Book Launch
Reconciliation by Stealth: how people talk about war crimes

Tuesday 13 June 2023, 6.00pm-7.30pm

Speakers:
Jasna Dragovic-Soso, Professor of International Politics & History, Goldsmiths, University of London
James Gow, Professor of International Peace & Security; Co-Director of the War Crimes Research Group, King’s College London
Mary Kaldor, Professor Emeritus of Global Governance; Director of the Conflict Research Programme, LSE
Denisa Kostovicova, Associate Professor of Global Politics, European Institute, LSE

Chair: Dr Vesna Bojicic-Dzelilovic, Senior Research Fellow at LSE IDEAS

Venue: SAL.LG.04, Sir Arthur Lewis Building, LSE

Find out more
Listen to the podcast

*Order the book with a 30% discount here. Enter discount code 09BCARD at checkout.

Montenegro: between presidential and parliamentary elections 

Tuesday 9 May 2023, 6.00pm-7.30pm

Speakers:
Neven Andjelic, Assistant Professor in International Relations & Human Rights, Regent's University London 
Kenneth Morrison, Professor of Modern Southeast European History, De Montfort University
Tena Prelec, Research Fellow, DPIR, University of Oxford

Chair: Vassilis Monastiriotis, LSEE Director; Associate Professor in Political Economy, European Institute, LSE

Venue: MAR.2.05, Marshall Building, LSE

Find out more
Listen to the podcast

2nd Workshop on the Comparative Economics of South Eastern Europe: Investment in Economic and Social Infrastructure 
The Call For Papers is now closed.

30-31 March 2023, University of Belgrade

Dealing with Shocks at the Gates of the EU: new monetary policy instruments and the role of central banks

Tuesday 28 March 2023, 6.00pm-7.30pm

Speaker: Gent Sejko, Governor, Bank of Albania

Discussant: Piroska Nagy-Mohácsi, Visiting Professor in Practice, LSE's Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa

Chair: Vassilis Monastiriotis, LSEE Director; Associate Professor in Political Economy, European Institute, LSE

Venue: Sumeet Valrani Lecture Theatre, 1st Floor, Centre Building, LSE

Find out more
Listen to the podcast

*Co-hosted with the Financial Markets Group (FMG)

The Legacy of Post-industrialism in Albania

Wednesday 8 February 2023, 6.00pm-7.30pm

Speaker: Dimitra Gkitsa, ​Alexander Nash Research ​Fellow, School of Slavonic & East European Studies, University College London

Chair: Vassilis Monastiriotis, Director of LSEE and Associate Professor in Political Economy, European Institute

Venue: CBG.1.07, Centre Building, LSE  

Find out more
Listen to the podcast

*Co-organised with the Anglo-Albanian Association

Changing Borders after Ukraine: the justice and utility of secession

Thursday 26 January 2023, 1.00pm-2.15pm

Speaker: Timothy William Waters, Professor, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Val Nolan Faculty Fellow; Associate Director of the Center for Constitutional Democracy

Chair: Denisa Kostovicova, Associate Professor in Global Politics, LSE

Venue: CBG.1.06, Centre Building, LSE

*Co- hosted with the European Institute

Find out more
Listen to the podcast

The Implications of COVID-19

Wednesday 18 January 2023, 6.00pm-7.30pm

Speaker: Aleksandra Nojkovic, Professor of Econometrics and Time series analysis, Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade 

Chair: Vassilis Monastiriotis, Director of LSEE and Associate Professor in Political Economy, European Institute

Venue: CBG.1.02, Centre Building, LSE 

Find out more

Democracy and Authoritarianism in Turkey under Erdogan
(In-person attendance only) 

Tuesday 18 October 2022, 6.30pm-8.00pm

Speaker: Dimitar Bechev, Russian and East European Studies Affiliate, University of Oxford

Discussants: Karabekir Akkoyunlu, Lecturer in Politics of the Middle East, SOAS

Amberin Zaman, Senior Correspondant, Al-Monitor

Chair: Kevin Featherstone, Director of Hellenic Observatory, LSE

Venue: MAR.1.08, 1/F Marshall Building, LSE

Find out more

Archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY): Addressing Impunity, Creating History
(In-person attendance only)  

Wednesday 9 November 2022, 6.00pm-7.30pm

Speaker: Iva Vukušić, Assistant Professor in International History, Utrecht University

Discussants: Jasna Dragović-Soso, Professor of International Politics & History, Goldsmiths, University of London; Visiting Professor, LSEE

Ivor Sokolić, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of Hertfordshire

Chair: Denisa Kostovicova, Associate Professor in Global Politics, LSE European Institute

Venue: Yangtze Theatre, 2/F Centre Building, LSE

Find out more
Listen to the podcast
Watch the video

Planning for the Post-COVID world: central bank policies in emerging economies  

Thursday 7 October 2021, 4:00-5:30pm

Speaker: Gent Sejko, Governor, Bank of Albania

Discussants: Piroska Nagy-Mohácsi, Visiting Professor in Practice, LSE's Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa
Ricardo Reis, A.W. Phillips Professor of Economics, LSE

Chair: Vassilis Monastiriotis, Director of LSEE and Associate Professor in Political Economy, European Institute

Find out more
Listen to the podcast
Watch the video

Read Gent Sejko's blog post on How Albania’s central bank dealt successfully with the COVID crisis

CEFTA: Shaping the region to fit into the 'EU shoes'

Thursday 24 March 2022, 16:00 - 17:30 (UK time)

Speakers: Emir Djikic, Director of the CEFTA Secretariat

Discussant: Silvana Mojsovska,  Professor in International Economics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje

Chair: Vassilis Monastiriotis, Director of LSEE and Associate Professor in Political Economy, European Institute

Find out more
Listen to the podcast
Watch the video

Weathering the Pandemic: the emerging financial landscape in South East Europe 

Wednesday 30 March 2022, 16:00 - 17:30 (UK time)

Opening Presentation: Anthony Bartzokas, Economist and Visiting Professor in Practice, Hellenic Observatory 

Speakers: Fokion Karavias, Chief Executive Officer of Eurobank SA
Francis Malige, Managing Director, Financial Institutions for the EBRD
Debora Revoltella, Director of the Economics Department of the European Investment Bank
Boris Vujcic, Governor of the Croatian National Bank

Chair: Vassilis Monastiriotis, Director of LSEE and Associate Professor in Political Economy, European Institute

Find out more
Listen to the podcast
Watch the video

Covid-19, State-Power and Society in Europe: Focus on Western Balkans
Thursday 12 May 2022, 6:00-7:30pm

Speakers: Neven Andjelic, Assistant Professor in International Relations and Human Rights, Regent's University London 

Jasna Dragović-Soso, Professor of International Politics & History, Goldsmiths, University of London; Visiting Professor, LSEE

James Gow, Professor of International Peace and Security, King's College London

Chair: Denisa Kostovicova, Associate Professor in Global Politics, LSE European Institute

Find out more
Listen to the podcast
Watch the video

Nationalism in South East Europe Today 

Tuesday 11 May 2021, 5:00pm-6:30pm

Speakers: 
Florian Bieber, Professor of Southeast European History & Politics; Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz, Austria
Dejan Jović, Professor of Political Science, University of Zagreb
Siniša Malešević, Full Professor & Chair of Sociology, University College, Dublin

Moderator: Jasna Dragović-Soso, Professor of International Politics & History at Goldsmiths, University of London; Visiting Professor at LSEE

