Regional and Summer Schools of the Zoran Djindjic Foundation
For over two decades, the Zoran Djindjic Foundation, in cooperation with local and international partners, has organized educational programs for students and young professionals from Serbia and the region. Through two key initiatives — the Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic and the Belgrade–Konstanz Summer School — the Foundation promotes the values of dialogue, political responsibility, European integration, and regional cooperation.
These schools bring together participants from social sciences, offering them opportunities to deepen theoretical knowledge, critically analyze political processes, and exchange ideas with peers and experts from home and abroad through lectures, discussions, and study visits. Through such initiatives, the Foundation contributes to building a new generation of leaders committed to democratic development and reconciliation in the region.
Regional School of Political Philosophy "Dr Zoran Djindjic"
The Zoran Djindjic Foundation, in cooperation with the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade and supported by the Balkan Democracy Fund, launched the “School of Political Philosophy” project in 2011. This regional initiative aims to analyze the role of Serbia’s first democratically elected Prime Minister, Dr. Zoran Djindjic, in the democratization of the country, strengthening regional cooperation, and the development of political thought. The Regional School of Political Philosophy “Dr Zoran Djindjic” is a six-day seminar gathering 30 young participants from Serbia and neighboring countries, offering lectures on contemporary political theory, Djindjic as a visionary, and topics of modernization and reconciliation in the region.
The primary motivation for the School is to affirm Zoran Djindjic’s ideological and political legacy—his views on responsibility, tolerance, political culture, and European orientation—alongside systematic reflection and critical analysis of political philosophy theory and its relevance to contemporary political processes.
Eligible participants are undergraduate and master’s students in social sciences from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. Priority is given to young people actively engaged in democratization processes in their countries, through work at universities, research institutes, NGOs, as well as political and social activism. The School takes place annually in Belgrade, with lectures held at the Faculty of Political Sciences.
The main objectives of the project are:
Mastering fundamental concepts of political philosophy and deepening theoretical knowledge in the rule of law;
Critical analysis of Dr. Zoran Djindjic’s political philosophy and the impact of his policies on regional normalization;
Analyzing political relations in the Western Balkans in the 21st century through contemporary theoretical and practical perspectives.
The next School of Political Philosophy will be held in autumn 2026, and the application call will be published on this website in September.
Topics of Previous Schools
2012: Second Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic
Lectures
The Fate of an Unfinished State and the Political Activity of Zoran Djindjic, 2000–2003
Prof. Dr. Dejan Jović, Chief Analyst in the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Ivo JosipovićHistory and Core Issues of Political Philosophy
Assistant Prof. Dr. Vladimir Pavićević, Faculty of Political Sciences (FPN)Contemporary Political Philosophy – Basic Principles
Dr. Ivan Mladenović, Institute for Philosophy and Social TheoryZoran Djindjic’s Philosophy of Political Responsibility
Dr. Novica Milić, Author of the Foreword to The Autumn of Dialectics by Dr. Zoran DjindjicContemporary Political Philosophy – Challenges
Prof. Dr. Đorđe Pavićević, FPNConcept of Order: The Influence of Carl Schmitt’s Ideas on Djindjic’s Political Thought
Prof. Dr. Milan Podunavac, FPNZoran Djindjic – A Vision of Democracy and the European Union in the Balkans
Nermina Mujagić, Faculty of Political Sciences, SarajevoOn the Historical Significance of Zoran Djindjic’s Archive
Dr. Miroslav Perišić, Archives of SerbiaA Portrait of Zoran Djindjic: A Friend’s Words
Prof. Dr. Vukašin Pavlović, FPNZoran Djindjic’s Policy on EU Integration (2001–2003)
Milica Delević, Director of the Office for European Integration of Serbia
2013: Third Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic
Lectures
History and Core Issues of Political Philosophy
Assistant Prof. Dr. Vladimir Pavićević, Faculty of Political Sciences (FPN)The Fate of an Unfinished State and the Political Activity of Zoran Đinđić, 2000–2003
Prof. Dr. Žarko Puhovski, Faculty of Philosophy, University of ZagrebZoran Đinđić’s Philosophical Curiosity
Prof. Dr. Novica Milić, author of the foreword to The Autumn of Dialectics by Dr. Zoran ĐinđićĐinđić’s View of Yugoslavia as an Unfinished Community
Prof. Dr. Ilija Vujačić, FPNSchmitt’s Theory of the Political (On the Possible Influence of Carl Schmitt on Đinđić’s Political Thought)
