Centre of International Relations

Dr. Melika Mahmutović and Dr. Ajda Hedžet, researchers at the Centre of International Relations at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, organised the second edition of the CEEISA Young Scholars Initiative (CYSI) between 16 and 20 June 2026 as part of the 16th Conference of the Central and East European International Studies Association (CEEISA), titled Contesting Imperialism(s), held in Sarajevo.

The Journal of International Relations and Development (JIRD), founded by the Centre of International Relations at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, and co-owned by the Centre of International Relations and Springer Nature, achieved a significant new milestone in 2025. As the official journal of the Central and East European International Studies Association (CEEISA), JIRD continues to enhance its international standing and visibility as a leading outlet for scholarship in the field of international relations.

Ajda Hedžet, researcher at Center for International Relations, participated in the event Youth Imagining Europe from the Western Balkans, held on 4 June 2026 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Hosted by Member of the European Parliament Vladimir Prebilič (Greens/EFA), the event brought together researchers, policymakers, civil society representatives, and youth experts to discuss how young people across the Western Balkans perceive Europe, democracy, and their role in shaping the region’s future.

Prof. dr. Petra Roter (Chair of International Relations and the Centre of International Relations) chaired the 89th plenary meeting of the Advisory Committee under the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, held from 18 to 22 May 2026. With this plenary session, Professor Roter concludes her second (and final) four-year term on the Advisory Committee. During these eight years, her fellow independent experts elected her as Chair of the Advisory Committee three times (in 2016–18, 2022–24, and 2024–26). During the first two years of her first mandate (2014–16), she served as First Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Marko Lovec participated in the 50th Workshop of the Study Group Regional Stability in South East Europe of the Partnership for Peace Consortium, held from 7 to 10 May in Reichenau an der Rax, Austria, where he presented his research on the impact of European integration on democracy in Slovenia.

On Friday, 27 February 2026, together with partner organisations we officially launched the international project EUINSPIRE – Engaging Young People and Citizens in Shaping Policies for a Reformed Europe, which will run until February 2028. At the start of the project, partners held a virtual kick-off meeting where they reviewed the project’s key objectives, presented the planned activities, and coordinated the framework for cooperation among partners.