Brain drain is one of the major problems the WBCs are facing today. The situation is especially alarming considering the continuous lack of opportunities, even for the best educated. Young researchers and scientists are also affected, particularly those engaged at public universities. According to the assessments the RRPP has carried out during the last two years, the opportunities for young promising researchers in the field of social sciences to further develop and advance in their careers in their home countries are scarce.

An additional problem is restricted mobility. Even today, visa restrictions create a barrier for international networking, especially for researchers and scientists coming from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244), differentiating them also from their colleagues from the FYR of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia and thus, marginalizing them even more.

The RRPP has been supporting the new generation of social scientists and researchers in the WBCs for almost two years now, paying special attention to the inclusion of female researchers. The programme covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244), the FYR of Macedonia and Serbia and finances innovative country-related and regional projects that deal with transformation-relevant topics such as social cohesion, governance, state and nation building, civil society, impact of EU democratisation processes, gender equality, media, identities and conflict management, development and migration.

As of today, the RRPP has been supporting 21 research projects across the region, mainly involving the younger generation, many of whom have studied abroad and have returned to their home countries. Furthermore, the RRPP provides methods and thematic seminars, which gather researchers from the entire region and thus, also enable their networking in a politically tense region, where communication channels and cooperation are still developing. During the last two years, seven trainings have been organised with over 100 participants, involving mainly MA graduates and PhD candidates, who wish to strengthen their research capacities, discuss topics of common interest and establish partnerships with colleagues from the region and beyond.

Author: Jasmina Opardija