Dr. Petar Bojanić, Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social TheoryThe Philosophical Testament of Zoran Đinđić
Prof. Dr. Milan Podunavac, FPNZoran Đinđić’s International Diplomacy 1994–2003
Mirko Dautović, MPhil, former scholarship holder of the FoundationThe Intellectual Legacy of Zoran Đinđić
Prof. Dr. Dragan Vukčević, Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (CANU), PodgoricaThe Perception of Zoran Đinđić’s Political Actions in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Prof. Dr. Nermina Mujagić, Faculty of Political Sciences, Sarajevo
2014: Fourth Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic
Lectures
The Work of Zoran Đinđić
Dr. Latinka Perović, HistorianĐinđić on the Crisis of Political Philosophy
Assistant Dr. Bojan Vranić, Faculty of Political SciencesHistory and Core Issues of Political Philosophy
Assistant Prof. Dr. Vladimir Pavićević, Faculty of Political SciencesZoran Đinđić’s Philosophical Curiosity
Prof. Dr. Novica Milić, author of the foreword to The Autumn of Dialectics and Philosophical Writings by Dr. Zoran ĐinđićUnderstanding the Relationship Between Civil Society and the State in Zoran Đinđić’s Work
Prof. Dr. Vukašin Pavlović, Faculty of Political SciencesA Word from a Friend
Prof. Dr. Vukašin Pavlović and Milo Petrović, Professor of SociologySchmitt’s Theory of the Political (On the Possible Influence of Carl Schmitt on Đinđić’s Political Thought)
Dr. Petar Bojanić, Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social TheoryThe Philosophical Testament of Zoran Đinđić
Prof. Dr. Milan Podunavac, Faculty of Political SciencesThe Theoretical and Political Legacy of Zoran Đinđić
Prof. Dr. Đorđe Pavićević, Faculty of Political Sciences
2017: Building the Rule of Law
The Western Balkans stands at a crossroads of modernization. Burdened by the legacy of the 1990s wars, unresolved reconciliation among former Yugoslav republics, challenges on the path to EU membership, and diverse historical and political contexts, the region collectively faces the task of creating functional, rule-based societies.
Zoran Đinđić’s decades-long philosophical and political work reflected his deep awareness of the challenges ahead — transforming an ineffective multinational federation into national legal states capable of cooperation and coexistence. In his writings, he explored issues of state and societal modernization, border disputes, national identity, and the importance of a constitutional order aligned with national interests.
The fifth Regional School of Political Philosophy aimed to examine these issues and assess the progress of Western Balkan states 15 years after the assassination of Zoran Đinđić. The school gathered undergraduate and graduate students of political science, philosophy, law, economics, and sociology from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
Through expert lectures, workshops, and discussions, participants explored the region’s slow-moving modernization and the challenges of establishing the rule of law.
Lectures
The Political Testament of Zoran Đinđić
Doc. Dr Vladimir Pavićević, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradeDemocratic Consolidation in Montenegro
Daliborka Uljarević, Executive Director, Center for Civic EducationPost-Communist Democracy Building: The Case of Croatia
Prof. Dr Žarko Puhovski, Faculty of Philosophy, University of ZagrebPerception of Zoran Đinđić’s Political Work in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Prof. Dr Nerzuk Ćurak, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of SarajevoWorkshop: Đinđić’s Theses on Balkan States
Doc. Dr Bojan Vranić, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradeConstitutionalism and State Building
Prof. Dr Miodrag Jovanović, Faculty of Law, University of BelgradeThe Idea of the Unfinished State
Prof. Dr Ilija Vujačić, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradeWorkshop: Foreign Policy as a Reflection of Political Ideas
Mirko Dautović, Foreign Policy Analyst and DAAD AdvisorThe Concept of Social Justice
Prof. Dr Đorđe Pavićević, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradePolitics of Identity and Memory
Prof. Dr Đorđe Vuković, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Banja Luka
2018: Delimitation in Complex Societies
This year marks the sixth edition of the Regional School of Political Philosophy “Dr Zoran Djindjic.” The theme of this year’s school is “Demarcation in Complex Societies.” Based on regional, political, historical, ethnic, and cultural contexts, there is a growing presence of opposing views among political and academic elites regarding justice and reconciliation among the peoples of the Western Balkans. One group strongly advocates for ethnic demarcation, while the other opposes the idea, favoring some form of status quo through a frozen conflict. As is often the case when views are polarized, the key concepts proposed as solutions—in this case, “demarcation”—remain undefined. As a result, misunderstandings arise between the conflicting sides about the meaning of the term.
