.…
The conference gave me a broader insight into the Palestinian issue from the perspectives of criminology, law, and social responsibility. I found it especially important that the lectures did not present the situation in Gaza as an isolated conflict, but also highlighted the wider historical, political, and social circumstances that influence the current situation.
It also allowed me to connect theoretical knowledge with contemporary global issues and further emphasized the importance of critical thinking, solidarity, and social awareness in understanding international conflicts.
The conference allows us to engage directly with current international debates, strengthen our critical thinking, connect theoretical knowledge with contemporary global issues, and gain a deeper understanding of the role of academia in addressing war, violence, law, and social responsibility. It is important to recognize that we in Slovenia are privileged to discuss such issues within a relatively safe academic environment. At the same time, this privilege carries a responsibility to address difficult social issues thoughtfully, critically, and in solidarity. Gaza cannot be understood as an isolated or individual phenomenon, but rather as a response emerging from conditions of prolonged structural violence, collective trauma, and colonial domination.