Chair: Spyros Economides, Associate Professor in International Relations and European Politics, LSE

Find out more
Listen to the podcast
Watch the video

Dr Dritan Abazović in conversation with Professor Kenneth Morrison

Dritan Abazović, leader of United Reform Action (URA)

Kenneth Morrison, Professor of Modern Southeast European History, De Montfort University

Watch the Interview

Evaluating the Regional Economic Cooperation in the Western Balkans 

Thursday 29 October 2020, 4:00-5:30pm

Speaker: Richard Grieveson, Deputy Director, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw); Research Associate, Diplomatic Academy of Vienna

Discussant: Dr Will Bartlett, LSEE Visiting Senior Fellow

Chair: Dr Vesna Bojicic-Dzelilovic, Senior Research Fellow, LSE Global Governance, LSE

Find out more
Listen to the podcast

Implications of COVID-19 in the Western Balkans

Monday 29 June 2020, 4:00-5:30pm 

Speakers:
Arjan Gjonça, Associate Professor of Demography, Department of International Development, LSE
Mario Holzner, Executive Director, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies
Sanja Vico, Research Officer, European Institute, LSE

Chair: Vassilis Monastiriotis, Associate Professor in the Political Economy of South Eastern Europe at the LSE, Director of LSEE

Find out more
Listen to the podcast
Watch the video

CANCELLED: The EU Anti-Corruption Reform in the Western Balkans: the case of Albania

Tuesday 17 March 2020, 6:00-7:30pm

Speaker: Andi Hoxhaj, Teaching Fellow in Law, University of Warwick
Discussant: Tena Prelec, Doctoral Researcher at the School of Law, Politics and Sociology, University of Sussex

Chair: Sanja Vico, Research Officer, European Institute, LSE

Venue: Sumeet Valrani Lecture Theatre, Centre Building, 1st Floor

Find out more

Financial Sector Transformation in Small Open Economies: What Role for Central Banks?

Wednesday, 26 February 2020, 6:30-8:00pm

Speaker: Gent Sejko, Governor, Bank of Albania
Chair: Erik Berglof,  Director, Institute of Global Affairs

Venue: Vera Anstey Room, Old Building

Find out more

Book Launch: The Politics of Recognition and Engagement - EU Member State Relations with Kosovo

Monday 4 December 2019, 6:00-7:30pm

Speakers: 
Ioannis Armakolas, Assistant Professor, University of Macedonia
Agon Demjaha, Associate Professor,Tetovo University 
Julia Himmrich, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dahrendorf Forum, London School of Economics
Florian Qehaja, Chair of the Board, Kosovar Centre for Security Studies
Jaroslaw Wisniewski, Former Visiting Fellow, LSEE, LSE

Chair: James Ker-Lindsay, Visiting Professor, LSEE, LSE

Venue: Yangtze Lecture Theatre, Centre Building

Find out more
View some photos

5th Conference of the LSEE Research Network on Social Cohesion in South East Europe: ''Economic and social inclusion in an age of political uncertainty in South East Europe''

Belgrade, 21-22 November 2019

Organised by LSEE - Research on South Eastern Europe and EBRD 

Find out more

2nd Network Workshop: 'LSEE-CEFTA Academic Network on International Trade'

Skopje 13-14 September 2019

Find out more

International Courts and Mass Atrocity: Narratives of War and Justice in Croatia

Monday 28 January, 18.00-19:30

The panel discussed why universal human rights norms struggle to take hold in post-conflict societies, the question raised by Sokolic's International Courts and Mass Atrocity.

Speaker:
Dr Ivor Sokolic, LSE

Discussants:
Dr Jasna Dragovic-Soso, Goldsmiths, University of London
Dr Neven Andjelic, Regent's University London
Dr Rachel Kerr, King’s College London

Chair:
Dr Denisa Kostovicova, LSE

Venue:
COW1.11, Cowdray House, European Institute, LSE

LSEE Workshop on Economics of the Western Balkans

24-25 June 2019

CANCELLED: The Future of Kosovo; in conversation with Hashim Thaçi

Wednesday 5 December, 17.00-18.00

Speaker: Hashim Thaçi, President of the Republic of Kosovo

Discussant: Sir Robert Cooper, former Counsellor of the European External Action Service and fomer Special Advisor at the European Commission

Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor, Director of the Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit, Department of International Development. LSE

Venue: TBC to ticketholders only
Admission: Ticketed. More information via the link below

Hosted by the European Institute and LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe

Inequality and Social Protection in South East Europe

Belgrade, 22 October 2018 

Read about the workshop outcomes

Full programme

Greek Exports and Corporate Adjustment

Monday, 12 March 2018 | HO & LSEE Panel Discussion

Listen to the podcast

Speakers: Anthony Bartzokas, Board Alternate Director, EBRD

Peter Sanfey, Deputy Director for Country Economics and Policy, EBRD

Discussant: Manolis Galenianos, Professor of Economics, Royal Holloway, University of London

Rival Power: Russia in Southeast Europe

Thursday, 8 March 2018 | Book Launch

Listen to the podcast

Speakers: Dr Dimitar Bechev, Research Fellow, CSEEES, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Tim Judah, Balkans correspondent, The Economist

Do no harm: government policy towards civil society in Albania

Monday, 5 March 2018 | LSEE Seminar

Listen to the podcast

Speaker: Dr Max Fras, LSEE Visiting Fellow

Citizen's Basic Income Day: Morning and Afternoon Session

Listen to the podcasts: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3

Venue: The Venue, Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, LSE

Conference Programme

Divergent Transition in the Sandzak: Causes and Consequences

Date: Monday, 12 February 2018 | LSEE Seminar

Listen to the podcast

Speakers: 
Dr Vesna Bojicic-Dzelilovic, Associate Professorial Research Fellow, Department of International Development
Professor Kenneth Morrison, Professor of Modern Southeast European History; De Montfort University, Leicester

LSEE Academic Round Table on Data Analyses 
Part of CEFTA Week 2017: Business, Trade and Investments

Date: Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Roundtable Agenda

Venue: Hotel Moskva, Belgrade

Public Lecture - Democratization, European Integration, and Identity: Attitudes towards the EU across the EU member states and the Western Balkans

Date: Monday, 20 November 2017

Listen to the podcast | Presentations: Dr Charlotte Galpin ; Dr Simona Guerra ; Dr Aleksandra Sojka | Event photos

LSEE Seminar - The Western Balkans: Inequalities and social policies

Date: Tuesday, 31 October 2017

Listen to the podcast | Presentations: Dr Will Bartlett ; Dr Eda Tahiraj | Event photos 

Panel Discussion - A Focus on Reforms: Bosnia and Herzegovina Vision 2020                  

Date: Monday, 9 October 2017

Listen to the podcast | Event photos

Speakers: Adnan Muminović, Political Economic Advisor, Office of the EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Michael Pugh, Emeritus Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Bradford

LSEE Research Network on Social Cohesion in SEE  3rd Conference – "Social Cohesion and Economic Governance"

Date: Thursday and Friday, 6-7 April 2017

Organised by LSEE - Research on South Eastern Europe, National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia (NBRM) and University American College Skopje (UACS), with the support of the European University of Tirana

Conference Programme

Venue: Holiday Inn Hotel, Skopje

Book Launch: Conversations with Milošević

Date: Tuesday, 7 February 2017

Listen to the podcast 
 
Speaker: Sir Ivor Roberts, President of Trinity College, University of Oxford

Chair: Tena Prelec, University of Sussex; LSE EUROPP – European Politics and Policy Editor

10th Anniversary CEFTA Award Ceremony for Academia  
Part of CEFTA Week 2016: Monitoring Implementation of CEFTA

Date: Wednesday, 7 December 2016

Venue: Hotel Verde, Podgorica

LSEE Public Lecture
The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue: The normalisation of relations and regional stability

Date: Tuesday, 25 October 2016

Listen to the podcast

Speaker: Marko Đurić, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija of the Government of the Republic of Serbia

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, LSEE Research on SEE, London School of Economics 

LSEE Public Lecture
A Defining Moment in European and Transatlantic Resilience: Croatian Perspectives

Date: Tuesday, 11 October 2016

Listen to the podcast

Speaker: Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, President of the Republic of Croatia

Chair: Professor Kevin Featherstone, Head of the European Institute, LSE; Eleftherios Venizelos Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies and Professor of European Politics

Brexit: What consequences for the Western Balkans?