The goal of the 6th Regional School of Political Philosophy “Dr Zoran Djindjic” is to bring together 20 young scholars from the social sciences across the Western Balkans (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia) to collectively study, analyze, and debate the concept and challenges of demarcation in complex societies, such as the democracies of this region. The theme of demarcation is especially important for understanding the political philosophy of Dr Zoran Djindjic, whose most significant political works (such as The Incomplete State) are devoted to this issue. After 1988, Dr Zoran Djindjic dedicated a significant part of his academic career to analyzing the possibility of ethnic demarcation among the peoples of the Western Balkans. In the wake of communism’s collapse, he was far ahead of his time, believing that peaceful and just demarcation among Balkan nations could only be achieved if adequate minority representation—genuine representative democracy—was first established as a structural prerequisite. This condition has not yet been fully met in any Western Balkan country.
Lectures:
Lecture on Zoran Djindjic
Assoc. Prof. Dr Vladimir Pavicevic, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeThe Sovereign Rule of Law: The Anti-Imperial Character of the Modern Political Formation
Prof. Dr Luka Ribarevic, Faculty of Political Sciences, ZagrebWhat Do We Mean When We Speak of Demarcation?
Prof. Dr Nerzuk Curak, Faculty of Political Sciences, SarajevoOrder in the Political Philosophy of Zoran Djindjic
Prof. Dr Milan Podunavac, University Donja Gorica, PodgoricaThe General Will: A Few Challenges
Prof. Dr Marko Simendic, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeBetween Integration and Demarcation: Zoran Djindjic’s Contribution to Resolving Disputes in the Western Balkans
Stefan Surlic, Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeRedistribution Politics and Recognition Politics: Two Responses to Social Divisions
Prof. Dr Djordje Pavicevic, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeThe Social Basis of Political Conflicts – How Societies Become Divided
Assoc. Prof. Dr Dusan Spasojevic, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeConstitutional Patriotism in a Multicultural Context
Nikola Beljinac, Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeDialogue on Demarcation and the Role of Borders
Milos Petrovic, Junior Advisor, Tempus Foundation – National CEEPUS OfficeMinority Rights and Cross-Border Cooperation in Southeast Europe
Prof. Dr Siniša Tatalovic, Faculty of Political Sciences, ZagrebDemarcation and Reciprocal Rights: The Yugoslavia Case Study
Assoc. Prof. Dr Miloš Hrnjaz, Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade
2019: The Autumn of the Left – Two Centuries of Marxism
In the year following the commemoration of two centuries since the birth of Karl Marx, the time has come to examine the current state of the left—academically, politically, and ideologically. The Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic aims to assess the state of the left in the region, its influence on academic work, political parties, and social movements today. The questions the school raises include the relevance of Marx’s method today, the influence of social democracy, the possibility for the middle class to break away from the center and the right and return to the left, and how capable social movements truly are of influencing the decisions of political elites.
Memories of the left today are largely confined to the oldest generations, who look nostalgically at the “golden age,” and to young enthusiasts, gathered in cliques, with the desire to change the world more or less revolutionarily.
Even in his doctoral and postdoctoral work, Zoran Djindjic devoted significant attention to Marxism. Somewhat dissident in approach, Djindjic critically reexamined Marxism, searching for flaws in its assumptions, method, and conclusions—but never with the goal of fully rejecting it. Zoran Djindjic’s leftist orientation remained with him throughout his academic and political career.
Lectures
Lecture on Zoran Djindjic
Dr Vladimir Pavicevic
Marxism and Contemporary International Relations: How to Interpret and How to Change the World
Prof. Dr Dejan Jović, Faculty of Political Sciences, Zagreb
Ideological Mapping of Political Parties in Montenegro – From Democratic Consolidation to Europeanization
Assoc. Prof. Dr Nikoleta Djukanović, University Donja Gorica, Podgorica
The Political Testament of Zoran Djindjic – A Regional Perspective
Daliborka Uljarević, Executive Director, Center for Civic Education, Podgorica
The Legacy of Praxis
Prof. Dr Ivana Spasić, Faculty of Philosophy, Belgrade
Post-Marxism and Radical Democracy
Assoc. Prof. Dr Biljana Đorđević, Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade
Marxism and Democracy: The Form and Essence of Democracy
Prof. Dr Đorđe Pavićević, Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade
The Responsibility of Intellectuals in the Twilight of Leftist Ideas
Prof. Dr Đorđe Vuković, Faculty of Political Sciences, Banja Luka
The Death of the Left: Reasons Behind the Rise of Extremism in Europe
Stefan Surlić, Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade
On the Contemporary Challenges of the Left: Is There a Marx After Marx?
