Call for Applications - Semi-periphery and Borderlands in the European Integration: Rethinking Balkans for Ukraine

Call for Applications

Semi-periphery and Borderlands in the European Integration:

Rethinking Balkans for Ukraine

Course co-directors: Marija Mandić (University of Belgrade) and Olesia Marković (Kyiv-Mohyla Academy)

Central European University’s Invisible University for Ukraine program, IFDT and FPN Belgrade are inviting interested participants to enroll in an international interdisciplinary online course on the Balkans as semi-periphery and borderlands in the context of the European integration, with a special focus on the lessons that can be drawn for Ukraine. The course is free of charge and in English language. It seeks to bring together students from Southeast Europe, Ukraine and other countries, to discuss the politics, society, history and culture of the region, develop academic and human solidarity and think about parallels and connectivity between the European semi-peripheries and borderlands. The course consists of weekly interactive seminars held in late afternoon, by prominent lecturers and specialists focused on Southeast Europe and Ukraine. Students can also participate in small-team mentoring sessions which will be focused on watching documentary films and their critical reading. Participants can also contribute content to the project’s website (Balkan Talks) and the most actives students can participate in person in a Summer School in Budapest in June/July 2025.

Our program continues the tradition of Flying Universities, which was filling the gaps of formal education in our part of the world for decades. The wider initiative of the Invisible University, running already for two years, proved very useful for students of humanities and social sciences. Candidates are also encouraged to apply for the other IUFU courses, which are a subject of a separate call.

How to apply?

Applicants from Southeast Europe should send a CV and a short (200-300 words) motivation letter to balkancourse.ceu@gmail.com by February 25, 2025, midnight. Admitted participants will be notified by March 1, the latest. The course starts on March 7, at 5 pm CET. The applications are in English.

The motivation letter should include:

reason for applying and expectations from the course
a description of the applicant’s thematic interests (e.g., research topic or thesis topic)

and a short CV with information on

name
e-mail address
current location
previous education, current university, student status and program of study
involvement in civil activities/volunteering
estimated level of English language competence.

Research Scholarships

Up to eight research scholarships (400 to 800 euro per semester) are available on a competitive basis for students who wish to implement a special empirical or theoretical project in addition to their course work, drawing on their academic background, previous work, current thesis project,
and relevant to the current situation, and/or related to the themes of the courses. Students
receiving research funding will be required to submit a paper of 10-12 double-spaced pages
based on their research at the end of the semester. Those who wish to apply for research
scholarship should also include a concise project proposal (between 400 and 800 words),
containing a title, describing the main lines of the envisioned research project and its desired
outcome, including references to the relevant sources and secondary literature on the topic. Priority in receiving scholarships will be given to students that are currently based in Ukraine.

For a course summary, please follow this link. Detailed information about the course content, schedule and lecturers will be published soon. Meanwhile, you can get informed about the scope of IUFU activities related to Southeast Europe at the following link.

For further information please contact Matija Carević matija.carevic2@gmail.com