Date: Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Listen to the podcast | Read an article covering the event on Balkan Insight

Speakers: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, LSE European Institute;
Dr Denisa Kostovicova, LSE Government;
Dr Peter Sanfey, EBRD  

Chair: Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis, LSE European Institute

Kosovo and the Western Balkans in the Context of European Political and Security Challenges

Date: Friday, 11 March 2015

Listen to the podcast

Speaker: H.E. Petrit Selimi, acting Foreign Minister of Kosovo

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE 

'The Agreement': Film screening and panel discussion

Date: Thursday, 3 March 2016

Read Dr Joanna Hanson's interview with Sir Robert Cooper, published on the LSEE Blog

Speakers: Sir Robert Cooper, LSE, Former Chief EU negotiator during the Belgrade-Pristina talks under Catherine Ashton's office
Dr Joanna Hanson, LSE, Formerly at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE

Guest lecture by H.E. Valentin Inzko, High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosnia and Herzegovina Twenty Years After Dayton - Opportunities and Challenges in 2016

Listen to the podcast

Date: Wednesday, 27 January 2016

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE

A Public talk by Ambassador Aleksandar Andrija Pejović

Date: Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Listen to the podcast | Presentation | Read the Ambassador's interview for the EUROPP blog

Speaker: Aleksandar Andrija Pejović, Chief Negotiator for Montenegro’s Accession to the EU
Chair: Dr Will Bartlett, LSEE Research on SEE, London School of Economics

Organised by European Institute & LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe

LSEE Research Network on Social Cohesion Regional Workshop: Barriers to Inclusive Growth in the Western Balkans

Date: 21-22 September 2015

Hosted by Dr Will Bartlett, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE; Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE

Workshop Programme

Guest Lecture: EU Foreign Policy: The View from Bulgaria

Date: Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Listen to the podcast

Speaker: H.E. Mr Daniel Mitov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Bulgaria

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE 

Book Launch: State-Building in Kosovo: Democracy, Corruption and the EU in the Balkans

Date: Monday, 11 May 2015

Listen to the podcast

Author and Speaker: Dr Andrea Lorenzo Capussela
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE

The paper that accompanies this book, containing part of the evidence used in Chapter 5, on the rule of law, is available here.

Workshop: Resistance or Resilience? New Avenues of activist citizenship in Southeast Europe

Date: 7-8 May, 2015

Closed Roundtable event Organised by the School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary University & LSEE - Research on South Eastern Europe, LSE

Book Launch: Public Policy Making in the Western Balkans: case studies of selected economic and social policy reforms

Date: Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Chair: Dr Vesna Bojicic-Dzelilovic, Senior Research Fellow, Department of International Development, LSE

Speakers: Marija Babovic, Professor of Sociology, University of Belgrade;
Slavo Radosevic, Professor of Industry and Innovation, UCL; Adam Fagan, Professor of European Politics, Queen Mary

More information on how to get a copy of the book can be found here. 

Conference: Russia in the Balkans

Date: Friday, 13 March 2015

One-day conference co-organised by LSEE – Research on Southeast Europe and South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), University of Oxford

Hosted by: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE
Dr Dimitar Bechev, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSEE
Dr Othon Anasthasakis, University of Oxford, SEESOX

We are grateful to NATO for the partial conference support provided.

Conference Programme | Conference Report

Kosovo's EU integration process after seven years of independence; what's next?

Guest Lecture by Bekim Çollaku, Minister of European Integration of the Republic of Kosovo

Date: Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Listen to the podcast 

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, LSEE Research on SEE, London School of Economics

The Western Balkans in the European Union: Mission to be Completed. Lecture by Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Affairs, H.E. Dr Fatmir Besimi

Date: Monday, 19 January 2015

Listen to the podcast

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, LSEE Research on SEE, London School of Economics

Panel Discussion on Romanian Presidential Elections 2014:
Where does Romania go to from here?

Organised by LSEE and the Romanian-Moldovan Research Group

Date: Monday, 1 December 2014

Listen to the podcast

Speakers: Dr Daniel Brett, Associate Lecturer, Open University; Dr Radu Cinpoes, Kingston University; Dr Emanuel Coman, Oxford University;Roxana Mihaila, Sussex University; Ellie Knott, PhD candidate, Department of Government, LSE
Chair: Dr Sherrill Stroschein, LSEE Visiting Fellow, European Institute, LSE

Following the second round of the 2014 Romanian Presidential elections, the panellists discussed the elections and the future direction of Romanian politics and society after Basescu's presidential term (2004-2014).  

Guest Lecture by Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati
Long standing stability in South East Europe: from security to economic growth

Hosted by LSEE Research on SEE & LSE Albanian Society

Date: Monday, 3 November 2014

Listen to the podcast

Chair: Dr Arjan Gjonca,  Senior Lecturer in Demography, LSE

Mr Ditmir Bushati is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania since September 2013. Mr. Bushati was first elected as a Member of Parliament from the Socialist Party for the Tirana District in 2009, and re-elected in the June 23, 2013 parliamentary elections for the same district. 

The View in to the Future: Serbia and the Western Balkans in the EU

Date: Monday, 27 October 2017

Video and podcast | LSEE Blog Interview: English; Serbian | Free comment by Former Visiting Fellow, Dr Dimitar Bechev

Speaker: Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister of Serbia
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, LSEE Research on SEE, London School of Economics

Aleksandar Vučić has been Prime Minister of Serbia since 27 April 2014. He is the Leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and has previously served as Minister of Information and Minister of Defence. 

Book Launch: False Apocalypse

Date: Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Listen to the podcast

Authors/Speakers: Fatos Lubonja and John Hodgson (trans.)
Chair: Dr Joanna Hanson, Visiting Senior Fellow, LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe, London School of Economics

LSEE Research on SEE and Istros Books, with the support of English PEN and the Anglo-Albanian Association, presented the book launch of Fatos Lubonja's "False Apocalypse: From Stalinism to Capitalism".

The 2nd Summer Seminar on Nationalism, Religion and Violence (NRVSS 2014)

Dates: Monday, 23 June 2014 - Friday, 4 July 2014

The seminar was organised by Charles University in Prague and International Hellenic University in Thessaloniki, supported by the LSEE and PRIO.

Third Joint PhD Symposium on South East Europe

Date: Friday,13 June 2014

The Symposium was hosted by the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SEES).