Jasmin Hasanović, Senior Assistant, Faculty of Political Sciences, Sarajevo
2020: Eighth Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic
Lectures
Ivan Vejvoda: The Foreign Policy Strategy of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic
Prof. Goran Pitić: Economy and Society 20 Years After the Democratic Changes
Prof. Bojan Vranić: Zoran Djindjic – Between Myth and Legacy
Prof. Đorđe Vuković: Principles of Democracy in the Culture of Memory
Prof. Dušan Pavlović: A Light That Still Flickers?
Prof. Danica Popović: From Six Months to Eternity
Prof. Jasmin Hasanović: The Narrative of Resistance and the (Bio)Politics of Protest in Bosnia and Herzegovina
2021: Identity Politics in the Western Balkans
9th Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic
Identity Politics in the Western Balkans
With the fall of socialism and the rise of democracy in the Western Balkans, a reawakening of identities and new possibilities for their expression emerged. However, while certain identities—such as national, political party, or sports-related identities—maintain dominance over the public sphere, others—such as those of ethnic minorities, sexual identities, and marginalized groups—lack not only public space for affirmation but are also deeply confined to the private sphere. This year’s school explores identity politics in the Western Balkans, focusing on their conceptualization, their relation to transitional justice, and the practical politics surrounding identity issues.
Lectures:
Lecture on Zoran Djindjic
Prof. Dr Bojan Vranić, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeThe Transformation of Female Identity in Yugoslav Film
Prof. Dr Belma Buljubašić, Faculty of Political Sciences, SarajevoWhat Do We Mean When We Talk About Reconciliation
Prof. Dr Nemanja Džuverović, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeWhat Kind of Patriotism Do Multicultural Societies Need?
Assoc. Prof. Dr Nikola Beljinac, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeJournalistic Identity in a Medially Polarized Environment
Assoc. Prof. Dr Milica Kulić, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeThe Eurozone Crisis and Its Causes
Assoc. Prof. Dr Ivan Stanojević, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeOn the Constitutional Identity of Western Balkan States
Dr Predrag Zenović, University Donja Gorica, PodgoricaStruggles (with) Identity: The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Senior Assistant Jasmin Hasanović, Faculty of Political Sciences, SarajevoPolitical Representation of National Minorities in the Western Balkans
Assoc. Prof. Dr Jelena Lončar, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeWomen in News Media – Between an Unequal Media Industry and the Gender Gap in Media Content
Assistant Snežana Bajčeta, University Donja Gorica, PodgoricaPolitics and Regimes of Memory: Attitudes Toward the Past as the Basis of Political Identity in Serbia
Prof. Dr Đorđe Pavićević, Faculty of Political Sciences, BelgradeThe Nature of Contemporary Parties with Special Focus on the Western Balkans
Assoc. Prof. Dr Vlade Simović, Faculty of Political Sciences, Banja LukaPublic Policies and Public Advocacy
Milorad Bjeletić and Vladimir Pavlović, Belgrade Open School, Belgrade
2023: The Work of Zoran Djindjic – Twenty Years Later
10th Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic
The Work of Zoran Djindjic – Twenty Years Later
In the year marking two decades since the assassination of Dr Zoran Djindjic, the Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic aims to renew interest in his academic, scholarly, and political work.
Djindjic’s academic and scholarly contributions span different phases of his career—from his early critical engagement with dominant philosophical schools of thought to his later work on political science and constitutional issues.
In his theoretical writings, Djindjic sought to address the key questions of the time, as the region faced shifting philosophical, legal, and economic paradigms, geopolitical changes, and redrawn national borders.
His practical-political engagement was shaped by his fight against authoritarianism during the 1990s, the (re)building of representative democratic institutions and the rule of law, and resolving major state and territorial issues at a time when the region was recovering from war and interethnic conflict.
