Successful Eighth International Summer School Held in Indonesia: Strengthening Academic Ties Between Southeast Asia and Southeast Europe

From September 23 to 25, 2026, the University of Lampung in Bandar Lampung (Sumatra, Indonesia) hosted the international summer school titled “Southeast Asia and Southeast Europe: Strengthening Its Multidisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies in the Area of Social and Political Sciences”. The event gathered approximately 60 participants from Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Croatia, marking a major milestone in inter-regional academic collaboration. The Croatian academic community was represented by a delegation of 15 participants coming from three distinct universities, including the University of Zagreb through its Faculty of Political Science and Faculty of Economics and Business, VERN' University, and the Dr. Franjo Tuđman University of Defense and Security.

Running parallel to the Summer School was an international scientific conference featuring Prof. Dr. Đana Luša as a keynote speaker. In addition to the core program, Croatian faculty members delivered a series of supplementary lectures and held bilateral meetings to deepen institutional partnerships, while Prof. Dr. Nebojša Blanuša in several instances presented the doctoral study program of the Faculty of Political Science due to high interest from Indonesia.
Ahead of the Summer School, on September 21, 2026, a joint roundtable discussion was held in Jakarta at Universitas Indonesia, the country's largest university, with representatives from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP UI) where participants discussed global challenges and the potential continuation of cooperation.
Throughout our entire stay in Indonesia, we enjoyed the support and presence of Ambassador H.E. Nebojša Koharević, who serves as a key actor in expanding academic cooperation with universities in Southeast Asia.

The entire stay in Indonesia was exceptionally successful, building upon previous partnerships and establishing concrete plans for future collaboration, with the next Summer School scheduled to take place in September 2027 in Zagreb, hosted by VERN' University.