About
The International Balkan Summer School, titled “Contemporary Challenges in the Balkans: EU & Migration Issues,” offers an intellectually stimulating and immersive platform designed specifically for postgraduate students and emerging scholars. This program delves deeply into critical, contemporary issues that shape the social, legal, political, and economic landscape of the Balkans, with a particular focus on the intricate interplay between migration dynamics and the European Union’s evolving role in the region. By addressing these pressing challenges, the summer school provides participants with a unique opportunity to engage in thought-provoking discussions that are grounded in both theoretical frameworks and real-world case studies.
The program is meticulously tailored to cater to an academically inclined audience, fostering a vibrant environment of robust scholarly discourse. Through interdisciplinary approaches, it encourages participants to examine complex migration patterns, regional policies, and the EU’s influence on governance, integration, and security within the Balkans. In addition to structured lectures and seminars delivered by leading experts in the field, the summer school includes workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, further enhancing the academic and professional growth of its attendees. By offering a platform to explore the historical, geopolitical, and cultural nuances of migration and EU relations in the Balkans, the program equips students with a comprehensive understanding of the region’s challenges and their global implications.
Program Highlights
- Engage with leading scholars and practitioners specializing in migration studies, EU policies, and Balkan regional dynamics.
- Participate in seminars, workshops, and collaborative discussions designed to enhance analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Explore practical and theoretical frameworks for addressing contemporary migration challenges and EU integration processes in the Balkans.
Target Audience
This program is specifically designed for postgraduate students pursuing advanced research in disciplines such as political science, international relations, sociology, and European studies. Participants are expected to bring a strong academic background and a passion for contributing to meaningful discourse on the region’s pressing issues. By joining this summer school, participants will gain invaluable insights, establish scholarly networks, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the Balkan region’s contemporary challenges in a global context.
Application and Review Process
Participants are required to submit an article addressing the summer school’s thematic focus. All submissions undergo a rigorous blind peer review process to ensure the highest academic standards. Abstracts and full texts are evaluated by field experts, and only those meeting the established criteria are accepted. This process underscores the school’s commitment to fostering excellence and originality in academic inquiry. The papers chosen at the end of the Summer School will be published by the Balkan Studies Foundation in order to admit the presentations taking place at the Summer School to the scientific world
Deadline for Abstract Submission March 10, 2025
Important Dates
March 10, 2025
Submission
Deadline for Abstract Submission
March 20, 2025
Announcement
Announcement of Accepted Abstracts
June 01, 2025
Submission
Deadline for Full Paper Submission
June 05, 2025
Announcement
Announcement of Accepted Papers
July 01, 2025
Announcement
Announcement of the IBSS Program
July 14-19, 2025Monday-Saturday
Implementation
Implementation of the IBSS
December 31, 2025
Publication
Publication of the selected papers
Boards
Honorary Board of the Congress
Balkan Studies Foundation President Dr.Sevba Abdula
Oranje Institute President, Dr. Ali Eşlik
Ankara Düşünce Okulu President, Prof.Dr. Mehmet Bulut
Organizing Committee
Dr. Sevba Abdula – Balkan Studies Foundation (North Macedonia)
Assist. Prof. Dr. Bujamin Bela – Mother Teresa University (North Macedonia)
Dr. Ali Eşilk-Oranje Institute, (Netherland)
Assist.Prof.Dr. Serdar Serdaroğlu, Istanbul University, (Türkiye)
Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Köroğlu, İstanbul University, (Türkiye)
Dr. Deniz Memedi, Mother Teresa University, (North Macedonia)
Assoc.Prof.Dr. Mevludin Ibishi, International Balkan University (Türkiye)
Dr. Mustafa Işık, (Bulgaria)
Dr. Vehap Kola, (Albania)
Secretariat
Berat Alili, Balkan Studies Foundation (North Macedonia)
Semran Murtezani, Balkan Studies Foundation (North Macedonia)
Scientific Committee of the Summer School
Prof.Dr. Mehmet Bulut, Istanbul Zaim University, Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Musa Musai, State University of Tetovo, North Macedonia
Prof. Dr. Qufli Osmanı, State University of Tetovo, North Macedonia
Prof. Dr. Gültekin Yıldız, Istanbul University, Turkey
Prof. Dr. Viktoria Kafedziska, International Balkan University, North Macedonia
Prof. Dr. Kire Sharlamanov, International Balkan University, North Macedonia