The School explores the relevance of Djindjic’s academic and political legacy today, its influence on contemporary regional societies and states, and his contribution to the resolution of critical political challenges in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Lectures:
Djindjic’s Perspective on Koselleck: A Critique of Utopian Thinking
Luka Petrović, Assistant Lecturer, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradeFrom Communicative Action Back to the Barricades – Herbert Marcuse’s Democratic Socialism
Dr Maroje Višić, Assistant Professor, Libertas International University, ZagrebIFDT and Zoran Djindjic: From Real Socialism to Post-Socialism
Dr Petar Žarković, Research Fellow, Institute for Philosophy and Social TheoryBosnia and Herzegovina in the Whirlpool of Political Narratives
Dr Aleksandar Vranješ, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to SerbiaZoran Djindjic and Constitutional Reforms in the Early 2000s
Dr Jelena Jerinić, Full Professor, Faculty of Law, Union University, BelgradeDjindjic’s Analysis of Yugoslav Society
Prof. Dr Ilija Vujačić, Full Professor, Faculty of Humanities, University Donja Gorica, PodgoricaTransition as Counter-Revolution? The Post-Socialist Yugoslav Space Between Democracy and Authoritarianism
Jasmin Hasanović, Senior Assistant, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of SarajevoDjindjic, Yugoslavia, and Serbia: Ideological and Political Conceptions, 1986–2003
Dr Aleksandar R. Miletić, Research Fellow, Institute for Recent History of SerbiaIs Knowledge the Foundation of Modern Economy, Politics, and Culture?
Dr Helena Hiršenberger, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration, Metropolitan University, BelgradeFragile Alliances: Women’s and LGBTQ+ Rights in Serbia in the First Decade of the 21st Century
Dr Katarina Lončarević, Associate Professor, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradeZoran Djindjic: Between Philosophy and Practical Politics
Dr Bojan Vranić, Associate Professor, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradePolitical Struggles in Constitutional Democracies
Prof. Dr Đorđe Pavićević, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
2024: Politika i nasilje
11th Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic
Politics and Violence
Politics and violence are deeply intertwined across various social and historical contexts. In a year marked by the escalation of armed conflicts around the world, the relationship between politics and violence has once again taken center stage. A large number of civilian casualties, hundreds of thousands of displaced people, and near-total destruction of infrastructure in certain territories have failed to prompt a consistent and coherent response from the most powerful international actors.
However, violence is not limited to war or the use of physical force—it can take many forms. While some theorists argue that the state holds a monopoly on the legitimate use of force, others claim that the state itself is illegitimate and a source of violence. Furthermore, violence that comes from positions of power differs from the violence of the most vulnerable. Violence can be structural in nature, which is why it is necessary to consider gender, economic, and social perspectives.
This year’s Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Djindjic aims to address several important questions:
What is the relationship between the state, order, and violence?
What causes global conflicts, and how can peace be achieved?
Does the nature of a regime (democratic, hybrid, or authoritarian) influence the level of violence used against political opponents?
Do groups without power have a legitimate right to use violence?
What does the peace movement represent today, and what are the nonviolent methods of political struggle?
The goal of this year’s program is to provide participants with a deep understanding of the complex relationship between political power, violence, and social structures. The program explores historical, political science, and philosophical perspectives on violence in politics, as well as contemporary examples that illustrate how violence is used to achieve political goals—and how it can be managed or prevented.
Lectures
Order and Fear
Prof. Dr Milan Podunavac, Faculty of Humanities, University Donja GoricaRevolutionary Violence of the RAF and the Red Brigades: Causes, Consequences, and (Un)Learned Lessons
Assoc. Prof. Dr Filip Balunović, Institute for Philosophy and Social TheoryThe Modern State and Violence
Assistant MA Luka Petrović, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradeZoran Djindjic: Between Philosophy and Practical Politics
Prof. Dr Bojan Vranić, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradeViolence, War, and Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina – A Gender Perspective
Prof. Dr Zlatiborka Popov, Faculty of Philosophy, University of East SarajevoGreen Politics and Nonviolence
MA Predrag Momčilović, Center for Green Politics, BelgradeEnemy-Making of the Other – Political Violence in the Media
Prof. Dr Milica Jevtić, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of BelgradeThe Question of Violence in Herbert Marcuse’s Critical Theory
Assoc. Prof. Dr Maroje Višić, Libertas International University, ZagrebWorkshop: Diplomacy Simulation in Wartime – Ceasefire Negotiations Between Israel and Hamas
Mirko Dautović, Webster University Tashkent
2025: Simulation of a security crisis
This year, the Regional School of Political Philosophy “Dr Zoran Djindjic” took on a special format. Instead of traditional lectures, from 28 to 30 November 2025, it brought together alumni from previous generations across the region and transformed into an intensive political-crisis simulation.
