The VCPU Annual Conference 2025 addresses current challenges in Polish and Ukrainian studies and is dedicated to the research project “Mod-Block-DDR.” Both areas are framed by the concepts of “modernization” and “transformation.” The presentation of research findings on socialist modernization in the German Democratic Republic and the People’s Republic of Poland, including their achievements and obstacles, will serve as a stimulus for discussing the political, economic, social, and cultural transformations in Central and Eastern Europe. All researchers from disciplines such as (but not limited to) economic history, the history of science, or sociology are invited to participate. At the Viadrina Center of Polish and Ukrainian Studies, we aim to place special focus on Ukraine as a new sphere of modernization processes (e.g. migration, the opening to western Europe, and integration with the European Union) and socio-economic transformations initiated by the outbreak of Russia‘s War of Aggression. These focal points highlight the diverse theoretical and methodological potential of the Viadrina Center of Polish and Ukrainian Studies: interdisciplinarity that integrates historical, political, economic, and cultural studies and fosters transnational cooperation between scholars.