Name of the project: Regional Network of Centers of Advanced Studies in the Western Balkan (RECAS)
Project is: International
Project duration: 01.08.2024 – 31.07.2025
Donor: OSF Western Balkans, ERSTE Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Lead Partner: Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
Partners: Center for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe, University of Rijeka (CAS SEE), Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Montenegro (IAS), Center for Advanced Studies, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje (CAS UKIM), Center for Advanced Studies, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” (CAS UP), Center for Advanced Studies, University of Sarajevo (CAS UNSA)
Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory is leading a project on behalf of the Regional Network of Centers for Advanced Studies in Southeast Europe (RECAS). RECAS is the flagship initiative of the Rectors Forum of Southeast Europe and Western Balkans, which gathers 30 universities that declare strong commitment to operate the Forum as a platform that develops concepts, co-ordinates measures and jointly advocates for European and regional collaboration, and European integration in the area of science, research and education. The main goal of this project is to retain talent, strengthen research capacities, bridge the gap between research and policymaking, and foster greater regional cooperation in the Western Balkans.
The main objectives of the project are:
- To build a solid network of regional universities and their innovation system stakeholders;
- To stimulate “brain gain” and “brain retention” by supporting and promoting Early Career Researchers and fostering their interdisciplinary engagement both in academic and policy sphere.
- To establish opportunities for scholars to gather, discuss, and produce high-end and streamlined research on the key transformational processes (EU integration, energy transition and digital transformation) and to feed their research into policy making processes.
Proposed objectives are pursued by the two functionally interconnected programs:
- Regional Fellowship Program invites Early Career Researchers through open calls to form investigative teams and develop research project applications or conduct postdoctoral research. The fellows spend 3 to 9 months at one of the centers within the Regional Network of Centers for Advanced Studies in the Western Balkans (RECAS). Fellows will receive support and resources and can choose co-hosting institutions from the Universities of Skopje, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Pristina, Tirana, Podgorica or Belgrade.
- Academic Policy Lab primarily aims to bridge the gap between research and academic community and policy processes in the countries of the Western Balkans. The program aims to promote evidence-based policymaking and foster collaboration between academia and policymaking community in the Western Balkans through a series of strategic activities. These include promoting research outputs through public events, organizing capacity-building workshops for researchers and policymakers, facilitating stakeholder consultations to gather diverse perspectives, launching policy advocacy campaigns to raise awareness, establishing a research repository and newsletter, engaging with European institutions, and organizing public engagement activities. These initiatives collectively aim to enhance the region’s research capacity, improve policymaking processes, and raise awareness about the importance of evidence-based decision-making for the region’s future development and European integration.