How can academic networks drive youth participation in the Western Balkans? Watch the final showcase for "Youth Agency & New Political Imaginaries" to explore the results of our 1-year fellowship, hackathons, and workshops. 📺 Full video here: youtu.be/Y1pyQSrXTY0?...

Youth Agency and New Political Imaginaries in the Western Balkans: Project Results Showcase

YouTube video by Center for Advanced Studies “CAS SEE” University of Rijeka

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How do transnational networks among young migrants impact their home countries? RECAS Fellow Dragana Mrvoš presented her research on young Serbian & Croatian migrants at the CEEISA 2026 Conference in Sarajevo, engaging in vital discussions on migration, memory politics, and regional identity. ⬇️

Project coordinator Irena Molnar was recently a guest on TV Nova S to discuss our 1-year fellowship program—now running for the third time—alongside our ongoing work and deliberative workshops with young people in the Western Balkans.

Irena Molnar: Mlade na Balkanu više zanima aktivizam, nego političke stranke

YouTube video by NOVA S

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The NGFP 2027 Fellowship is open! Offering funding, expert mentorship, & global networking for emerging futures practitioners. ⚠️ Special track open for Balkans applicants! ⏳ Deadline: 26 June 2026 🔗 Apply: bit.ly/NGFP2027 #FuturesThinking #Balkans #Foresight #NGFP2027 #SEEBlueSky #AcafemicSky

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How can youth research drive regional trade policy? Excellent opportunity for Master's & PhD candidates from CEFTA Parties to shape real economic decisions. The CEFTA Research Award 2026 is now open for submissions in agri-food, industry, and services. ⬇️

CEFTA Research Award 2026 - Open Call for Young Researchers

YouTube video by CEFTA - Central European Free Trade Agreement

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How does Gen Z envision the future of the Western Balkans? On 11 June, @ifdtbeograd.bsky.social hosted the final showcase for "Youth Agency and New Political Imaginaries in the Western Balkans," presenting key findings from the RECAS Fellowship, capital-city workshops, and our Policy Hackathon. ⬇️

How can we transform youth research into real-world policy? The RECAS Policy Hackathon in Belgrade (9–10 June) brought together regional youth, fellows, and alumni to co-create policy positions on democratic and eco-digital futures under the mentorship of Srđan Đurović. ⬇️

REMINDER: This Thursday in Belgrade & Online! Join @ifdtbeograd.bsky.social & RECAS for the final results showcase of "Youth Agency and New Political Imaginaries in the Western Balkans". Explore fellowship data, Gen Z insights, and policy proposals. 🗓️ Thursday, 11 June | 16:00–18:00 CET ⬇️

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: recas.info/repository/

How is Gen Z reshaping political imaginaries in the Western Balkans? Join @ifdtbeograd.bsky.social & RECAS for our Project Results Showcase! Discover fellowship outputs, insights on youth democracy, and recommendations from our Policy Hackathon. 🗓️ 11 June | 16:00–18:00 CET 📍 Belgrade & Online

Can a river become a space for political resistance and civic identity? Azra Hromadžić joins Ajda Hedžet to discuss "Riverine Citizenship" and political protest along the Una River in BiH. 🗓️ June 11 | 15:00 PM CET 🌐 For more information and Zoom link visit RECAS website.

Today at the European Parliament, we discussed Youth Imagining Europe from the Western Balkans, hosted by Vladimir Prebilič The discussion brought together perspectives on youth, democracy, participation, and the future of EU–Western Balkans relations at a moment

Ajda Hedžet investigates how youth in SE Europe navigate the gap between being "future-makers" and their actual political marginalisation. More on: recas.info/fellows/ OSF Western Balkans, @erstestiftung.org, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund support fellowships. #RECAS_SEE #AcademicSky

Why is returning home increasingly difficult to realize for Balkan migrants today? Robert Pichler joins Anxhela Lepuri to discuss the "Hopes and Realities of Return" in the Western Balkans, exploring migration, family strategies, and regional consequences. June 4 | 12:00 PM

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: recas.info/repository/

How do metaphors shape democracy? RECAS Fellow Anxhela Lepuri explores the language of youth in Prishtina to uncover how figurative speech reflects hope, resistance, and visions for an EU future. 🔗 Meet our fellows: recas.info/fellows/

Can we make "speculative rigour" a new academic standard? Ali Aslan Gümüsay joins Vehap Kola to discuss "Prospective Theorizing"—how we can scientifically imagine desirable futures in an age of planetary emergency. 🗓️ May 28 | 12:00 PM CET 🔗 recas.info/cas-see-semi...

