European Association for South-East European Studies

European Association for South-East European Studies
Name	European Association for South-East European Studies
Type	Academic association
Region served	South-East Europe

European Association for South-East European Studies is a scholarly association dedicated to the study of South-East Europe and its societies, cultures, histories, and politics. The association convenes researchers, institutions, and practitioners from across the Balkans, Central Europe, and wider Europe to promote comparative research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and public dissemination. It engages with universities, museums, archives, ministries, and international organizations to support research on topics ranging from Ottoman legacies to European Union enlargement and post-conflict reconstruction.

History

The association traces its intellectual roots to regional scholarly networks that emerged during the late 20th century, including exchanges among scholars at University of Belgrade, University of Zagreb, University of Sarajevo, University of Ljubljana, and University of Macedonia. Early collaborators included academics associated with School of Slavonic and East European Studies, Central European University, Jagiellonian University, Sofia University, University of Bucharest, and University of Athens. Founding debates referenced comparative work on the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the legacies of the Yugoslav Wars and Greek Civil War. Institutional partners in the formative period included the British Academy, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations Development Programme. Prominent early voices in the field connected to the association's history include scholars with ties to University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Columbia University, Yale University, Princeton University, and specialist centers such as the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, International Crisis Group, and Open Society Foundations.

Mission and Objectives

The association aims to foster rigorous scholarly inquiry into South-East Europe by supporting research, teaching, and public engagement across institutions such as Austrian Academy of Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Romanian Academy, and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Objectives include promoting comparative studies involving the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and regional organizations like the Regional Cooperation Council. The association seeks to bridge scholars affiliated with Max Planck Society, CNRS, Deutsches Historisches Institut, Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Storici, German Historical Institute, and specialized museums such as the Museum of Yugoslavia and the National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

Membership and Structure

Membership encompasses individual scholars and institutional members drawn from universities and research centers including University College London, Leiden University, University of Vienna, Charles University, Masaryk University, Trinity College Dublin, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universität Hamburg, Universidade de Lisboa, University of Graz, and national research councils like the Slovenian Research Agency. Governance typically features an elected board with representation from regions including the Western Balkans, Central Europe, Anatolia, and the Mediterranean. Committees collaborate with entities such as the Society for Romanian Studies, the Centre for Albanian Studies, the Bulgarian Historical Association, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and professional bodies like the European Consortium for Political Research and the International Development Research Centre.

Activities and Programs

The association runs grant programs, visiting fellowships, and doctoral training initiatives in partnership with universities and organizations such as Erasmus Mundus, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Horizon Europe, Fulbright Program, DAAD, British Council, Swiss National Science Foundation, and Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. Programs support archival projects involving institutions like the Austrian State Archives, State Archives of Croatia, Historical Archive of Sarajevo, Hellenic Literary and Historical Archive, and the National Archives of Romania. The association promotes digital humanities collaborations with centers such as the Digital Balkan Library, Europeana, DARIAH, CLARIN, and research infrastructures including EHRI.

Publications and Research

The association facilitates publication series, working papers, and peer-reviewed journals in cooperation with academic presses like Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Routledge, Brill, Palgrave Macmillan, De Gruyter, Bloomsbury, and regional publishers such as Zagreb University Press and Belgrade University Press. It supports research on themes connected to the Berlin Process, the Dayton Agreement, the Lisbon Treaty, the Stabilisation and Association Process, and cultural studies relating to figures housed in collections like the National Library of Serbia, the National Library of Greece, the Library of Congress, and the British Library. Peer networks link scholars publishing in journals such as Slavonic and East European Review, Southeastern Europe, East European Politics and Societies, Nationalities Papers, and Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies.

Conferences and Events

Annual and biennial conferences rotate among host institutions including University of Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo Faculty of Philosophy, University of Pristina, University of Skopje, University of Montenegro, University of Tirana, University of Thessaloniki, Istanbul Bilgi University, Bucharest National University of Political Studies, and venues linked to the European Parliament and the Palais des Nations. Events feature panels engaging policymakers from European Commission Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, representatives of NATO Public Diplomacy Division, civil society actors from Transparency International, Amnesty International, and archival showcases with curators from Museum of Memory and Human Rights and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development.

Partnerships and Outreach

The association maintains partnerships with regional and international institutions such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, European Cultural Foundation, Anna Lindh Foundation, Open Society Institute, Rockefeller Foundation, and academic networks like Balkan Studies Network, Hellenic Studies Association, Centre for European Policy Studies, and Institut Français. Outreach includes public lectures in collaboration with libraries and cultural institutions including the British Council Belgrade, Goethe-Institut, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Instituto Cervantes, and media partnerships with outlets like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Balkan Insight, and Euractiv.

Category:Learned societies of Europe Category:European research networks