Prof. Dr. Bejtulla Demiri, International Balkan University, North Macedonia
Prof. Dr. Murteza Bedir, Istanbul University, Turkey
Prof. Dr. Ekrem Demirli, Istanbul University, Turkey
Prof. Dr. Mahmut Hakkı Akın, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Türkiye
Assoc. Prof. Ali Erken, Marmara University, Turkey
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mevludin İbishi, International Balkan University, North Macedonia
Assoc. Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Kadı, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Türkiye
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Atçıl, Sabancı University, Türkiye
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdülkadir Macit, Kocaeli University, Türkiye
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ertuğrul Karakuş, Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Türkiye
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alim Arlı, Istanbul Technical University, Türkiye
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Neritan Turkesh, Mother Teresa University, North Macedonia
Assist. Prof. Dr. Sedad Beslija, University of Sarajevo, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Assist. Prof. Dr. Elmin Alijev, Istanbul Medenıyet University, Azerbejcan
Assist. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Uğur Ekinci, SETA
Assist. Prof. Dr. Bujamin Bela, Mother Teresa University, North Macedonia
Assist. Prof. Dr. Murat Aliu, Mother Teresa University, North Macedonia
Assist. Prof. Dr. Süleyman Güder, Istanbul University, Türkiye
Assist. Prof. Dr. Zahit Atçıl, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Türkiye
Assist. Prof. Dr. Petar Todorov, Institute of National History, North Macedonia
Assist. Prof. Dr. Agron İslamı, Ali Hadri History Institute – Prishtine, Kosovo
Assist. Prof. Dr. Fation Shabani, Ibn Haldun University, Türkiye
Assist. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Halil Üçer, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Türkiye
Assist. Prof. Dr. Kadir Temiz, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Türkiye
Assist. Prof. Dr. İzzettin As, Kırklareli University, Türkiye
Assist. Prof. Dr. Yunus Uğur, Marmara University, Türkiye
Assist. Prof. Dr. Drita Memedi, State University of Tetovo, North Macedonia
Assist. Prof. Dr. Besa Sejdiu, South East European University, North Macedonia
Assist. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Zeyd Gerçik, Marmara University, Türkiye
Assist. Prof. Dr. Sanja Adzaip Velickovska, International Balkan University, North Macedonia
Assist. Prof. Dr. Ramazan Turgut – Oranje Institute (Netherland)
Assist. Prof. Dr. Natalija Shikova, International Balkan University, North Macedonia Assist. Prof. Dr. Nikola Dacev, International Balkan University, North Macedonia
Assist. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Muhsin Yıldız, Yalova University, Türkiye
Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Lökçe, International Balkan University, North Macedonia
Dr. Deniz Memedi, Balkan Studies Foundation, North Macedonia
Dr. Muhamed Jashari, Independent Researcher, North Macedonia
Rules for Writing
Manuscripts submitted to the International Balkan Summer School (the full text of the paper) must not have been previously published nor currently presented for publication anywhere.
Abstracts must be in English and submitted to https://forms.gle/K3qvpqYqVGh5E7GTA Google form and and must be between 250 and 350 words in length.
The full text should contain no information about the author anywhere. If any information is found in the full text that would identify the author, the text will be eliminated without being subjected to peer review as it does not comply with the blind review policies of the Balkan Studies Foundation.
The study should contain between 4,000 to 8,000 words.
The full text must be submitted in Microsoft Word format by June 01, 2025. Texts uploaded in PDF format will not be accepted.
Full texts not prepared in accordance with the Rules of Writing of the IBSS will be rejected without being sent to the reviewers.
The articles to be submitted to the IBSS should be written in The Microsoft Word program with at least 2.5 cm margins, and the entire text should be written in Times New Roman font, font size has to be 12 and 1.5 line spacing. The name of the article should be written in capital letters, bold font and size 14, while the subtitles should be written in lowercase font and size 12.
In the articles, after the name of the author, in the footnote with an asterisk (*) symbol, the title of the author, the university/department and the mail address must be written in full.
Tables and tables should be numbered sequentially. Footnotes for tables should be added just below the table body and should be indicated in lowercase. Care should be taken to use as few tables as possible. The data presented in the tables should be avoided to match the data presented in the text.
Footnotes, abstracts, bibliographies, tables, etc. should be completed before the article is delivered.