The school, led by Mirko Dautović, gathered 14 participants who assumed the roles of cabinet members in a transitional government. Their task was to reach a decision on appointing a new prime minister and determining a model of privatization amid a security crisis. The scenario was inspired by the period immediately following October 5, reflecting the challenges faced by the DOS coalition at the time.
Impressions from previous schools
PEROM Srbije i Hrvatske
The project PEROM Srbije i Hrvatske (Political Education and Youth Relations Development Project of Serbia and Croatia) was initiated by alumnae of the Regional School of Political Philosophy Dr Zoran Đinđić, political science students Irena Zagrađanin and Klara Pinjuh, and has been supported by the Zoran Đinđić Foundation since 2019.
In cooperation with the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade and the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Zagreb, the project brings together students from Serbia and Croatia through exchanges, lectures, and workshops focusing on strengthening mutual understanding, cultural cooperation, and the development of dialogue between the two academic communities.
You can learn more about the project here.
Belgrad Konstanz Summer School
The Belgrade–Konstanz Summer School project, implemented by the Dr Zoran Djindjic Foundation from 2013 to 2019 in cooperation with the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Belgrade and the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz, was conceived as a platform for academic exchange and dialogue between young people from Serbia and Germany. The Summer School brought together undergraduate and graduate students from both cities, offering them the opportunity to engage with renowned professors in discussions on contemporary political and social challenges, with a focus on European integration and democratization processes, regional stabilization, and the development of regional cooperation.
The initiative was launched in memory of Dr Zoran Djindjic, who earned his PhD at the University of Konstanz in 1979. Marking the tenth anniversary of his assassination, cooperation between the two faculties began, and the first Summer School was held in Belgrade in 2014. During the second school in 2015, held in Konstanz, an academic partnership agreement was signed, establishing student and staff exchanges through the Erasmus+ program (Key Action 1).
Each Summer School was thematically focused and included required academic literature, debates, and workshops. Among other topics, students analyzed democratization processes in post-communist Europe, institutional strengthening, the history of conflicts in the Balkans, and the role of local and international actors in political transformations. Through intercultural dialogue and collaborative work, participants developed critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the complex political dynamics in the region and in Europe.
In addition to academic knowledge, the Belgrade–Konstanz Summer School provided valuable intercultural experience, contributing to the building of bridges between young leaders from Serbia and Germany, in the spirit of the values that Dr Zoran Djindjic championed—openness, education, and a European orientation.
Topics of the schools
2014 in Belgrade: European Integration and Democratization
Lectures and Research Tutorials
Introduction into European Integration and Enlargement
Prof. Vesna Knezevic-Predic
Research tutorial: Introduction to the study of European integration
Prof. Gerald Schneider
Differentiated Integration in the European Union
Prof. Dirk Leuffen
Research tutorial: Small-n comparisons and case study method
Prof. Dirk Leuffen
Reactions to the Financial Crisis in the EU and its member states
Prof. Gerald Schneider
Research tutorial: How to Get Published
Prof. Gerald Schneider and Prof. Vesna Knezevic-Predic
Democracy and ethnic conflict regulation in Yugoslavia’s successor states
Prof. Nebojsa Vladisavljevic
Research tutorial: Large n-Comparisons, regression methods
Constantin Ruhe, MA & Sonja Grimm, PhD
International Democracy Promotion towards the Western Balkans
Sonja Grimm, PhD
2015 in Konstanz: European Integration and Democratization in Post-conflict Societies
The 2nd summer school on “European Integration and Democratization” introduces the participants into the state of the art of European integration and democratization research, with a special focus on state-building, democratization and EU accession in the Western Balkans. Morning sessions deal with EU integration and democratization research; afternoon sessions are dedicated to research methods and working skills. In the morning sessions, participants will discuss key issues and developments of European integration, decision-making inside the European Union as well as the policies of the European Union towards the Western Balkan countries including the new member Croatia and the candidate country Serbia.
