Jana Lončarič
Name and Surname
Aleksandra Bajde
Affiliation
Independent researcher
Contact email
aleksandra.bajde@gmail.com
Short Biography
Aleksandra Bajde is a Slovenian cultural manager and researcher based in Vienna, working at the intersection of international cultural relations, EU foreign cultural policy, and sustainability in the arts. With an academic background spanning political science, European studies, liberal arts and sciences, and music, she combines an interdisciplinary research foundation with more than a decade of experience in managing international cultural projects. Her work focuses on fostering collaboration between the arts, research, and policy sectors to promote civic engagement, cultural exchange, and cross-sectoral impact.
She is currently completing her PhD in Political Science at the University of Vienna, where her dissertation examines the Europeanization of cultural diplomacy in small EU member states, with a comparative focus on Austria and Slovenia. Her broader research interests center on how EU-level priorities are shaped, translated, and implemented through foreign cultural policy and cultural diplomacy.
Aleksandra holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a focus on International Relations and Sociology from Amsterdam University College; a Master’s degree in Advanced European and International Studies from the European Institute in France; and degrees in music, including a Bachelor of Music from the Conservatory of Amsterdam and a Master of Arts from the Anton Bruckner Private University Linz.
She has contributed to policy briefs, taught at the university level, co-founded the Culture and Sustainability Lab, and participated in international initiatives such as the Global Cultural Relations Programme (EU), the European Music Council Fellowship Programme, and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in International Cultural Relations, Cultural and Public Diplomacy (CREDO) at the University of Siena. She regularly presents workshops and talks at international conferences and symposia on STEAM, EU cultural policy, cultural diplomacy, and the intersections of culture and sustainability.
Cultural Futures in Motion: Youth Agency and Ecological Imaginaries in Southeast Europe
This project examines how young cultural practitioners in Slovenia and Serbia imagine and enact ecological futures through cultural and artistic practices. Focusing on youth-led initiatives in Ljubljana and Belgrade, it explores how ecological concerns are articulated through music, art, and cultural production, and how these practices intersect with forms of civic engagement and emerging democratic imaginaries.
Situated in differing institutional and EU integration contexts, the project investigates how young actors navigate environmental responsibility, cultural policy frameworks, and socio-political constraints. By analyzing narratives, symbols, and practices within local cultural ecosystems, the study traces how ecological awareness becomes embedded in everyday cultural work and how it shapes alternative visions of collective life and participation.
Methodologically, the project combines qualitative interviews, discourse and document analysis, and practice-informed approaches. It contributes to debates on youth agency, cultural production, and political imaginaries in Southeast Europe, offering insights relevant to cultural policy, ecological transition, and democratic engagement in the region.
Research abstract
Let’s Defend the Balkan Rivers: Regional Networking, Frames, and Policies for River Protection in SEE
The growing political pressure for decarbonization in the Balkans has driven a surge in hydropower projects, posing significant threats to local communities and riverine ecosystems. In response, grassroots initiatives for river protection have emerged across the region. This research focuses on the regional network “Let’s Defend the Balkan Rivers” to examine the role of local environmental struggles in shaping an ecological transition from a bottom-up perspective. It explores the evolution of regional coordination, the diffusion of frames, and the role of regional networking in supporting claim-making across different scales. The study employs frame analysis of the network’s documents and semi-structured interviews with key activists, building on prior research on river protection movements in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.