In the introduction part of the article, the subject, thematic, temporal and spatial boundaries of the article should be specified. Also, it should include information such as the importance of the article, the space it fills in the field, the new perspective it brings, and the information it corrects. In addition, the methods and sources used, the main claim, and the side claims supporting it should also be included.
The full texts submitted after assessing the abstract will be subjected to a preliminary examination by the Regulatory Board in terms of form and content, after which it will be sent to the reviewers. The following decisions may be given for the studies in line with the reports coming from the reviewers:
Acceptable in its current state.
Can be accepted into the Summer School after correcting the issues stated in the review evaluation.
Rejected.
APA 7th edition will be used as the article reference system.
Matters to Consider When Presenting the Paper
Holding a successful and efficient The International Balkan Summer School depends on the contents of the papers as well as the successs of their presentations. Presenting papers in order, with discipline, on time, and with success is very important. The following guidelines have been created to help you with your presentation.
Session and Paper Durations
1) The International Balkan Summer School will consist of 4-5 announced sessions, each lasting 90-100 minutes.
2) A total of 15 minutes will be allowed for each presentation. Strict compliance with this duration is of utmost importance. The functioning of the symposium according to schedule depends on complying with these durations.
3) The time remaining after the papers have been presented will be used for evaluations, comments, criticisms, and answering questions from the audience.
Meeting
4) One chairperson will lead each session. The chairperson will be in the hall prior to the session and will meet the speakers who will make a presentation. Each participant must be in the hall 10 minutes prior to the session and must check their presentation.
Presentation and Presentation Materials
5) The presentation must be carefully prepared so that it can be completed within the allowed time.
6) Only the main points of the paper that have been prepared in the presentation should be discussed. Details can be read from the proceedings book, or further discussions with relevant stakeholders can be continued during the intermission after the presentation.
7) Each hall will have a projector and a computer for the presentations. Because these computers are the ones to be used for the presentations, the presentation must be uploaded to the computer in the respective hall in advance (e.g., the morning of the day of the presentation). Hall attendants may be consulted for support on technical issues related to the presentation.
8) Using short sentences (2-4 words) and a large font size (at least 24 point) on the slides is important in terms of following up the presentation.
9) A maximum of 15 slides should be prepared for a 15-minute talk. Make sure the presentation can be completed within 15 minutes by experimenting beforehand. A sample structure for an oral presentation is given below:
SUMMER SCHOOL TOPICS
The International Balkan Summer School will be able to cover all sub-disciplines of the social sciences focused on the Balkans region. Some of the topics to be addressed at the congress may appear as but are not limited to the following:
- Introduction to the Balkans: A Geopolitical Crossroads
- The EU and the Balkans: Aspirations and Roadblocks
- Migration as a Defining Issue for the Region
- Political Instability and Its Impact on EU Relations
- Economic Disparities and Migration Drivers
- Border Management: Cooperation or Contention?
- Human Rights Concerns in Migration Policies
- The Role of External Powers in Balkan Affairs
- Towards a Common Future: Challenges and Opportunities
Frequently Asked Questions
Master’s students, doctoral students, or anyone who has completed their master’s and doctorate degrees within the last two years can apply to the Summer School.
Yes, one may participate in the congress with more than one paper, provided that these papers comply with the announced subjects. However, one author may present a maximum of two papers at the Summer School.
No. Undergraduate students may only participate in the Summer School as audience members.
Anyone who meets the conditions (i.e., transportation, accommodations) can participate in the audience regardless of whether or not they have an academic education. Please note, the congress provides no support for audience members.
The relevant parts of the site state the features that will be considered for the papers at the International Balkan Summer School. Other unmentioned issues are the conditions that an academic paper must meet. On this point, support for papers can be obtained from academicians or people who are knowledgeable in regard to academic writing.
Participating in the Summer School is free. Participants’ accommodations, breakfasts, and dinners will be covered by the Symposium’s organizing committee. A free tour of the city will be offered to the Summer School participants after sessions have been completed. Transportation to the Summer School will be at the participant’sown expense (not covered). Presentations at the Summer School will be held from 14 July to 18 July; the city tour will occur on Saturday, 19 July. Flight or bus tickets should be determined by taking these dates into consideration.
The congress will accept papers and presentations only in English.
Partners/Sponsors
A huge thanks to all our amazing partners.
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