Political Culture and Dialogue

“I want this state to succeed first”

Simon Ilse, head of our office, talks with the future Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, about his future government’s priorities, the dialogue with Serbia, his green agenda, and addresses the issue of ethnicity vs nationality in the Balkans.

By Simon Ilse

University Walls

In the landscape of Montenegrin higher education institutions, which are not leading the way in any segment of contemporary education, the lack of transparency is an additional cause for concern, especially taking into account an increasing trend of “raising walls” around universities.

Nationalization is not the Solution for a Globalized World

Brazil has fallen, who will be next? Authoritarian populism is rattling the Western World, whose liberalism had hitherto appeared unassailable. Michael Zürn, one of the directors of the Berlin Social Science Center, held a lecture in Belgrade on the reasons behind the success of the new Right. Here is an interview with him for NIN Weekly, published on November 8 2018, by Marko Lovric.

Talks on Europe

Perspectives: Narratives in the Balkans

In the region, patriarchal, homophobic and exclusive tendencies are dominating, shaping a climate of intolerance, of exclusion, of the radical negation of all things humane and rational. The consequences are rigid defence mechanisms against progressive and secular approaches. Instead of modernity, instead of establishing welfare for all, the citizens are kept in a perpetual combat zone, from which hundreds of thousands are fleeing – without war – in order to find their happiness in work and life elsewhere, beyond the continuing radicalisation.

Incentives4Reform: Increasing opportunities for VET students and graduates in the labour market

The education system in Kosovo has been subject to continuous change during the transition that emerged in the aftermath of the war in 1999. In recent years it has become increasingly evident that although it’s young population, the youngest in Europe, is indeed a great asset to the country, it simultaneously places an extremely heavy burden on both the education system and the labour market in Kosovo.

Protestantism, modernization and our time

As part of a series of events marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Dr Andreas Poltermann held a lecture entitled "Protestantism - or: Modernization of the World", on June 13th 2017 in Belgrade.

By Tamara Skrozza

Reforming the University of Prishtina - Mission Possible?

Universities often teach yesterday’s skills by inertia and their teachers are still compensated generously from the taxpayers’ purse. We live in dynamic times where great syllabi may not be relevant by the time the first graduates that come out of the assembly line. As difficult as it seems, universities should strive to imbue graduates with the skills which will serve them for 40 years of their careers.

View from my window

"View from my window: Personal histories of Serbs and Albanians"

The Public and Private Spheres in Times of the Social Media

To what extent should the private sphere limit the public one and vice versa – that was a subject of debate since the beginning of modern civil society in the 18th century, one that came to very much differing answers, historically speaking.

By Andreas Poltermann

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