Center for Advanced Studies - South East Europe

21/10/2026

[CAS SEE at the 64th International Academic Week of the Southeast Europe Association]

Dr Katarina Kušić from the Centre for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe opened the 64th International Academic Week of the Southeast Europe Association (Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft e.V.), held from 5 to 9 October 2026 at the Akademie für Politische Bildung in Tutzing, Germany.

👉 Read more: https://cas.uniri.hr/news/cas-see-at-the-64th-international-academic-week-of-the-southeast-europe-association/

20/10/2026

Valeria Graziano (CAS SEE, UNIRI) was invited to lead “Mutiny: The Art of Quitting Together”, building on Pirate Care, at the New Media lab residency organised by Ana Hušman at the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb, alongside Marcell Mars and others.

👉 https://cas.uniri.hr/news/mutiny-the-art-of-quitting-together-workshop-with-students-led-by-valeria-graziano/

14/10/2026

𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐳𝐚 𝐯 𝐋𝐣𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐣𝐚 𝐧𝐨𝐯 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐢 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐬𝐤𝐢 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐙𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐳̌𝐛𝐚 🔬

🖇 Program bo povezoval naravoslovje, družboslovje, humanistiko in umetnost, v ospredje pa postavil kritično razumevanje odnosov med znanostjo in družbo, komuniciranje znanosti, vključevanje javnosti ter sodelovalno reševanje družbenih, okoljskih in tehnoloških izzivov. Projekt na UL koordinira prof. dr. Dejan Jontes s FDV - Fakulteta za družbene vede UL.

🍀 Program UL razvija v okviru Erasmus projekta Science X society: Training the next generation of science-society communicators skupaj z Univerza v Novi Gorici / University of Nova Gorica in partnerji iz Avstrije (Universität Klagenfurt), Italije (Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, SISSA - Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati) ter Hrvaške (Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka, Center for Advanced Studies - South East Europe).

✨ Prva spomladanska šola SciXsoc bo pod naslovom Cultivating Ecological Futures: Science, Society and Public Engagement potekala od 26. do 30. aprila 2027 v palači Moise na Cresu.



Foto: Željko Stevanić/IFP d.o.o.

13/10/2026

🔎 ERC at UNIRI: Perspectives from nine ERC Projects (12 October 2026)

The workshop “South Eastern Europe in ERC Projects: Perspectives, Challenges, Scales,” organized by the Centre for Advanced Studies of Southeast Europe at the Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka brought together researchers working on nine ERC-funded projects to exchange insights and explore new directions for research.

The workshop brought together nine European Research Council projects: OpenBorders, HumanEuroMed, HousingYU, REVENANT, Brokers of NAM, FeMMiWork, MemPop, NEPOSTRANS, and Racial Socialism, fostering interdisciplinary exchange on the perspectives, challenges, and scales of researching Southeast Europe.

https://cas.uniri.hr/news/erc-at-uniri-perspectives-from-nine-erc-projects/

09/10/2026

Lecture by Selma Porobić: Research Without Fear

How can universities protect academic freedom in a climate of growing political, social and institutional pressures?

On 13 October 2026, Associate Professor Selma Porobić, PhD, will deliver an online lecture as part of the Young Universities for the Future of Europe - YUFE Academy Autumn Programme, exploring the role of universities in safeguarding researchers, their work and the freedom to pursue knowledge without fear.

🗓️ Tuesday, 13 October 2026
🕛 12:00 - 1:00 PM
💻 Online

The lecture is free and open to everyone interested. Registration is required by 12 October via link: https://virtualcampus.yufe.eu/p/course/rSCI8ZB7h7nH0t8s

Selma Porobić: Research Without Fear October 13, 2026 – 12:00 pm Online Research Without Fear: Selma Porobić to Give Online Lecture as Part of YUFE Academy Autumn Programme As part of the YUFE Academy Autumn Programme, Associate Professor Selma Porobić, PhD, will give an online lecture entitled...

02/10/2026

CAS SEE is proud to be part of the SciXSoc consortium, together with the Univerza v Ljubljani / University of Ljubljana, Univerza v Novi Gorici / University of Nova Gorica, Universität Klagenfurt, Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia and SISSA - Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati.

Next week, project partners are gathering in Cres for the Kick-Off Meeting, marking the beginning of an exciting collaboration aimed at training the next generation of professionals capable of bridging the gap between science and society.

Funded through the Erasmus Mundus Design Measures initiative, SciXSoc aims to develop a new international Master’s programme in science–society communication, equipping future professionals with the knowledge and skills to connect science, research and society.