Guest Lecture by Macedonia's Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr Nikola Poposki

Date: Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, LSEE Research on SEE, London School of Economics

H.E. Mr Nikola Poposki has held the post of Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2012. He previously held several high-level positions, including serving as his country's ambassador to the European Union in Brussels from 2010 to 2011. The event was organised by the LSE's European Institute in association with LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe.
"Both Macedonia and Greece should see each other as partners – which we are already in real terms – and as equally worthwhile members of NATO and the EU. It is in the mutual interest of both countries to overcome the artificially constructed name issue. If we overcome that, we are settled. We don’t want to ‘win’ the naming dispute with Greece – we want to be real partners", further commented Mr Nikola Poposki for the LSEE Blog.
Read the full interview here.

Cyprus Settlement: The Missing Link. Guest Lecture by Dr Kudret Ozersay, Chief Turkish Cypriot Negotiator

Date: Monday, 9 June 2014

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, LSEE Research on SEE, London School of Economics

Assoc. Prof. Dr Kudret Özersay is the Chief Negotiator of the Turkish Cypriot Side in Cyprus Talks held under the auspices of the UN Secretary General. The event was organised by the LSE's European Institute in association with LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe.
The Turkish Cypriot Chief Negotiator told London audience that they need to take Greek concerns into consideration if a peace deal is ever to be reached. “We must not create a new Bosnia in the Eastern Mediterranean”, said Dr Kudret Özersay.
Read a report about the event at the LSEE Blog.  

Workshop on Vocational Educational Training and Inclusive Education in the Western Balkans

Date: Friday, 30 May 2014

The workshop has been organised by the LSE Research on South Eastern Europe (LSEE) in conjunction with the University American College Skopje. It took place at the University American College, Skopje.

Workshop Call for Papers | Workshop Programme

Lecture by Serbia’s Chief Negotiator to the EU, Tanja Miščević 

Date: Monday, 12 May 2014

Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, LSEE Research on SEE, London School of Economics

On Monday 12 May, Dr Miščević gave a talk at the London School of Economics, focusing on the current issues surrounding Serbia's accession negotiations with the EU.
'The key issue for me, as a Serbian citizen, is not the text of a law or how it has been adopted at the national level, but the actual implementation of laws on the ground. The most important aspect is that Serbian citizens must be able to call upon laws which are in accordance with EU standards and be able to protect their rights. That is something that we are going to work very hard on', commented Dr Miščević in an interview for the LSEE Blog. 

Post-crisis Recovery in South Eastern Europe: Policy Challenges for Social and Economic Inclusion

Second Conference of LSEE's Research Network on Social Cohesion in South East Europe

Date: Thursday & Friday, 27-28 March 2014

The second conference of the LSEE Research Network was held at LSE in March 2014 on the theme of social cohesion in South East Europe. The conference gathered together experts from Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, LSEE researchers, and officials from partner organisations including the DG for Enlargement, ERSTE Foundation, Regional Cooperation Council and Regional Research Promotion Programme Western Balkans.

Conference Porgramme | Conference Report

DG Enlargment Panel Debate: Social Protection Actions in the IPA Programme

Part of the Second Conference of the LSEE Research on South Eastern Cohesion

Date: Thursday, 27 March 2014

Speakers: Natalia Dianiskova, Head of Section for Social  Development, Civil Society and Cross Border Cooperation - Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina; Miodrag Dragišić, Team Leader of the Social Inclusion Cluster, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to Montenegro; and Paolo Marchi, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chair: Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis, LSEE

The session entitled "Social protection actions within the IPA programme" has been organised in partnership with the Directorate-General for Enlargement of the European Commission.
The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) is the means by which the EU supports reforms in the enlargement countries by providing financial and technical help. The IPA funds build up the countries’ capacities throughout the accession process, resulting in progressive, positive developments in the region. EU pre accession funds make political and economic reform easier in the beneficiary countries, preparing them for the rights and obligations that come with EU membership. These funds also help the EU reach its own objectives regarding sustainable economic recovery, energy supply, transport, the environment and climate change, etc. This is a sound investment in the future.  

Public Lecture: Croatia's EU Membership

Date: Monday, 24 February 2014

Speaker: HE Zoran Milanović, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe

In July 2013, Croatia became the EU’s 28th member state after a decade of negotiations. Will reality meet the expectations? Croatia’s Prime Minister Zoran Milanović discussed. Stabilising the economy, fostering an entrepreneurial-friendly environment, increasing the protection of human rights and accelerating the country’s learning curve as a member state are key issues among Croatia’s domestic priorities. In the international arena, Croatia will strive to keep NATO and EU enlargement realistic and viable, engage in international and regional cooperation and try to carve out strategic interest positions within the EU. Strengthening political relations with the United Kingdom, furthering investment opportunities and opening up the country to an even bigger influx of British guests will be the focus of Croatia-UK bilateral relations.

Read the LSEE blog for more

Guest Lecture: Serbia along the European path

Date: Thursday, 14 January 2014

Speaker: HE Dr Ognjen Pribičević, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in the United Kingdom
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe

On 21 January 2014, Serbia entered the negotiation process towards EU accession. The date is not important to Serbia alone, but to the region as a whole. The opening of the negotiations will speed up internal reforms in Serbia and arguably give impetus to the process of reconciliation in the region. Along the path towards full EU membership, Serbia will be faced with two major challenges: the implementation of the Brussels agreement and the implementation of domestic reforms. 

Montenegro's Foreign Policy Priorities

Date: Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Speaker: HE Dr Igor Lukšić, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, and former Prime Minister (2010-12) of Montenegro
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe

Montenegro became independent in 2006 and formally began accession negotiations with the European Union in 2012. “In terms of time, NATO membership might come sooner than EU membership, but that doesn’t really mean anything. As we see it, those two priorities are on the same level. It’s all a campaign for Europe. Our efforts are to be a part of Europe, in every meaning”, Montenegro’s DPM Luksic said.

LSEE blog interview

Book Launch: The Sandžak - A History

Date: Wednesday, 23 October 2013

Supported by Hurst Publishers

Authors/Speakers: Dr Kenneth Morrison, De Montfort University, Leicester; Elizabeth Roberts, Oxford University
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe

Read an interview with the authors on the LSEE blog.

EU Leverage & National Interests in the Balkans: The Puzzles of Enlargement 10 years on

Date: Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Speaker: Dr Milada Vachudova, Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe 

Visit of the President of Croatia Ivo Josipović

Date: Thursday, 23 May 2017

On May 23rd 2013, LSEE hosted the President of Croatia Ivo Josipović, and his wife First Lady  Tatjana Josipović. The two guests were greeted by Professor Kevin Featherstone and other members of LSEE staff.
Three members of staff from the LSE's European Institute then gave presentations to the President and First Lady regarding different aspects of EU membership. The speakers were Professor Dame Helen Wallace, who spoke on institutional developments in the EU; Dr Simon Glendinning, Reader in European Philosophy, who spoke about European identity; and Dr Waltraud Schelkle, Senior Lecturer in European Political Economy, who discussed the eurozone crisis. 

