What societal challenge does our connected community aim to address? Weakening societal perception of the need for scientific research due to the abundance of quasi-expert sources of information. To address this challenge, the connected community will perform an all-year mentoring programme of teaching via research and culminate in a hybrid online-Ljubljana-organized event called “international student conference”, where students will present the results of their research.
The other societal challenge is Western Balkan-based universities’ low institutional capacity to integrate with EU-based institutions’ research and teaching activities. To address this challenge, teaching-by-research activities and the “international student conference” will actively engage students and teachers from universities of Western Balkan Countries as one of the priority research issues addressing the EU enlargement via the accession process.
The aspiration is to strengthen the opportunity for students to apply their research competencies practically. For this purpose, extra academic stakeholders will be included in the connected community activities:
- interdisciplinary practical challenge-driven assignments in the form of policy hubs: policymakers, businesspeople, civil society representatives and diplomats will be invited to participate in presentations of solutions created by students and evaluate their policy proposals.
- These stakeholders will receive the publication of conference proceedings, namely abstracts of student essays and PhD papers.
- Potential for student internships will be actively developed.
The transnational dimension of EUTOPIA is utterly necessary to understand challenges to international peace and security properly, address these challenges via independent and collaborative scientific research, and propose globally responsible and constructive policy solutions.
Upcoming Activities
Cross-Campus Reciprocal Teaching
6th Student Conference on International Relations (7-8 May 2026) – Call for Papers
PASt ACTIVITIES
Presentation of the Connected Community at the EUTOPIA Day (University of Ljubljana
At the EUTOPIA Day, held at the University of Ljubljana on 10 November 2025, the community lead, Prof. Dr. Ana Bojinović Fenko, presented the Connected Community’s goals, working methods, and achievements.
Reciprocal Teaching: The New Cold War and the UN Security Council: How Do Major Political Realignments Affect the Functioning of the International Community’s Authority on Peace and Security? – lecture by Ljupcho Stojkovski (University of Skopje)
Ljupcho Stojkovski (Univeristy of Skopje) gave a lecture for the students at the University of Passau on 21st July 2025 on the topic The New Cold War and the UN Security Council: How Do Major Political Realignments Affect the Functioning of the International Community’s Authority on Peace and Security?
Reciprocal Teaching: The European Union and War in Ukraine – lecture by Sören Keil (University of Passau)
Sören Keil (University of Passau) gave a lecture for the students in Skopje on 12th May 2025 on the topic The European Union and War in Ukraine.
Publication of abstracts of student essays presented at the 5th Student Conference in International Relations
Here you can find abstracts of student essays that were presented at the 5th Student Conference in International Relations
Successful Conclusion of the 5th Ljubljana Student Conference on International Relations
From May 8 to 9, 2025, the 5th Ljubljana Student Conference on International Relations was held at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana.
At the 5th Student Conference on International Relations, 38 student essays were presented, written by undergraduate and graduate students from 13 universities across 10 European countries.
The essays were presented within eight thematic panels:
- Foreign Policy,
- International Political Economy,
- International Peace and Security,
- International Environmental Protection,
- The Future of European Integration: Closing the Capability-Expectations Gap?,
- European Union External Action: Legal vs. Political Considerations,
- The Western Balkans, and
- Political Discourse on War.
The panels were chaired by professors, teaching assistants, and PhD students from the University of Ljubljana, University of Zagreb, University of Leipzig, University of Salento, and Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. They also provided mentorship to students throughout the process — from research proposal development to the final essay.
Each panel also featured discussants — professors, assistants, and PhD students from the University of Ljubljana, University of Belgrade, University of Passau, CY Cergy Paris, University of Salento, Nova University Lisbon, and Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. They read and commented on the final student essays, offering advice for improving research approaches to the topics and suggesting further research avenues.
SCIR 2025 concluded with a closing ceremony and the awarding of certificates to student presenters.
SCIR 2025 was organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana and the student association Globallis, within the EUTOPIA Connected Community of European Universities — Maintaining International Peace and Security.
5th Student Conference on International Relations: Introductory Online Lecture “How to make a research plan?”
On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, an online lecture titled “How to make a research plan?” was held. The lecture was delivered by Prof. Dr. Ana Bojinović Fenko from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana. This lecture was part of the preparatory activities for the 5th Student Conference on International Relations, scheduled to take place on May 8–9, 2025, in Ljubljana. It was intended for students who expressed interest in participating in the Conference. During the lecture, students had the opportunity to learn how to make a research plan, which will serve as the basis for developing a final research essay to be presented at the Conference in May.
The launch of the Call for papers for the 5th Student Conference on International Relations
The Call for Papers for the 5th Student Conference on International Relations was launched on October 4th. The Conference will be held on May 8-9, 2025, at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, with student essay presentations organized in a hybrid format. The Conference is intended for Bachelor’s and Master’s students in the broader field of International Relations (IR).
The Conference is organized by the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Chair of International Relations, the Student Association Globallis, and the EUTOPIA Connected Community “Maintaining International Peace and Security”. In addition to being published on the Faculty of Social Sciences’ website, the Call was also shared with partners and colleagues from other universities.
Reciprocal Teaching: guest lecture by Professor Ana Bojinović Fenko, University of Ljubljana at University of Gothenburg
As part of the EUTOPIA project and the “Reciprocal Teaching” activities, a guest lecture titled “Comparative Regionalism: The Case of the Western Balkans” was held on November 7, 2024. The lecture was delivered by Professor Ana Bojinović Fenko, from the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, to students at the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, as part of the Global and Regional Governance module, led by Professor Fredrik Söderbaum. The lecture took place in an online format, via the Zoom platform.
Reciprocal Teaching: guest lecture by Professor Fredrik Söderbaum, University of Gothenburg at University of Ljubljana
As part of the EUTOPIA project and the “Reciprocal Teaching” activities, a guest lecture titled “Non-mainstream theories of global and regional Governance” was held on November 13, 2024. The lecture was delivered by Professor Fredrik Söderbaum, from the School of Global Studies University of Gothenburg, to students of the Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ljubljana, as part of the International Regionalism course, led by Professor Ana Bojinović Fenko. The lecture took place in an online format, via the Zoom platform.
How to get involved?
Please contact:
- Ana Bojinović Fenko (UL), Connected Community Lead
- Melika Mahmutović (UL), Connected Community Support
- Mateja Melink (UL), Local Facilitator for Connected Communities