Centre for South-East European Studies - University of Graz

07/06/2026

📢 Join us for an engaging seminar with Dr. Filip Mitricevic!

How was Josip Broz Tito perceived during his visits to Africa in the 1950s and early 1960s? This seminar examines the contrasting images that accompanied Yugoslavia’s president across the continent—celebrated as a champion of anti-colonial struggles while simultaneously embodying aspects of a European political leader.

Drawing on his research on Yugoslavia’s legitimacy discourse and the origins of the Non-Aligned Movement, Dr. Mitricevic will explore the role of memory, diplomacy, and symbolism in shaping Yugoslavia’s relationships with the Global South during the Cold War.

We look forward to welcoming you to this thought-provoking discussion.

04/06/2026

One of the guided tours at Uni Vibes last week was co-developed by Prof. Florian Bieber, Director of the Graz School of Interdisciplinary Transnational Studies, and Nicole Haring, one of his deputies. Drawing on their current research on protests and demonstrations, they offered participants unique insights into the dynamics of collective action and public mobilization. For more information, read the article in Kleine Zeitung.

03/06/2026

We would like to share with everyone the link to an open letter addressed to the international academic community to gather support for the ongoing protests in Albania. Please sign the letter and circulate it further: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jfMuRaHxkKvY8UnXE3_YXoYezHBUsbi60BYReS0Z8rI/edit?tab=t.0

02/06/2026

Spoiler alert: You don’t need a rigid 10-year plan straight out of graduation. 🛑

We sat down with Tara Tepavac, an alumnus of our very first cohort, to talk about navigating life after university. From grassroots civil society watchdog to policy researcher and now finishing her PhD, her biggest takeaway? Proactivity beats a perfect strategy every time.

Tara’s recipe for success:

Jump into internships early (even if they seem outside your exact niche).

Keep one foot in the real world to keep your research relevant.

Lean on the network and community you build along the way.

🍿 Want the full breakdown? We have a complete interview packed with more career advice and post-grad tips. Follow the link to watch the full interview: https://unitube.uni-graz.at/portal/aufzeichnungen.html?id=f6ce7586-f3d5-4f34-9e8a-0ec278272f17

01/06/2026

We are pleased to announce a seminar with Ivana Spirovska on how older adults in North Macedonia perceive and experience ageing in the context of demographic change.

Drawing on biographic interviews, her research explores the tensions that shape ageing narratives, between vulnerability and resilience, autonomy and burden, and marginalisation and nostalgia. By highlighting these ambivalences, the study examines ageing as a complex and relational process embedded within broader social transformations.

Ivana Spirovska is a Researcher within the Volkswagen Foundation-funded project “Transforming Anxieties of Ageing in Southeastern Europe.” Her interdisciplinary expertise spans law, education, English language and literature, and migration studies. Her research focuses on human rights, ageing, statelessness, citizenship, national and ethnic minorities, and migration.

22/05/2026

22/05/2026

📽️ Movie screening on Sunday, May 31!

Join us for the screening of Fiume O Morte! and a talk with the Director Igor Bezinović.

PhD Researchers Brigita Božić, Dzana Hodzic, Maura Madeddu, Robert Dopchie, and Senna Šimek invite you to the screening of Bezinović's documentary film, winner of over 30 international documentary awards.

How should we remember the past? Can humour illuminate tragedy, or does it risk diminishing it?

Link to tickets in comments and in QR code on poster!

📅 Sunday, 31.05.2026
🕔 17:00
📍 Geidorf Kunstkino
👉 19:30 after hour talk: Pizzeria David, Margaretenbad

20/05/2026

PhD Candidates, join us online or in person!

🎓 Off the Record: A PhD Event Series | Part I of II "Everything I Wanted to Ask But Never Dared"
📅 Wednesday, 21 May | 17h00 | ZOOM and Schubertstraße 21, EG Meeting Room, Graz

The doctoral journey comes with questions that rarely make it into seminars or supervision meetings. Funding dead ends. Publishing anxieties. What comes after the defense. The things you figure out alone or don't.

This series creates space for exactly those conversations. Our invited guest Daniel Barić, Senior Lecturer at Sorbonne Université will share experiences and practical insights, followed by open discussion.

🔗 You can join on Zoom:
Meeting ID: 655 2638 9862
Passcode: 160946

13/01/2026

🎓 Call for Applications 2026 – Master’s Programme in Southeast European Studies🌍

Ready to deepen your understanding of Southeast Europe in an international, fully English-taught programme? Applications for the MA in Southeast European Studies are now open for the 2026/27 academic year!

✨ Why apply?

* Joint degree programme
* Integrated mobility
* International learning environment
* Strong interdisciplinary focus

🗓 Application period: 12 January – 25 March 2026 (23:59 CET)
🖥 Apply online: https://jointdegree.biobs.com
ℹ️ Programme details: https://jointdegree.eu/en/masees

We welcome students and graduates from diverse backgrounds to join us starting in the winter semester 2026/27.

📢 Don’t miss your chance - apply now and be part of a truly international academic experience!

28/12/2025

Call for Applications: Visiting Fellows 2026–27 (University of Graz)
GITS/CSEES is welcoming applications from advanced PhD candidates, postdocs & senior scholars for a 4-month research stay in Graz. Fellows receive research support, workspace & a budget for a public event.

Please submit a CV, a one page research plan and names of two referees either in German or English to Tanja Bilaver ([email protected]) by 08th January 2026.
We welcome applications from advanced doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers and senior academics.
Applicants from a variety of disciplines (including history, law, political science, law, anthropology, sociology, economics) will be considered.
We also strongly encourage researchers engaged in comparative work (both within the region and between regions and countries) to apply.

📅 Deadline: 08 January 2026
📍 Graz, Austria

For informal inquiries contact Florian Bieber ([email protected])

https://suedosteuropa.uni-graz.at/de/neuigkeiten/cfa-visiting-fellows-2025-26/