One-day Conference on Croatia's EU Accession: Economic, Political, and Regional Implications

Date: Wednesday, 22 May 2017

Programme

Turkish Foreign Policy & the Balkans: Implications on Transatlantic Security

Date: Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Speaker: Dr Oya Dursun-Ozkanca, Assistant Professor of Political Science; Director of the International Studies Minor, Elizabethtown College, PA; LSEE Visiting Fellow, LSE
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe

Presentation

Book Launch: Economic & European Perspectives of Western Balkan Countries written by Dr Slavica Penev

Organised by the Department of International Development's Human Security and Civil Society, LSE & LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe, LSE. Supported by The Westminster Foundation for Democracy

Date: Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Speakers: Dr Slavica Penev, Institute of Economic Sciences, University of Belgrade
Dr Fikret Čaušević, Department of Economics, University of Sarajevo
Chair: Dr Vesna Bojičić Dželilović, Department of International Development, LSE

Book Launch: Civil Society and Transitions in the Western Balkans

Date: Thursday, 14 March 2013

Speakers: Professor Adam Fagan, Professor of European Politics at Queen Mary University of London
Dr Joanna Hanson, Principle Research Analyst for Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Dr Armine Ishkanian, Lecturer in NGOs and Development, Department of Social Policy, LSE
Chair: Dr Denisa Kostovicova, Senior Lecturer in Global Politics, Department of Government, LSE

Kosovo’s Regional Role in the Western Balkans-Five Years On

Date: Wednesday 16 January 2013

Speaker: Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Deputy Prime Minister of Trade and Industry, Kosovo
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe, LSE

Panel Discussion: Saved By the Banks? Growth Challenges & Investment Initiatives in the Balkans

Date: Tuesday, 22 November 2017

Speakers: Dr Anthony Bartzokas, Alternate Board Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Professor Ivo Bićanić, Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb
Mr Olav Reinertsen, Head of the Western Balkans Investment Framework Secretariat
Chair: Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis, LSEE Acting Director; Senior Lecturer, LSE

Prompted by the fiscal and economic difficulties that the global and Eurozone crisis has transmitted to the SEE region, on 22 November 2012 we organised a panel discussion on “Growth Challenges and Investment Initiatives in the Balkans”, hosting three excellent speakers, with deep expertise on the SEE economies and on the role of International Financing Institutions for economic development.

Presentations: Dr Bartzokas | Prof Bićanić | Mr Reinertsen

Book Launch: Health Reforms in South-east Europe

Date: Monday, 19 November 2012
Speakers: Dr Will Bartlett, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE, LSE 
Dr Antoniya Dimova, Department of Health Economics, Varna University
Dr Christopher Gerry, Senior Lecturer in Health Economics, University College London
Dr Arjan Gjonca, Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Policy, LSE
Dr Bernd Rechel, Honorary Senior Lecturer, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Chair: Professor Julian Le Grand, Department of Health, LSE

Presentations: Dr Will Bartlett | Dr Antoniya Dimova | Dr Christopher Gerry

Kosovo Dialogue - Results and Consequences

Date: Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Speaker: Agron Bajrami, Editor in Chief of Koha Ditore Newspaper, Prishtina, Kosovo
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE-Research on South Eastern Europe

Closed Roundtable on Serbian Foreign Policy, including EU accession and the topic of Kosovo

Date: Monday, 22 October 2012

Speaker: Jovan Ratković, then Foreign policy advisor to Mr Boris Tadić, the leader of the Democratic Party and former President of Serbia

In October 2012, LSEE organised closed roundtable with Mr Jovan Ratković, who until recently had been Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Serbia, Boris Tadić. The participants came from the worlds of academia, policy-making and journalism.. At the heart of the discussion was of course the question of Kosovo, and likely outcomes of the process of dialogue which had been developing. As a consequence much discussion was had on Serbia’s relationship with the EU -and specific EU member states- as well as the future internal political developments in Serbia.

Kosovo's Path to EU & Economic Integration: Opportunities and Challenges

Date: Thursday, 11 October 2012

Speaker: Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Trade & Industry, Kosovo
Chair: Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis, LSEE Acting Director

Mrs Kusari-Lila covered a range of issues, focusing however primarily on aspects related to the economy of Kosovo and especially on issues of economic policy and the European perspective. Mrs Kusari-Lila opened her talk by emphasising that Kosovo should be seen as part of a success story in the Balkans, a story which is predominantly about growth and development and increasingly less so about ethnic tensions and conflict management.

The 5th International Black Sea Symposium: The Black Sea Region as an Influential Crossroad Between East and West, A Path Towards Extroversion

Co-organised with the International Centre for Black Sea Studies & others

Date: Monday 2 - Wednesday 4, July 2012
Venue: Titania Hotel, Athens

2nd Joint PhD Symposium on South East Europe

Co-organised by LSEE, Goldsmiths Centre for the Study of the Balkans and UCL's Centre for South East European Studies 

Date: Monday, 18 June 2012

Programme

Workshop: Skills and the Labour Market in the Western Balkans

Date: Friday, 11 May 2012

Announcement | Programme | Report

Public Lecture: A Country in Transition: The Transformation of Tirana and the Future of Albania

Date: Monday, 26 March 2012

Speaker: Edi Rama, Former Mayor of Tirana & Leader of the Socialist Opposition Party in Albania

Panel Discussion: Challenges of Economic development in Kosovo

Date: Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Speakers: Avni Zogjani, Founder of Organization for Democracy Anticorruption and Dignity - ÇOHU! & Iraj Hashi, Professor of Economics, Staffordshire University
Chair: Dr Will Bartlett, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE

First Conference of the LSEE Research Network on Social Cohesion in SEE: The Social Consequences of the Global Economic Crisis in South Eastern Europe

Date: Wednesday 14 & Thursday 15, December 2011

Programme | Report | Book Publication (edited by Drs Will Bartlett & Milica Uvalić)

The conference gathered together experts from Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, LSEE researchers, and officials from partner organisations including the IFI Coordination Office in Brussels, DG Employment and Social Affairs, DG Enlargement. The conference was organised with the generous support of DG Enlargement and the IFI Coordination Office in Brussels.

Closed Roundtable Discussion with Fatos Nano, Former Prime Minister of Albania

Date: Friday, 9 December 2011

Speaking before an invited audience of regional specialists, Mr Nano gave his insights into a number of key developments taking place in Albania, and outlined some of his ideas as to how to address a number of current economic, political and social problems facing the country.
The visit was particularly significant inasmuch as it was widely believed that Mr Nano, former leader of the Socialist Party of Albania, would stand for the presidency in 2012.

Film Screening & Discussion: The Long Road through Balkan History, by Miljenko Jergović & Marko Vidojković

Date: Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Co-organised with the Centre for the Study of the Balkans of Goldsmiths University

On 23 November 2011, LSEE jointly organised a screening of the acclaimed documentary, ‘The Long Road through Balkan History’. The event was a joint initiative of the Embassies of Slovenia and Serbia in London, who also generously sponsored the evening.
Critically acclaimed, the film charts the journey of the two writers - Miljenko Jergović, a Croat, and Marko Vidojković, a Serb - as they drive a Yugo along the more than 700 mile-long road once known as the ‘Highway of Brotherhood and Unity’.

Public Lecture: Serbia & the Western Balkans: conomic Challenges, European Perspectives

Date: Monday, 7 November 2011

Speaker: Božidar Đelić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow on the Politics of SEE, LSE

On 7 November 2011, LSEE hosted a lecture by Božidar Djelić, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Integration of Serbia. Held at a time when Serbia was busy pressing its case to be accepted as a candidate for membership of the European Union, the talk attracted considerable interest. In his presentation, which was held in the Shaw Library, the Minister outlined the significant progress made by Serbia in the decade since the fall of Slobodan Milošević.
Although he acknowledged that much still remained to be done, he nevertheless stressed that on the basis of the work done so far Serbia deserved to be granted candidacy. At the end of his lecture, the Minister fielded questions on a wide range of issues.

