Social, political and economic change in the Western Balkans

Three days international scientific conference: "Social, Political and Economic Change in the Western Balkans" organized within the Regional Research Promotion Programme (RRPP) which was attended by more than 100 researchers from the WB region and across Europe

May 24

On Friday, May 24, in Hotel Holiday Inn, Belgrade, was held the first day of the international scientific conference "Social, Political and Economic Change in the Western Balkans" organized by the Regional Research Promotion Programme (RRPP). The conference was attended by more than 100 researchers from the WB region and Europe.

In the first-day opening session, participants had the opportunity to hear the following:

• Mr. Dejan Erić, director of the Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade, RRPP Local Coordination Unit for Serbia
• Mr. Nicolas Hayoz, RRPP Program Director, University of Fribourg
• H. E. Mr. Jean Daniel Ruch, Swiss Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia
• Mr. Radomir Žikić, Deputy Minister of the Education, Science, and Technological Development
• Ms. Susanne Zumstein, Advisor to the SDC Research Programme in Western Balkans.

In the following part of the day, presentations are given by keynote speakers Mr. Mladen Dragasević, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) representative, and Mr. Mihail Arandarenko, director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Economics.

During the rest of the first conference day, during the small research fair, the participants had an opportunity to see recent publications published within the RRPP project and other RRPP partners' publications.

May 25

The second day of the scientific conference on Social, Political, and Economic Change in the Western Balkans, within the Regional Research Promotion Programme, took place on Saturday, May 25.

During the second day, fifty papers were presented in five parallel sessions. The sessions were related to the issues:

• Gender politics and discourses
• Media, political and social discourses
• Democracy, networks, and informality
• New social disparities & social and economic change
• Migration, diasporas, and remittances

May 26

On the third day of the international scientific conference "Social, Political and Economic Changes in the Western Balkans," the roundtable is "Do Politicians Need Scientists? Linking Research and Policies in the Western Balkans ".