THE MAIN FOCUS of the Warsaw East European Conference 2018 will be put on the notion of INDEPENDECE in a broad sense, ranging from national, economic or energy independence to name just a few. Conference Round Tables will be dedicated to Poland’s banking system transformation, the upcoming NATO summit and an overview of current situation in Central Asia, Ukraine and the Caucasus. Threats of authoritarianism, cultural processes, transformation, historical memory, energy security, minorities, civil society development - are just some of the issues presented by speakers from more than 15 countries. The conference builds upon the highly successful meetings where educators, researchers, experts and students are engaged in rich and productive dialogue regarding the latest history of the region.