Regional Cooperation Council Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans

Date: Wednesday 27 & Thursday 28, October 2011
Co-organised with the Regional Cooperation Council & Friedrich Ebert Foundation

Concept Note | Event Agenda | LSEE Research Network Session

Public Lecture: Obstacles to Western Balkan Trade in Services?

Date: Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Speakers: Borko Handjiski, Economist at the World Bank;
Dr Ivana Prica, University of Belgrade & Dr Peter Sanfey, Lead Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Chair: Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis, Senior Lecturer in the Political Economy of South Eastern Europe, LSE

In October 2011 LSEE organised a panel debate on the subtle but increasingly important issue of Trade in Services in the Western Balkans.
The debate kicked-off with a short presentation on the recent World Bank study on ‘Barriers to trade in services in the CEFTA region’, a study that forcefully calls for deeper trade integration in the region and further liberalisation in the Trade in Services. The presentations by Dr Peter Sanfey and Dr Ivana Prica partly responded to this, but also added further dimensions to the issue. Peter Sanfey’s presentation looked more at the role that trade integration more generally can play for economic recovery and growth, especially after the global and Eurozone crisis. In turn, Ivana Prica looked more specifically at the domestic level and highlighted a number of challenges to trade integration and market liberalisation in the region as well as the potential social and economic costs that may be associated to these processes. 

Policy Discussion with Milorand Katnić, Finance Minister of Montenegro

Date: Monday, 10 October 2011
Chair: Dr Will Bartlett, Senior Research Fellow, LSEE

In his talk, Minister Katnić presented an overview of the current issues facing Montenegrin economy and the government’s response to the effects of the global economic crisis, which hit Montenegro particularly hard in 2009. The resulting recession resulted in a reduction in tax revenues and a large increase in the government’s budget deficit. The government now aims to reduce the deficit by cutting public expenditure with a long-term goal of maintaining government expenditure below 40% of GDP and promoting the private enterprise economy. Other priorities of the government include expenditure on infrastructure investments, attraction of foreign investment and promotion of tourism. His presentation was followed by a lively debate with the audience.  

South East European Summer School for Democracy EU Perspective of the Western Balkans: Challenges and Opportunities

Date: Monday, 19 - Friday, 23 September 2011

Co-organised with the Hellenic Observatory and the Anglo-Serbian Society, Belgrade

The 4th International Black Sea Symposium The Black Sea Region in Transition: New Challenges and Concepts

Date: Monday, 19 - Friday, 23 September 2011

Organised by The International Centre for Black Sea Studies in partnership with LSEE & others

LSEE Ghita Ionescu Memorial Policy Roundtable with H.E. Sven Alkalaj, Foreign Affairs Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Date: Monday, 4 July 2011
Chair: James Ker-Lindsay, LSE
Venue: Cañada Blanch Room, Cowdray House, LSE

LSEE Ghita Ionescu Memorial Policy Roundtable on Administrative and Economic Reform in Romania: Lessons for the Region

Date: Friday, 24 June 2011

Speakers: Alan Smith, Professor Emeritus of Political Economy at SSEES UCL;
Monica Macovei, Member of the European Parliament for Romania & Cătălin Avramescu, Counsellor of State in the Presidential Chancellery, Lecturer at Bucharest and Helsinki Universities  
Chair: Dr John Gledhill,

This event was organized with the generous support of the Romanian Cultural Institute. It forms part of the LSEE Ghiţă Ionescu Memorial Event Series and is coordinated by LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe at the LSE.  

Book Launch: New Perspectives on Yugoslavia, Key Issues & Controversies

Date: Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Speakers: James Ker-Lindsay & Dejan Djokić (book eds)

The editors and a few of the contributing authors of "New Perspectives on Yugoslavia", as well as a crowd of those interested in Yugoslavia, gathered in the Waterstones on the LSE Campus for an informal book launch. The guests included a number of binafide experts on the region, ensuring highly informed discussion in an easy-going, end of term atmosphere.

LSEE Ghita Ionescu Memorial Lecture with H.E. Mr Traian Băsescu, President of Romania

Date: Monday, 6 June 2011

Speaker: H.E Traian Băsescu, President of Romania
Discussant: Vladimir Tismaneanu, Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Maryland
Chair: Professor Kevin Featherstone, Eleftherios Venizelos Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies & Professor of European Politics

This event was organized together with the Romanian Embassy, London, and with the generous support of the Romanian Cultural Institute. It formed part of the LSE European Institute - APCO Worldwide Perspectives on Europe Series and was coordinated by LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe.

Listen to the podcast: English | Romanian

LSEE-KFG Research Workshop: Environmental Governance in South East Europe & the Western Balkans

Date: Friday, 6 May 2011

Keynote Speakers: Liliana Andonova, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva); Miranda Schreurs, Freie Universitat Berlin & Tanja Borzel, Freie Universitat Berlin.
Venue: Cañada Blanch Room (J116), Cowdray House, LSE

Workshop Programme

Public Lecture: Property Restitution & the Return of Serbian Refugees to Croatia

Date: Thursday, 24 March 2011
Speaker: Milan Mesic, University of Zagreb
Discussant: Brad Blitz, Kingston University, London

Conference: South Eastern Europe - Regional Cooperation, Institutional Change and the Challange of European Integration

Co-organised with Programme Europe du Sud-Est (Ifri)
Date: Thursday, 2 December 2010

Conference Programme

The "New Research Programme on Southeastern Europe" was made possible by generous support from the John S Latsis Public Benefit Foundation.

Public Lecture: What has the financial crisis taught Europe?

Co-organised with APCO Worldwide Perspectives on SEE Series
Date: Monday, 22 November 2010

Speaker: Simeon Djankov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Bulgaria
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow on the Politics of SEE, LSE
Venue: New Theatre, East Building, LSE

Dr Djankov discussed how the global financial crisis has uncovered several weaknesses in Europe’s regulatory system and the belated measures taken by the European Commission to fix these weaknesses with fresh regulation. Dr Djankov offered an analysis of the most current developments as well as a perspective on how the financial sector in Europe will look in the coming years.
Simeon Djankov is a Bulgarian economist, who currently serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in Bulgaria. Prior to his cabinet appointment, Minister Djankov was the chief economist of the finance and private sector vice-presidency of the World Bank.

Ten Years After Milosevic: How can Serbia Contribute to the Stabalisation of the Western Balkans?

LSEE and LSE Global Governance Public Event
Date: Wednesday, 10 November 2010

Speakers: Zoran Vujić, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs; Zoran Jeftić, Deputy Minister of Defence;
Sonja Stojanović, Director of Belgrade Centre for Security Policy;
Bojan Brkić, Deputy Editor in Chief of Radio Television Serbia
Chair: Dr Denisa Kostovicova, LSE Global Governance

On 10 November 2010 this LSEE event, organised in co-operation with the Czech Embassy, brought together a number of leading figures from Serbia to explore the ten years since the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević. The diversity of the panel made it possible to cover a number of aspects of the mixed fortunes of post-Milošević Serbia, including insights into setbacks and breakthroughs in the country’s efforts at European integration, regional cooperation and reconciliation as well as reflections on future challenges. The event attracted a sizeable crowd of students, journalists, representatives of embassies and others resulting in a lively question and answer session.