A critical analysis of the current state of the approximation process rounds up the morning sessions. In the afternoon sessions, the participants will be introduced to basic principles and methods of social science research, including large- and small-n analysis techniques from qualitative and quantitative angles of political science and public administration. In the evenings a framework program will be organized that introduces the participants into Konstanz (sightseeing tour), and the Bodensee region.
The course is designed to assist students in a basic understanding of the workings of the EC-EU, to equip them with the skills required to analyze decision-making inside the EU as regards integration issues and, more generally, to introduce them to a culture and practice of animated intercultural debate of contemporary problems facing European integration. The group will consist in equal parts of German and Serbian students, what will offer a unique opportunity to critically reflect integration issues from different angles bringing “inside-EU” and “outside-EU” perspectives together.
Lectures
The future of Europe
Prof. Vladimir Pavicevic
Implementation and Compliance with EU regulations
Prof. Gerald Schneider
Democratization through the (Old and New) Media?
Prof. Nils B. Weidmann, Annerose Niesser
New Approaches in Political Methodology: A Field Experiment Using Mobile Advertising in Bosnia
Prof. Nils B. Weidmann, Annerose Niesser
Migration/asylum nexus within the Western Balkans’ transition: From refugee-producing region to “safe countries” of origin and asylum
Biljana Djordjevic, MA
Enlargement and Norm Development in Regional Organizations
Prof. Dirk Leuffen; Sophia Schemel, Kerstin Radtke
Democratisation in the Western Balkans: A cultural approach
Prof. Bojan Vranic
Democratization and Ethnic Conflict
Prof. Nebojsa Vladisavljevic
EU Democracy Promotion towards the Western Balkans: Theory
Dr. Sonja Grimm
2016 in Belgrade: Democratic Transition and Party Politics in Post-Communist Europe
The 3rd Belgrade-Konstanz summer school on “Democratic Transition and Party Politics in Post-Communist Europe” is organized for 24 student participants at the graduate level, including 12 from the University of Konstanz, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Germany and 12 from the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Political Sciences, Serbia. The summer school is primarily intended for students of the social sciences, particularly political science, at an advanced academic level. The Summer School introduces the participants into the state of the art of comparative research on transitions to democracy in post-communist societies, with a special focus the development of competitive party systems. Participants will understand to what extent processes of democratic transition and the development of competitive party systems in the Western Balkans have been similar or different from developments in post-communist Europe (including the GDR) more generally. Participants will thereby develop analytical skills to understand and reflect complex transition challenges and dilemmas, differentiating between typical and case-specific determinants of successful transition to democracy.
In more detail, they will understand how different types of communism (bureaucratic authoritarian, national-accommodative or patrimonial) and different types of societal cleavages (ethnicity, religion, social class) influence how parties mobilise voters and on which issues they compete for votes. They are able to critically assess the promises and pitfalls of “institutional engineering”, that is, defining institutions with the explicit aim of influencing the political behaviour of political elites and ordinary citizens. Can the right choice of the electoral system foster programmatic party competition? Or do we rather have to see the electoral system itself as a result of the strategic choices of political elites pursuing their interests through clientelist networks? What are the specific challenges of democratization in societies composed of more than one national group (such as Slovakia or Macedonia), as opposed to more ethnically homogeneous societies (such as Poland or Hungary)? Which institutions are adequate to guarantee the representation of ethnic minorities and women and foster cooperation and consensus, given multiple societal cleavages? Furthermore, students will analyse how political institutions (such as constitutions as well as electoral and party system) are designed and by whom (domestic and external actors): How does external leverage and linkage to established democracies influence institution-building in post-communist societies? How do institutional designs “travel” beyond borders? Who are the driving forces in creating political institutions?
The course is designed to train students to develop a basic understanding of comparative research on democratization (considering both domestic and international factors) and political institution-building and, more generally, to introduce them to a culture and practice of animated intercultural debate on the particular problems faced by post-communist democracies. The group will consist in equal parts of German and Serbian students. This will offer a unique opportunity to critically reflect issues of democratic transition and institution-building in comparative perspective. By including the GDR as a comparative case students can critically challenge the received view of their own political system (Germany as “the established” versus Serbia as “the new” democracy).
