What is our vision?

Regional Network of Centres for Advanced Studies in Southeast Europe (RECAS) induces societal change by promoting the visibility, quality, and relevance of Western Balkans and Southeast European (SEE) research while enabling early career researchers to conduct socially engaging and policy-relevant research in the region.

What do we stand for?

SPEAKING OUT for the freedom of research and ensuring the necessary prerequisites for innovative, creative, and scientific development, RECAS will continue TO ACT, opening up spaces for intellectual shifts and collective creation of OPEN SOCIETIES in the SEE region, building institutional and program capacities TO MOTIVATE an engaged community network that breeds groundbreaking ideas and instigates SOCIAL change.

What do we aim for?

FOSTER CROSS-CULTURAL COLLABORATION:

Facilitate mutual understanding and cooperation among members of the regional academic community, comprising academics, practitioners and decision-makers from diverse cultural backgrounds.

CULTIVATE EXCELLENCE AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT:

Promote a culture of excellence, collaboration, value creation, and social engagement within higher education, science, and innovation across the region. Offer global scholars and intellectuals a platform for high-quality research and discussions centered on Southeast Europe and beyond. Emphasize interdisciplinary domains, particularly in relation to the green and digital transitions.

STIMULATE BRAIN GAIN:

Provide opportunities for regional, particularly early career researchers, to pursue innovative, relevant, and applicable research contributing to the development of societies. Enable their balanced circulation among regional universities to promote professional advancement. Support building bridges with academic and professional diaspora communities. These initiatives aim to build a critical mass for upskilling and knowledge application in the region necessary for scaling up political and economic development for European integration.

FACILITATE CROSS-BORDER COLLABORATION:

Encourage and support cross-border collaborations among institutions and researchers that will foster international cooperation, facilitate knowledge exchange, address common regional challenges, and contribute to the integration of the region into the global academic ecosystem, hence advancing Europe’s global leadership aspirations in higher education and science.