How does the doctoral program at the Faculty of Social Sciences provide opportunities for exploring key social issues?

Ph.D. student Sultana Jovanovska was selected in the 6th call for proposals of the WBF Move Grant program of the Western Balkans Fund, which promotes mobility and regional cooperation in the Western Balkans by providing financial support for short-term projects that foster collaboration, research, and knowledge exchange. The program is open to researchers, civil society actors, journalists, artists, and other professionals. As part of the call for proposals, 29 projects were selected from among 182 submitted applications. 

In her doctoral thesis Territorialization, Political Subjectivity, and Environmental Resistance in the Balkans, she examines the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects on local communities in the Balkans, with a focus on environmental conflicts and issues of justice. Her work involves field research, interviews with local residents, and analysis of social movements responding to projects such as lithium mining in Serbia.

This issue has broad social significance, as such projects directly affect local populations and the ways in which societies respond to environmental crises. Infrastructure and mining projects related to the green transition often involve land use, environmental protection, and the distribution of power over natural resources, which can lead to conflicts among various stakeholders.

The study also pays particular attention to local resistance movements that highlight issues of environmental justice, democratic decision-making, and community participation. By focusing on the perspectives and knowledge of local residents (voices that are often overlooked in formal decision-making processes), the study contributes to a better understanding of territorial justice and the management of natural resources at the community level.

More broadly, research of this kind can make a significant contribution to academic debates and policy discussions on environmental governance and equitable green transition policies, both in the Balkans and across Europe.

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The doctoral program in Humanities and Social Sciences at the Faculty of Social Sciences enables students to conduct in-depth research into complex social processes and current global challenges. If you are interested in the program, research areas, and opportunities for doctoral study, you are invited to an information day, which will take place on April 22, 2026, at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, and online.