Lectures
Consociational Experiments in the Western Balkan Countries
Prof. Slavisa Orlovic
Party Politics in Post-communist Societies
Jun-Prof. Christina Zuber
Democratization and political culture in post-communist societies
Prof. Bojan Vranic
Qualitative Research Design in the Social Sciences
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Seibel
Comparing Regime Breakdown and Transition: GDR 1989 and Serbia 2000
Dr. Sonja Grimm
Democracy and Ethnic Conflict Regulation: A Case Study of Yugoslavia’s Successor States
Prof. Nebojsa Vladisaviljevic
Mapping the EU’s Migration – Development Nexus
Biljana Djordjevic, MA
Elections and Representation in Divided Societies
Prof. Daniel Bochsler
2017 in Konstanz: Challenges of Migration and Integration in the Danube Region - Towards a Joint Vision?
The IV Belgrade-Konstanz Summer School addresses the following topic: “Challenges of Migration and Integration in the Danube region – Towards a Joint Vision?”. Bringing together students from a transit and a destination country for refugees and migrants triggers a search for policy solutions taking a transnational, regionally cooperative, rather than a narrow national perspective. In addition, Serbia, like all Western Balkan countries, is dealing with the challenge of integrating multi-cultural, multi- religious host society to begin with.
Serbia’s experience with institutional solutions adopted to manage the co-existence with “old”, national minorities can inform solutions for dealing with “new”, migrant minorities in Germany in new and unconventional ways. We therefore expect that the exchange between the participants during the summer school will take place in the form of mutual learning from each other’s experiences with democracy in culturally diverse societies. We encourage this exchange by dividing students into bi-national teams tasked with developing solutions to the current challenges of managing migration and integrating ever more heterogeneous societies.
Lectures
Zoran Djindjic Lecture
Vladimir Pavičević
How (not) to ‘manage’ forced migration
Lorenz Neuberger
Integrating old and new minorities
Christina Zuber
Democratization in heterogeneous societies
Sonja Grimm
We the people and you behind the fences: populism and nationalism in Central and South-Eastern Europe
dr Bojan Vranić
CEE – walled states, global responsibilities for refugees, and emerging political subjectivities
Biljana Djordjevic MA
Field research in political science
Panel discussion moderated by Sonja Grimm
Negotiating the future of the European asylum system
Group work day
2018 in Belgrade: Populism and Democratic Crisis
The V Belgrade-Konstanz Summer School addresses the topic: “Populism and Democratic Crisis”. Across Europe, nationalism is again on the rise. Right-wing populists claim to represent “the pure people” and want to take back power from a political elite accused of being out of touch with the concerns of ordinary voters. In their view, traditional elites have sold national interests and identity to a globalised economy, the process of European integration, and by opening borders to immigrants and refugees. The phenomenon is neither specifically Western nor Eastern, but European in scope. The summer school therefore takes a comparative perspective. We analyse the causes of populism and address its relationship with nationalism and the construction of democracy’s subject – the demos. We ask on the basis of which empirical evidence we can speak of a crisis of democracy and search for institutional reforms and policy solutions that could re-invigorate democracy, both at the national and at the European level.
The rise of populism and the ascendance of political visions of the people as demos or ethnos come at a time when Europe is going through a crisis of identity. In his seminal speech Europe with Soul, delivered in 2003, one month before his assassination, Serbia’s first democratic prime minister Zoran Djindjic warned ‘old’ Europeans that they need to show the same solidarity towards post-communist nations as they had shown each other after WWII. Djindjic noted that the European Union is forgetting what it feels like to lose everything and build a society from scratch, and that being united in solidarity and empathy towards those in need is the backbone of what it means to be Europeans. Fifteen years after a radical right para-military organization assassinated Zoran Djindjic, his description of Europe seems more accurate than ever. It is one of the main goals of the V summer school to critically analyse reasons for the current state of democracy, both in EU member states and EU candidate states.
Lectures
Zoran Djindjic – reflections on state, nation and populism
Bojan Vranić
The return of “the People”: Reflections on the Differences between Right and Left Populism
Biljana Djordjevic
Democratic innovations
Christina Zuber
Populism and its causes
Edina Szöcsik
The crisis of democracy and the rule of law
Sonja Grimm
Transforming Populism – From Protest Vote to Ruling Ideology
Dusan Spasojevic
Is populism a threat to democracy?
Bojan Vranić and Daniel Bochsler
The future of European democracy
Group work day
