Project title: Politics, society and communication in Southeast Europe (Politika, društvo i
komunikacija u Jugoistočnoj Europi), Acronym: POD-RUKOM (FPZG-IP-12)

Thematical area of the project: International relations, Communication science, South East
Europe, Regional Studies
Duration of the project: 48 months (start date: 10/2025 – end date: 09/2029)
Total cost: 80.000,00 EUR (100 % EU contribution NextGenerationEU)

Principle investigator (PI): Full professor Dejan Jović

Research team members:
Full professor Zrinjka Peruško (FPZG)
Full professor Siniša Tatalović (associated external expert, FPZG)
Full professor Nebojša Blanuša (FPZG)
Full professor Zlatan Krajina (FPZG)
Full professor Ružica Jakešević (FPZG)
Associate professor Vjeran Kursar (associated external expert, Faculty of Humanities and
Social sciences)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The project investigates political, social and cultural phenomena in Southeast Europe, which we
define as the area of ​​the current “Western Balkans” (BiH, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, North
Macedonia, Albania) as well as Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. All of these countries had a
turbulent 20th century, in which they were involved in wars, ideological turmoil, ethnic conflicts,
and transitions from authoritarian regimes to democracies. All have the same historical origin –
marked by the Ottoman Empire – and went through the processes of creating nation-states. In
this project, however, we want to step away from the usual analyses of SEE as a zone of conflict
and endless unfinished business, and focus on social and political, communication, migration,
ecological, identity and other aspects that describe the current situation in the 9 countries we are
dealing with. The project was launched in order to publish a textbook on Southeast Europe in
Croatia, as well as another scientific book on the region. The textbook (which is currently
missing, although new teaching initiatives focused on SEE are emerging) will publish studies on

each of the 9 countries, according to the principle of ‘one country – one chapter’. This
textbook/collection will be published at the end of the second year of the project. In the second
collection, we identify 9 common themes and present the current state of affairs according to
these thematic units. This part of the project will result in a second edited volume (scientific) – in
the fourth year of the project. Two workshops (in the second and third years of the project) will
serve to work on the edited volume. The final conference (at the end of the fourth year) will
present the results of the research, which is based on fieldwork in all 9 SEE countries, including
through consulting local experts, discourse analysis and archival research. The project website
will enable the publication of professional papers (24 during the project) on current issues related
to SEE.
The project is based on the idea that SEE should be analysed not only in the context of previous
conflicts, but also in the context of contemporary trends in Europe in general, since it is a region
that is part of Europe (although most countries are not in the EU). The project promotes the
idea of ​​Europe that is not limited to the EU. We deal not only with politics but also with society
and the mutual communication of people in that region: through culture, migration, common
issues (e.g. ecology, demography, development, etc.). The project thus extends European studies
themselves to countries that have so far been largely not treated as part of the "real"  Europe.
The project is multidisciplinary and develops capacities for further research in area studies, and
especially for the development of new teaching and research programs at the FPZG and the
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb.

Contact: Full professor Dejan Jović (dejan.jovic@fpzg.hr)