PAST FELLOWSHIP CALLS
RECAS member CAPRIS UKIM Announces Call for Postdoctoral Fellowship Applications
The Center of Advanced and Postdoctoral Research “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje (CAPRIS UKIM), one of the founding RECAS members is delighted to announce its Call for Postdoctoral Fellowship Applications. This initiative aims to foster academic synergies across Europe and the Western Balkans by providing a platform for innovative research and collaboration.
CAPRIS UKIM invites applications from young post-doc researchers, junior fellows, advanced PhD students, and professionals across a diverse array of fields, including Architecture, Urban Planning, Visual Arts, Performative Arts, Civic and ICT Engineering, Data Research, Environmental Science, Social Science, Philosophy, and more. Selected fellows will engage in independent study while benefiting from the guidance of leading scientists, emerging innovators, and scholars from Europe and beyond. The research can also plan and perform a visit to partner university or Center for Advanced Studies within the RECAS Network that can last up to maximum of 4 weeks (28 days).
Deadline for sumbission of the research proposal July 10 2024 and the supported resesarch proposals will commence in October 2024. All the relevant information on the program can be found on the CAPRIS website.
Towards a culture of shared future in Southeast Europe
Every society needs a vision for the future. Societies in Southeast Europe seem to be caught in the vicious circle of the permanent present built on the remnants of nationalist and exclusive accounts of the past – with a progressive vision missing. Zygmunt Bauman’s notion of “retrotopia” translated into regional politics would equal an inspiration of old-fashioned type of politics focused not on a future-to-be-created, but on an abandoned and undead past made of the residual heat of the exclusive nation-state idea, utterly authoritarian vision of the society, hierarchical decision-making processes led by a strong man, a clientelist economy, with total neglect of progressive, ecological, gender-sensitive and just visions of society to boot.
The focus on confronting the past through legal processes, while essential to personal and criminal responsibility for war crimes, has had little effect on broader public attitudes, and the cathartic impact has been largely absent. Instead of fostering solidarity, regional friendship and unity, governments fuel divisions based on the ethnic principle and a sort of self-imposed political segregation of ethnic groups. As a result, any “non-nationalist” politics look like naïve idealism. Progressive actors, struggling to make inroads in confronting the past, find themselves losing hard-won ground. Revitalization of a positive European vision is crucial. The region desperately needs visions and policies that advocate for civic, democratic, multi-ethnic, multi-confessional, open, plural, and inclusive societies within the region.
To confront the past, looking back is not enough. Cultivating a culture based on facts, mindful of the past and allowing productive oblivion is indispensable. Yet, equally important is to formulate and foster a “culture of a shared future” in the region – bringing forward narratives, evidence, and politics to replace a culture of hostility with a common vision of a joint future.
The end of violence
A temporary end or even momentary cessation of violence – is the first and unconditional condition for the institution of a truce or peace or eternal peace. How do we stop or delay acts that could be defined as “bad” or “evil,” acts that carry destruction and erasure? We do not have accurate explanations as to whether it is possible to end extreme violence permanently. And convert it into something desirable that eventually prevents any future breakout of violence. Extreme violence in the shape of war is a social phenomenon constitutive of human development throughout history. It requires organized social action, collective intentionality, systematic use of weapons, sophisticated linguistic coordination, and ritualism.
The dilemma that violence and war could serve peace and a new order or the building of new and just institutions is as old as the idea of democracy. Can the histories of violence and destructive actions be reduced exclusively to discussions about the number and sequence of harmful acts necessary to establish acceptable social change? Max Weber underscored those social entities having a coercive nature, and violence is a constitutive element of the state and institutional order per se. The focus on the end of extreme violence, not on defense against violence leading to a just war against an aggressor or unjust enemy – then prioritizes the (re)construction of instruments and institutes that prevent and urgently stop all kinds of nullifying acts. Concepts such as risk, urgency, negotiation, request, force, threat, bluff, etc., are the first protocols to end extreme violence. Are there others?
More about the call: https://cas.uniri.hr/fellowship-call-for-proposals-for-interdisciplinary-research-residencies-on-the-end-of-violence/
Southeast European Solidarity Fellowships for Threatened Scholars
The Center for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe (CAS SEE) and the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory (IFDT) jointly issue a Call for Solidarity Fellowships for Threatened Scholars in response to the profound impact of Russian aggression against Ukraine. This call is directed at Ukrainian scholars affected by the war and Russian scholars opposing the aggression, both facing displacement, exile, or disability to continue their academic work. The fellowship aims to support scholars in developing research projects that may be challenging to pursue within the conditions of war or under repressive regimes. There are no strict thematic requirements, allowing for a broad range of humanities, social sciences, and arts topics. This initiative emphasizes solidarity with scholars from Ukraine and Russia, providing them with an academic refuge and fostering intellectual development.
More about the call: https://ifdt.bg.ac.rs/2022/09/southeast-european-solidarity-fellowships-for-threatened-scholars/?lang=en
Serbia and Global Challenges: Towards Just and Democratic Public Policies I
This initiative, addressing pressing issues in Serbia, invites researchers, academics, and think tanks to submit projects in three thematic areas: Social and Economic Justice, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, and Digitalization and Human Rights. The program aims to bridge the gap between grassroots movements and academic engagement, fostering research that provides theoretical frameworks and data for innovative policy solutions. The two-phase program includes the realization of research projects and the promotion of research results to build a community focused on creating fair and democratic public policies in response to Serbia’s current challenges.
More about the call: https://ifdt.bg.ac.rs/2021/05/javni-poziv-za-istrazivacke-projekte/
Serbia and Global Challenges: Towards Just and Democratic Public Policies II
Addressing the urgent issues of escalating social justice problems and the environmental challenges posed by climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, the program seeks proposals from the academic community, think tanks, and independent researchers. The focus areas include developing fair tax models, decentralized state models, and exploring alternative economic frameworks. Additionally, the program emphasizes the intersection of social justice with the imperative of a just energy transition, tackling issues such as the socio-economic effects of renewable energy adoption and the role of local communities in strategic planning. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between grassroots movements and academic engagement, fostering innovative policy solutions and building a community dedicated to creating just and democratic public policies in response to Serbia’s current challenges.
More about the call: https://ifdt.bg.ac.rs/2022/08/srbija-i-globalni-izazovi-ka-pravednijim-i-demokratskim-javnim-politikama-ii/