Following the public call for co-financing of scientific research / artistic research and development projects and programs from the Sarajevo Canton budget for 2021, organized by the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth of Sarajevo Canton, the International University of Sarajevo received financial support for three important projects.

The initiators of the project “Europeanization of the Western Balkans and Its Role in Growth and Development” are Assistant Professor Dr. Dženita Šiljak and Assistant Professor Dr. Kristian L. Nielsen. This project will be implemented until the end of the year in cooperation with the academic staff from other IUS study programs as well as the academic staff from Corvinus University of Budapest.   

By focusing on research and education, the project aims to enhance knowledge on the key European integration processes through which the Western Balkans are currently going through. The Copenhagen criteria provide a formalized list for readiness assessment to comply with EU regulations and standards, but the recent experience has shown that some countries were not prepared for the benefits they were supposed to get with their membership in the single EU market. Using the concept of “integration maturity”, this project wants to analyze the real economic, political and institutional readiness of the Western Balkans countries to benefit from the deeper integration with EU.    

The focus of the research is the interaction between EU members and political and economic institutions as well as economic performances and convergence of the candidate countries and potential candidates. The project research will be conducted by organizing research workshops and seminars with the members of the academic community whose area of expertise is EU enlargement and “integration maturity”. The final outcome of these activities will be a book of original research of economic, political and institutional challenges the Western Balkans countries are facing with.

This significant project will raise awareness on important social and political processes enabling dissemination of research results for the benefit of public debates. This is a very significant project; therefore, IUS supports all the project activities and looks forward to its implementation. IUS expresses its gratitude to the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth of Sarajevo Canton for supporting the implementation of this project.