Frustration grows when the EU accession process remains slow and uncertain. Explore what young people across the Western Balkans said in the deliberative workshop series about delays, uncertainty, and the future of EU accession: recas.info/books/youth-...

RECAS Fellow Vehap Kola explores how young people use digital spaces to imagine and organize ecological & political futures under pressure. From weekly voice notes to policy hackathons, this project bridges the gap between digital life and civic action. 🔗 recas.info/fellows/

Belonging and exclusion often go hand in hand. For a regional overview and country-level findings from deliberative workshops with young people across the Western Balkans, visit the RECAS Research Repository: recas.info/repository/

Can diverse acquaintances save civil discourse? Ivan Cerovac joins Julija Perhat to discuss how "weak social ties" act as a shield against political polarization and echo chambers. 🗓️ May 21 | 12:00 PM CET 🔗 recas.info/cas-see-semi... Supported by OpenSocietyWB, @erstestiftung.org, & RockBrosFund.

New research from RECAS Fellow Julija Perhat explores how slurs are used by youth in the Western Balkans to negotiate identity and challenge (or reinforce) nationalist narratives. 🔗 recas.info/fellows/ Supported by OSFWB, @erstestiftung.org & RBF

Positive views of Europe are shaped by expectations of fairness and consistency. Read more in the Regional Report and country snapshots, which bring together findings from the RECAS deliberative workshop series with young people across the Western Balkans: recas.info/repository/

Is Europe's youth diverging from established political narratives? Find out at the @cas-see-uniri.bsky.social seminar with Richard Q. Turcsányi & Anastas Vangeli. 🗓️ May 7 | 12:00 PM CET 🔗 recas.info/cas-see-semi... Supported by OSF_WB, @erstestiftung.org, & RBF.

Anastas Vangeli explores how Balkan Gen Z navigates "semi-peripheral uncertainty." Forget the stereotypes of apathy—this study builds a framework to understand youth agency across mobility, work, ecology, and geopolitics. 🔗 Full details: recas.info/fellows/ #RECAS_SEE

Prof. Eric Champion joins RECAS Fellow Ana Gavrilović to discuss how virtual worlds & video games reshape civic imagination & public engagement. 🗓️ April 30 | 11 AM CET 🔗 recas.info/cas-see-semina… Support by OpenSocietyFund Western Balkans, @erstestiftung.org, & Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

RECAS recently hosted an Academic Policy Lab webinar on mastering postdoctoral funding applications. Facilitated by Dr Katarina Kušić, the session focused on helping WB researchers access international grants. Full recap: 🔗 recas.info/recas-hosts-...

Ana Gavrilović explores how youth in SE Europe use #Minecraft, #Roblox, & indie games as "free" digital spaces for political resistance and civic imagination. Gaming isn't just play—it's an arena for negotiating power & democracy. ⬇️

Do migrants "export" democracy? This research examines political remittances among young migrants from Serbia and Croatia in the EU & US, exploring how their movement shapes views on gender, policy, and economic power. 🔗 recas.info/fellows/ Supported by OSF WB, @erstestiftung.org & RBF.

Join Peter N. Funke & Dragana Mrvoš to discuss "Narrative Power in an Era of Crisis"—exploring how social movements move beyond echo chambers to build mass power. 📅 08/04/26 | 2:00 PM CET 🔗 recas.info/cas-see-semi... Supported by OSF WB, @erstestiftung.org & RBF.