Since 2003, academics and students from various university departments in the Balkans have established the BORDER CROSSINGS Network. The Network encourages the development of university cooperation mainly in the areas of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Folklore, Balkan Studies and History. It aims at promoting closer relationships between Universities, academics and students in the region by regularly organizing various forms of academic exchange.
Such cooperation is an important missing element in the process of cross-cultural and cross-border understanding, inter-ethnic tolerance and economic and political prosperity in the region. The BORDER CROSSINGS network’s activities counter fears, mistrust and prejudices. Students come out of these activities with a better understanding of their common heritage and the benefits, and how to use it to the advantage of the region. In addition, they build capacity within the participating Higher Education Institutions and enable further common research activities.
The Network has, since 2003, institutionalized
– An annual student conference based on round tables with a common agenda where students present their papers in English.
– The annual “Konitsa International Summer School in Anthropology, Ethnography and Comparative Folklore of the Balkans”.
– Three publication series entitled:
1.“Balkan Border Crossings: Proceedings from the Konitsa Summer School”
2.“Balkan Border Crossings: Contributions to Balkan Ethnography”
3.“Balkan Border Crossings: Ethnographic Research in Border Areas“
Website: https://www.border-crossings.eu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBorderCrossingsNetwork/
The Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies has been a member of BCN since 2013 and is the co-organizer of:
– the International conferences organized by the network; and
– the Konitsa International Summer School in “Anthropology, Ethnography and
Comparative Folklore of the Balkans”
Website for student conferences: https://www.border-crossings.eu/student-conferences
Website for Konitsa Summer School: https://www.border-crossings.eu/konitsa