International Network of Young Scientists dealing

with Ethnic Reconciliation in the Western Balkan

inter@nic network is a network of young researchers interested in minority rights, post-conflict reconstruction, inter-ethnic reconciliation and dialogue in the Western Balkans region. The main motivation for such an idea emerged as a consequence of inadequate existence of professional ties among research institutions in the region that are sometimes pioneering the reconciliatory attempts in the academic sphere of their countries. Namely, very often already established links between the Western European academic institutions and (certain) counterparts in the Western Balkans regions result in an impression that the regional interconnection at the academic level exists as well. This however is not a case, as the ties among academic communities of the Western Balkan countries have been seriously damaged as a result of wars, nationalistic policies manifested by the ministries managing scientific affairs and restricted ability to travel and get involved in cooperative projects. Sometimes even within a single country.

Particularly young scientists have been hit by such trends, as they had no chance to get to know colleagues from other research and academic circles in neighbouring countries. The fragmentation of cooperation resulted also in limited accessibility to latest academic sources in neighbouring countries. Emerging literature in different languages of the region is often available exclusively at the national level, not being translated into English or published in the local journals. Addressing this shortcoming, the main aim of the network would be to create an on-line platform that would serve as a space of data, information and references exchange. This will be done by developing a web platform and an on line publication named "inter@nic network paper series” which will allow to assure continued and committed cooperation of the young researchers.

Believing that the region posses powerful academic capacity, and assuming that the true reconciliatory efforts should come from the people from the region itself, the collaborators in the FP6 project Human and Minority Rights in the Life-Cycle of Ethnic Conflicts (MIRICO), who originate from the countries of the region, decided to put forward the initiative for the network establishment. The first goal the network creation should serve is dissemination of the MIRICO research results into all related disciplines (law, sociology, history, political science etc.), whereas later it is supposed to serve as forum for exchange of ideas and research findings dealing with recent history and its implications on today’s societies.

More information on the network can be found at the web site of the MIRICO project at http://www.eurac.edu/mirico.
In case you are interested in joining the network, please contact Antonija Petricusic at antonija.petricusic@uni-graz.at.