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On Friday, September 25, 2026, the exhibition “Geopark Đerdap, the first geopark in the Republic of Serbia” was opened in the Gallery of Science and Technology of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, organized by the Serbian Geographical Society.

The authors of the exhibition are Dr. Milena Panić and Dr. Dobrila Lukić. The following spoke at the opening of the exhibition:

• Academician Zoran Petrović, Director of the Gallery of Science and Technology of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
• Acting Director of the Đerdap National Park, Mr. Saša Jánošević
• Director of the Golubac Fortress, Prof. Dr. Iskra Maksimović
• President of the Serbian Geographical Society, Dr. Dobrila Lukić
• Director of the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić”, Dr. Milan Radovanović.

 

Date: September 30, 2026
Source: dr Milena Panić

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Within the framework of the Joint Research Projects Programme of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Romanian Academy for the 2025–2027 period, the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA and the Institute of Geography are implementing the project “Regional impacts of climate change in the Danube Basin – comparative analyses of natural hazards and socio-economic development in Romania and Serbia”.

The cooperation is aimed at developing shared methodologies, establishing a long-term research network, publishing joint papers and preparing new international project proposals.

An initial meeting of the project leaders, Dr Ana Milanović Pešić from the Serbian side and Dr Mihaela Sima from the Romanian side, joined also by associates Dr Stefan Denda (Serbia) and Dr Diana Dogaru (Romania) was held in January 2026. The meeting focused on the main directions of cooperation and planned activities.

As one of the initial activities in the project’s implementation, a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA and the Institute of Geography RA was signed in May 2026.

The project teams held their kick-off meeting on 4 June 2026. The research directions of both institutions, the team members and the next steps in the cooperation were presented. In addition to the project leader, the Serbian team includes Dr Mirjana Rašević, Corresponding Member of SASA (project coordinator), Dr Milan Radovanović, Dr Jovana Brankov, Dr Darko Vuković, Dr Boško Milovanović, Dr Marko D. Petrović, Dr Jelena Ćalić, Dr Milena Panić, Dr Marko V. Milošević, Dr Stefan Denda and Dr Suzana Lović Obradović. The Romanian team includes Academician of RA, Dr Dan Balteanu, Dr Monica Dumitrascu, Dr Diana Dogaru, Dr Ines Grigorescu, Dr Gheorghe Kucsicsa, Dr Marius Birsan, Dr Bianca Mitrica, Dr Nicoleta Damian, Dr Gabriela Morosanu, Dr Laura Lupu, and Dr Alexandra Vrinceanu.

Members of the teams also met on the margins of IRC 2026 (IGU Regional Conference 2026), held in Istanbul from 17 to 21 August 2026, and discussed planned activities for the project’s implementation. Reciprocal research visits in Serbia and Romania are planned and will be carried out by the end of 2026.

 

Date: September 22, 2026
Source: Stefan Denda and Ana Milanović Pešić

 

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From 17 to 21 August 2026, the International Geographical Union Regional Conference (IGU Regional Conference 2026) was held at Istanbul University in Istanbul, Türkiye, under the theme “Exploring the Earth, Connecting Worlds.” The conference was organised in cooperation with the International Geographical Union (IGU), the Turkish Geographical Society, Istanbul University, and the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University.

A total of 10 researchers from the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA) participated in this major international scientific event: Dr Ana Milanović Pešić, Dr Gorica Stanojević, Dr Suzana Lović Obradović, Dr Milena Panić, Dr Jovana Brankov, Dr Dunja Demirović, Dr Zlata Vuksanović Macura, Dr Stefan Denda, Dr Marko D. Petrović, and Dr Tamara Gajić.

On this occasion, the Institute’s associates presented the results of their research through 9 oral and 4 poster presentations within a number of thematic sessions. The presented research covered a wide range of contemporary geographical topics, ranging from climatology, water resources, environmental issues, and natural hazards and risks, through rural and urban geography, to tourism geography, cultural geography, heritage, and the history of geography.

Presented Research –Oral Presentations

Gorica Stanojević presented three papers:

Urban Air Quality in Serbia: NO₂ Concentrations and Meteorological Drivers
Co-author: Slavica Malinović – Milićević

Why Cities in Serbia Struggle with Air Pollution? The Nexus Between Residential Building Typologies and Air Pollution
Co-author: Zlata Vuksanović – Macura

Elevated Ultraviolet Radiation: Adolescent Knowledge Gaps and Targeted Sun Safety Interventions
Co-author: Slavica Malinović – Milićević

Stefan Denda presented two papers:

Geography Between Tradition and Contemporary Approaches: Evidence from the Congresses of Slavic Geographers and Ethnographers (1924–2024)
Co-authors: Milena Panić, Milan Radovanović

Tourism Development and Quality of Life in a Mountain Destination: The Case of the Zlatibor Region, Serbia
Co-authors: Jovana Brankov, Jasna Micić, Marko D. Petrović, Dunja Demirović Bajrami

Ana Milanović Pešić presented the paper:

Water Resources–Climate Variability–Population Nexus in Serbia: Implications for Sustainable Development
Co-authors: Boško Milovanović, Stefan Denda, Vesna Ristić Vakanjac, Milan Radovanović, Jovana Brankov

Marko D. Petrović presented the paper:

Local Identity as a Driver of Socially and Environmentally Sustainable Development
Co-authors: Tamara Gajić, Ana Milanović Pešić, