Center for Advanced Studies - South East Europe

REMINDER: Final Project Results Showcase This Thursday!
How can we foster democratic innovation and stronger regional cooperation through youth participation?

Join the Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju and RECAS this Thursday to find out.

Whether you are joining us in Belgrade or tuning in online, we look forward to discussing how the next generation navigates Europe, democracy, and the ongoing eco-digital transformation.

Event Schedule & Highlights:
🔹 RECAS Youth Fellowship findings
🔹 Insights from regional deliberative workshops
🔹 Gen Z’s relationship with democratic participation
🔹 Policy recommendations from the RECAS Policy Hackathon

🗓️ Thursday, 11 June 2026 from 16:00 to 18:00 CET
📍 Venue: IFDT, VI Floor, Kraljice Natalije 45, Belgrade
💻 Zoom Registration: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/XFSa4u32TWW5QFcjEKawKA

🔗 Full programme details: https://recas.info/youth-agency-and-new-political.../

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

Participation must be meaningful to matter.

The RECAS Research Repository brings together regional and country-level findings from deliberative workshops with young people across the Western Balkans: https://recas.info/repository/

The conversation will continue at our upcoming event in Belgrade on 11 June. More details available here: https://recas.info/youth-agency-and-new-political-imaginaries-in-the-western-balkans-project-results-showcase/

Fellowships are supported by Open Society Foundations Western Balkans, ERSTE Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund & Pocantico Center.

DAY 3 | FRANCIS FUKUYAMA AT CRES ERSTE EUROPE’S FUTURES 2026

One of the highlights of was the Erhard Busek Memorial Lecture delivered by Francis Fukuyama, whose ideas have shaped global debates on democracy, political order and the future of liberal societies for decades.

Joined by Andreas Treichl and moderated by Ivana Dragičević, the discussion explored trust, democratic resilience and the challenges facing open societies in an increasingly uncertain world.

ERSTE Foundation | Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka

📸 Davor Konjikušić

DAY 2 | FREEDOM, TECHNOLOGY AND THE COST OF SPEAKING OUT

Today’s dissions explored some of the defining questions of our time: the future role of the United States, the socscuietal impact of emerging technologies, and the growing importance of defending democratic freedoms.

We were privileged to hear perspectives from James C. O’Brien and Valbona Zeneli, followed by contributions from Rosa Balfour, Dimitar Bechev, Nikola Dimitrov and Leonie Haiden.

A compelling session by Regina Joseph, with reflections from Marko Rakar, made us think about technology, AI and the future of democratic societies.

The evening concluded with an important conversation inspired by the research of Zsuzsanna Szelényi and powerful personal testimonies from Dorotea Antić and Branislav Đorđević, moderated by Srđan Cvijić.

ERSTE Foundation | Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka

📸 Davor Konjikušić

How can we foster democratic innovation and stronger regional cooperation through youth participation?

You are cordially invited to join the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory (Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju) and RECAS for the final event of the project "Youth Agency and New Political Imaginaries in the Western Balkans."

Whether you are a researcher, student, policymaker, or civil society representative, join us in Belgrade or online to discuss how the next generation navigates Europe, democracy, and the ongoing eco-digital transformation.

Event Highlights:
🔹 Presentation of findings from the RECAS Youth Fellowship programme.
🔹 Insights from regional deliberative workshops with young people.
🔹 Deep-dives into Generation Z’s relationship with democratic participation.
🔹 Policy recommendations built during the RECAS Policy Hackathon.

🗓️ Thursday, 11 June 2026 from 16:00 to 18:00 CET
📍 Venue: IFDT, VI Floor, Kraljice Natalije 45, Belgrade
💻 Zoom Registration: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/XFSa4u32TWW5QFcjEKawKA

🔗 Full programme details: https://recas.info/youth-agency-and-new-political-imaginaries-in-the-western-balkans-project-results-showcase/

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

DAY 1 | DEMOCRACY IN A CHANGING EUROPE

The first working day of brought together some of Europe’s leading voices to discuss democracy, political resilience, and the shifting geopolitical landscape shaping our future.

We began with a deep dive into Hungary’s political trajectory, featuring insights from Péter Krekó and Zoltán Pogátsa, followed by a dynamic exchange with Balázs Jarábik, Leszek Jażdżewski, Hana Martínková and Szelényi Zsuzsanna.

The conversation continued with a session on Europe’s evolving geopolitical environment, featuring Assaf Sharon and Hanna Shelest, together with Ioannis Armakolas, Veronica Anghel, Luke Cooper and Stefan Lehne.

The day concluded with a thought-provoking dialogue on prosperity and democracy in Europe, bringing together Andreas Treichl, Marija Pejčinović Burić and Tomáš Sedláček.

ERSTE Foundation | Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka

📸 Davor Konjikušić

What happens when environmental degradation and political protest collide along the banks of one of the region's most beloved rivers?

On Thursday, June 11th, we invite you to join the Center for Advanced Studies - South East Europe Seminar with Azra Hromadžić on "Watershed: Political Protest, Unski Život, and Riverine Citizenship in the Balkans."

In this session, Professor Hromadžić will draw from her extensive ethnographic work on war ecologies, aging, and state-making in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She will discuss how citizens construct alternative forms of belonging and resistance—termed "riverine citizenship"—to combat social dispossession and economic exploitation.

🗓️ Thursday, June 11th, 2026 at 15:00 PM CET

For more information and the Zoom link, please visit the RECAS website.

Fellowships are supported by Open Society Foundations Western Balkans, ERSTE Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund & Pocantico Center.

Migration is rarely just a story of permanent departure.

On Thursday, June 4th, join us for a Center for Advanced Studies - South East Europe seminar with Robert Pichler on “Hopes and Realities of Return: Old Patterns and New Realities in the Western Balkans” with RECAS Fellow Anxhela Lepuri.

Historically, temporary labour migration and circular mobility meant that returning home was an expected phase of life. Today, while ideas of returning remain deeply embedded in migrant imaginaries, the actual transition faces new socioeconomic hurdles. Robert Pichler will analyze these shifting structures and their consequences for societies of origin in the region.

🗓️ Thursday, June 4th, 2026 at 12:00 PM CET
🔗 Full Seminar Description & Link: https://recas.info/cas-see-seminars-with-guests-robert-pichler/

Fellowships are supported by OSF Western Balkans, ERSTE Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund & Pocantico Center.

Credibility depends on fairness, consistency, and action.

See how young people across the Western Balkans assessed the EU’s credibility in the Regional Report and country snapshots in the RECAS Research Repository: https://recas.info/repository/

The findings will also be presented and discussed at an upcoming event in Belgrade on 11 June. More details soon!

Fellowships are supported by OSF Western Balkans, ERSTE Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund & Pocantico Center.