We look forward to welcoming our partners to Cres and to the start of this exciting journey!

👉https://cas.uniri.hr/event/scixsoc-kick-off-meeting/

SciXSoc Kick-Off Meeting October 5, 2026 – The Science × Society (SciXSoc) Erasmus Mundus Design Measure consortium will meet at Moise Palace in Cres. The three main working days, 6–8 October, will focus on joint curriculum development and integration, student mobility, implementation and admin...

01/10/2026

More than 250 researchers, over 40 interactive activities, and more than 2,000 visitors transformed Rijeka’s Exportdrvo into a vibrant space of discovery during this year’s Researchers’ Night (Noć istraživača - Rijeka)!

CAS SEE was proud to be part of this event, presenting the value of interdisciplinary research and engaging with visitors of all ages through conversations about some of today’s most important challenges.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by, asked questions, shared ideas, and explored the world of research with us!

01/10/2026

Join us for the international workshop "South Eastern Europe in ERC Projects: Perspectives, Challenges, Scales" and explore how European Research Council (ERC) projects are reshaping our understanding of Southeast Europe and its place within wider regional and global contexts.

This workshop offers a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research, exchange ideas, and discuss new perspectives on the region’s past, present, and future.

📅 October 12, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM
📍 Aula Magna, University of Rijeka Rectorate

Learn more:

ERC at UNIRI: International workshop October 12, 2026 – 10:00 am Aula Magna, Rectorate UNIRI South Eastern Europe in ERC projects: perspectives, challenges, scales – International workshop Over the last two decades, several ERC projects have included South Eastern Europe in their geographical fr...

30/09/2026

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Call for Applications: RECAS Fellowship 2026

Great news for early-career researchers! The application deadline for the RECAS Fellowship 2026 has been extended to 4 October 2026 at 23:59 CET.

This year’s theme, "Contested Futures: Democratic, Technological and Ecological Transformations in the Western Balkans", invites researchers to examine how competing visions of the future shape power, resources, and public participation across the region.

Research Streams:
• Technological Futures: What technological future is being built and by whom?
• Democratic Futures in the Age of AI: How AI is transforming democratic institutions and public life.
• Ecological Futures: Balancing technological transformation and the costs/benefits of the green transition.

What the Fellowship Offers:
💶 €1,500 net monthly stipend for 3–6 months.
🏛️ Research integration into the RECAS network & CAS Online Seminars.
🌊 A one-week stay at Moise Palace on Cres Island.
💡 Participation in Future Governance Hackathons bringing research into policy dialogue.

🎓 Eligibility: Open to PhD holders and advanced PhD candidates in humanities, social sciences, and arts.

⏳ NEW DEADLINE: 4 October 2026 (23:59 CET)

📖 Full details and application form: https://recas.info/news/fellowship-call/

Supported by: Open Society Foundations Western Balkans, ERSTE Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund & Pocantico Center.

26/09/2026

Should countries waiting to join the EU help make Europe safer? 🛡️

In a new report from the Geo-Power-EU project, Sonja Stojanović Gajić from the University of Rijeka argues that they already could, if the EU gave them a clear path.

Candidate countries have defence industries, transport routes and training grounds that Europe needs. The Western Balkans alone have around 200 defence companies. Yet most of this capacity remains outside EU plans, while Ukraine and Moldova are already more closely involved.

But there is a condition: stronger armies must not mean weaker democracy. Integrating candidates into European defence should not reward autocrats or "stabilocracies", governments that promise stability while undermining democratic institutions. Security services, intelligence agencies and growing defence budgets need real oversight by parliaments, independent media and civil society.

Her proposal is a roadmap for every candidate with clear goals: democratic control over security services, modern armed forces, a foreign policy aligned with the EU, and societies prepared for crises. Countries that make real progress would gain step by step access to EU training, joint purchases of equipment and European defence projects. Countries that slide backwards would lose these benefits, as Georgia did in 2024 when the EU suspended €30 million in support.

Stronger democracies make stronger partners, and a stronger Europe. 💪

The report also proposes a new way of making EU accession decisions without Treaty change (Nikolaos Tzifakis), and covers the rule of law (Toby Vogel), economic convergence and brain drain (Kristijan Fidanovski and Branimir Jovanović), the energy transition (Alexandra Prodromidou), and a principled membership framework (Panagiota Manoli).

📄 Read the report:

The EU decided in 2022 to reinvigorate its enlargement policy and decisively advance the integration of candidate countries. Yet, despite unanimous agreement on the need to eliminate "grey zones" in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, the practical ex*****on of enlargement remains paralysed by i...