South East European Summer School for Democracy: Enlargement Fatigue & EU Prospects of the Western Balkans

Date: 5-12 September 2010
Participating LSEE Staff: Prof. Kevin Featherstone, Hellenic Obervatory/LSEE, LSE; Dr. Spyros Economides, Hellenic Observatory, LSEE, LSE; Dr William Bartlett, LSEE, LSE; Dr. Vassilis Monastiriotis, LSEE, LSE

3rd Interanational Black Sea Symposium  
"The Black Sea Region in Flux"

Hosted by the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS)

Location: Island of Aegina, Greece
Date: Tuesday, 29 June - Sunday, 4 July 2010

The International Black Sea Symposium (IBSS) project was launched in 2008, aiming to contribute to understanding and cooperation in the Black Sea region and beyond. Young professionals primarily from the countries of the wider Black Sea area, EU member states, the United States and Central Asia are the Symposium target group. Now in its third year, the IBSS provides them with a much needed forum for study, dialogue and networking in a multicultural and interdisciplinary environment. Participants will have the opportunity to explore issues of importance for the Black Sea region during a four-day intensive course of interactive sessions led by prominent experts. Sessions will be complemented by a series of workshops on conflict resolution methodology guided by expert facilitator Prof. Benjamin Broome of Arizona State University.

The Hellenic Observatory is one of the key sponsors of the 3rd International Black Sea Symposium.

Joint LSEE-IFRI Workshop: John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation Research Programme for South Eastern Europe, Joint LSEE-IFRI Workshop  

Co-organised with the Programme Europe du Sud-Est, L'Institut francais des relations internationales (IFRI)
Date: Monday, 28 June 2010

The Joint Research Workshop aims to provide a forum for the researchers of the all of the ongoing research projects under the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation Research Programme for South Eastern Europe to exchange and share ideas about the current progress and future direction of their respective projects. The projects are:

◾ 'The political economy of energy poverty in South Eastern Europe: evaluating past policies, looking for future solutions' Stefan Bouzarowski (University of Birmingham)

◾ 'Privatisation of the public services sector in Croatia and SEE: assessment of the major gains and pains' Nevenka Čučković (IMO, Zagreb).

Conference Programme

Book Launch: Serbia's Transition Towards a Better Future

Date: Thursday, 24 June 2010
Speaker: Professor Milica Uvalic, Department of Economics, University of Perugia
Chair: Dr Will Bartlett, LSEE
Discussants: Professor Saul Estrin, LSE Management & Laza Kekic, Economis Intelligence Unit

Professor Uvalic's latest book analyses the twenty years of economic transition from socialism to capitalism in Serbia. It offers a comprehensive evaluation of the achievements and failures of the transition, and explains why its course has been more complex and unique than elsewhere in the former socialist world.

1st Joint PhD Symposium on South Eastern Europe: 'Modern and Contemporary South East Europe'

Date: Friday, 18 June 2010

Organisers: Centre for the Study of the Balkans, Goldsmiths, University of London; Centre for South East European Studies, SSEES, UCL; LSEE – Research on South East Europe, European Institute, LSE

Workshop: Europeanisation and Enlargement  Bucharest, Romania

Date: Friday, 11 & Saturday, 12 June 2010

The Workshop on Europeanisation and Enlargement is organised jointly by LSEE, Research on South Eastern Europe and The Center for European Studies, National School of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bucharest (SNSPA).
The aim of this two-day workshop was to bring together scholars whose work focuses on the varied experiences of Europeanisation to be found across South Eastern Europe.

LSEE Research Workshop: Health Reforms in South Eastern Europe

Co-organised with the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and The Andrija Štampar School of Public Health
Date: Monday and Tuesday 24-25 May 2010
Location: Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik

Most transition countries in South East Europe have attempted to reform their health systems by moving towards an increase application of market mechanisms to allocate health care resources. Many of these reform initiatives have been based on ideology rather than on evidence. Public health is also adversely affected by many aspects of post-communist transition in SEE, as the stresses of rapid social change and lifestyle choices has negatively affected overall levels of health. These issues raise many questions concerning the effects of health reform on efficiency, effectiveness, and equity and were debated and discussed at the LSEE Research Workshop on Health Reform.

LSEE Public Lecture
The Serbian Economy in 2010 and Beyond: back to growth? 

Date: Thursday, 20 May 2010
Location: Room J116, First Floor, Cowdray House, LSE

Speaker: Professor Boris Begovic, Professor of Economics, School of Law, University of Belgrade
Chair: Dr Will Bartlett, LSEE

After years of high growth rates, the Serbian economy recorded a drop of -2.8% in 2009. Although the drop was smaller than the CEE average and not as harsh as in some of the countries in the Region, many questions are still without answers. Will Serbia recover in 2010 and what will the growth rate be? Will recovery be sustainable and what are the major obstacles for high growth rates. Is the Serbian growth model sustainable and what is its political economy? What are the crucial macroeconomic, structural and institutional vulnerabilities of Serbian economy? How to fix them and can this be acheived by accession to the EU? Is there light at the end of the tunnel or is it the headlight of an oncoming train?

Research Conference: Regional Policy and Decentralization in SEE 

Co-organised with IMO Zagreb, Freidrich Ebert Stiftung and supported by the National Bank of Greece
Date: Monday 10 & Tuesday 11 May 2010

The LSEE Research Conference explored the implementation of regional development and decentralisation policies in South East Europe. It examined how these policies interact and evaluate their effectiveness in different political and institutional environments. Will these policies strengthen the process of Europeanisation or might they deepen localisation and fragmentation of the political and economic systems? The conference sought to address these issues with a focus on South East Europe, although contributions covering other European regions are also welcome.

Conference Programme

Conference: For better or for worse? Civil Society & Transitions in the Western Balkans

Co-organised with LSE's Global Governance
Date: Friday, 7 May 2010

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, scholars 'rediscovered' civil society and identified grass-roots activism as a key driver of democratisation of illiberal regimes and reconciliation of divided societies after the war. Twenty years on, there is a growing recognition of the limits of civil society and even of its negative impact. Ultimately, the role of civil society cannot be a priori assumed as either beneficial or detrimental to political and social change. Instead, it has to be analysed in view of the complexity of transitional processes and their goals. The conference explored these questions as they relate to Western Balkans.

Conference Programme

Culture of Corruption: South East Europe, Britain & Germany in a Comparative Perspective

Date: Tuesday, 27 April 2010

Speakers: Dirk Tanzler, University of Konstanz;
Angelos Giannakopoulos, University of Konstanz & Konstandinos Maras, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, Essen

Just how do we understand corruption in Europe? Are there differing typologies of corruption across the continent? Drawing on the results of the EU-project 'Crime and Culture', this presentation reviewed the findings from qualitative research carried out in Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Germany and the UK and argues that 'bottom-up' evidence should be strongly considered when forming anti-corruption strategies.

Public Debate
EU Enlargement & the Western Balkans: Fast Track or Slow Lane Approach?

Listen to the podcast

Date: Thursday, 18 March 2010
Location: Thai Theatre, New Academic Building

Speakers: Ingeborg Grassle, Member of the European Parliament, Germany
Tanja Fajon, Member of the European Parliament, Slovenia

It has long been said that EU enlargement in the Western Balkans is not about enlarging the Union but about completing it. The key question is when and how to do it. With concern growing over Bosnia, and lingering worries over Kosovo, there is a good case to be made for moving forward quickly. However, after the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, many observers feel that the EU must ensure that new entrants have met the required standards for membership. This public debate between two MEPs with extensive experience of the Balkans explored both sides of the argument. It will consider whether regional stability should be given priority, or whether the EU must ensure, for its own future coherence, that the next wave of countries that join be kept waiting as long as it takes to be certain that they can meet all the obligations of membership.

