Doubravka
Olšáková

I am a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, working at the intersection of the history of science and technology, international relations, environmental history, and Cold War studies.

Trained in political science, international area studies, and contemporary history in Prague and at the Sorbonne, I examine how scientific knowledge acquires authority and moves across political borders — and how environmental conflict and emotion make expertise politically consequential. My research connects Central and Eastern Europe to international organisations and global scientific networks, from Pugwash and Cold War science diplomacy to the environmental programmes that shaped planetary governance. Before joining Charles University, I spent more than a decade at the Institute of Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, where I led the Department of Global Conflicts and Local Consequences. I also serve as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Centaurus and help build international fields, networks, and collaborative research agendas.