On Friday, February 26, the Western Balkans European Social Survey Regional Network (WBESS) and SCiDEV jointly organized a one-day in-person and online event on WBESS sustainability.
The Regional Consultative Meeting was opened by Dr. Goran Bašić, Director of the Institute of Social Sciences and member of the ESS ERIC General Assembly, followed by a welcoming speech from Nenad Čelarević, Project Coordinator. Abi Dodbiba (National focal point for Albania) moderated the first session. During this session, contact persons from six Western Balkan countries presented the current progress, activities so far, potential challenges, and future plans for project implementation. In the second session, Dr. Klaus Schuch, Scientific Director of the Centre for Social Innovation, dedicated his presentation to Strategic Forecasting for the Western Balkans in 2035, as well as the potential benefits of such an approach. The focus was also on how research based on ESS data can contribute to strategic forecasting. The conference then continued with two parallel sessions, including corresponding group discussions. The significance of this topic was further emphasized by Simon Schmitz, who moderated one of the discussions (Senior Scientific Officer at the German Aerospace Center). The first group discussion was titled “Looking Beyond EU Borders,” while the second was “Engaging in the Common Market.”
The live meeting was held in compliance with all COVID-19 related measures in Serbia.