Visiting Lecture: Marking a New Beginning-Bosnia & Herzegovina and South East Europe

Listen to the podcast

Date: Thursday, 11 February 2010

Speaker: Dr Zlatko Lagumzija, Leader of the Social Democratic Party & Former Prime Minister of Bosnia & Herzegovina
Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor, Co-Director, LSE Global Governance

In February, LSEE hosted Dr Zlatko Lagumdžija, the Prime Minister (1992-93) and Foreign Minister (2001-2003) of Bosnia & Herzegovina and currently the leader of the main opposition party, the Social Democratic Party. Given rising concerns about the apparent stagnation in efforts to introduce constitutional reforms, and the fears that this may lead to renewed interethnic tensions, his visit provided an ideal opportunity to explore the  problems and prospects facing Bosnia.

The first part of Dr Lagumdžija’s visit consisted of a policy roundtable dialogue with a number of academics, policy-makers and journalists working on the Western Balkans. This resulted in a frank and informed discussion of current developments in the country and the prospects for stability in the run up to, and in the period after, the forthcoming general elections. Following this, Dr Lagumdžija then gave a public lecture, which was chaired by Professor Mary Kaldor. In his talk, he outlined a positive vision for the future of Bosnia and sought to allay widespread concerns that the country is teetering on the brink of disaster.

Panel Discussion 
Eastern Europe and the Balkans: What Now?

Listen to the podcast

Date: Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Location: Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House

Speakers: Tim Judah, Balkans correspondent for The Economist
Nick Thorpe, Eastern Europe correspondent for the BBC
Chair: Dr James Ker-Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow on the Politics of SEE, LSEE, LSE

After months of renewed celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, has a new malaise taken over? Are there any indicators of hope in the shadow of the unfinished project?

Panel Discussion: The Kosovo Case Unpacked - A Legal and Political Discussion of the Arguments Presented to the ICJ

Date: Tuesday, 2 February 2010

Speakers: James Irving, Department of Law & James Ker-Lindsay, LSEE-LSE
Chair: Dr Spyros Economides, LSEE-European Institute and Department of International Relations

In December 2009 the International Court of Justice convened to hear the oral arguments for and against Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. It made for one of the most fascinating legal debates of modern times, not least of all because it was the first time all five permanent members of the Security Council participated in the Court's proceedings. This discussion will explore the arguments presented by the two sides, both in terms of their significance for international law and as regards their possible impact on the international political system.

Another question related to efforts to encourage expatriate Serbs to return home - a key issue for many of the Serbian students attending the lecture. While again acknowledging that the situation needed to improve, he stressed that Serbia was keen to encourage people to return and channel their experience and expertise towards developing the country further - especially as it pursues European integration.

Roundtable: After the Economic Crisis in South East Europe: Back to Business as Usual?

Listen to the podcast

Date: Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Location: Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building

Speakers: Vladimir Gligorov, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies;
Laza Kekic, Economist Intelligence Unit;
Peter Sanfey, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Chair: Professor Sevket Pamuk, Chair of Contemporary Turkish Studies & LSEE Co-Chair, LSE

With increasing signs that the United States and the European Union are moving out of the economic crisis, the loud demands for major reform of the world's leading economies heard during the height of the turbulence appear to be rapidly fading. Will we see the same in South East Europe, where the crisis has been particularly strongly felt and where many observers believe that it has created an opportunity to introduce significant changes to the economies of the region? Will the crisis in the region have an impact on the speed and terms of the EU association process or the extent and nature of regional cooperation in South East Europe? This panel drew on three leading experts to discuss the effects of the crisis and ask what it is likely to mean in terms of the future economic development of the region.

Public Lecture: Long Live the Yugosphere

Date: Wednesday, 25 November 2009

Speaker: Tim Judah, Author and Balkans correspondent for The Economist
Chair: Dr Spyros Economides, LSEE

In general terms good news is no news. That is as true for the Western Balkans as it is for anywhere else. Since the end of the Balkan wars of the 1990s – but especially in the last few years – there have been huge changes on the ground, which have profoundly affected people's lives for the better, but the problem is that few people outside even know they have happened. What if the single most profound change – the emergence of a Yugosphere across the countries of the former Yugoslavia - is one which many people, for reasons of political correctness perhaps, or because it challenges what they stood for or believed in the 1990s, do not want to talk about or even acknowledge?

Tim Judah covers the Balkans for the Economist. He is the author of three books on the region: The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia and Kosovo: War & Revenge. The third, Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know was published at the end of 2008. He has travelled extensively throughout the Balkans and has covered the aftermath of communism in Romania and Bulgaria and the war in Yugoslavia. He writes almost all the coverage of the former Yugoslavia for The Economist and, in spring 2009, he was a Visiting Senior Fellow at LSEE, where he developed the concept of the Yugosphere.

For his paper entitled 'Yugoslavia is Dead: Long Live the Yugosphere' click here.

Public Lecture: Why is Bosnia a Failure? Comparing theories of international state-building

Date: Friday, 2 October 2009

Speaker: Professor Susan Woodward, City University of New York
Chair: Professor Kevin Featherstone, Eleftherios Venizelos Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies, LSE

The LSE's Centre for the Study of Global Governance and LSEE co-organised a public lecture by Professor Susan Woodward. Professor Woodward examined the fourteen years since the signing of the Dayton Accord and asked whether the "General Framework for Peace" in Bosnia-Herzegovina has failed. Using Bosnia as a case-study Professor Woodward also discussed how the lessons learned there can be applied to other international state-building missions since 1995.

Susan Woodward is professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, 1990-1999, and at King's College London, 1999-2000, head of the Assessment and Analysis Unit of UNPROFOR, 1994, and on the faculty of Yale University, Williams College, Mount Hollyoke College, and Northwestern University from 1972-1989. Her writings include Balkan Tragedy: Chaos and Dissolution after the Cold War (Brookings Press 1995) and Socialist Unemployment: The Political Economy of Yugoslavia, 1945-1990 (Princeton University Press, 1995).

The 12th South-East European Summer School for Democracy
Impact of Global Crisis on Stability and Security in the Balkans

Date: Sunday 13 - Friday 18 September 2009

Participants: James Ker-Lindsay & Spyros Economides, LSEE

The Summer School, co-organised by the Anglo Serbian Society and the LSE's Hellenic Observatory and supported by the British Embassy and the European Fund for the Balkans, was attended by 30 junior faculty members, young political activists and NGO sector employees from Serbia and across South Eastern Europe. The main goal of the Summer School is to develop the skills of young scholars and potential future leaders in modern democratic theory and also to foster academic links between Western and South East European Universities.
This year's theme, "The Impact of the Economic Crisis on Stability and Security in the Balkans", also gave the lecturers the opportunity to discuss the global impact of the economic crisis, the level of democratisation in SEE countries and their prospects for Euro-Atlantic integration. Other participants included Professor Christopher Coker, also of the LSE, Dr Slobodan Markovich, of the University of Belgrade and Ivan Vejvoda, of the Balkan Trust for Democracy.
For more details on the school please click here.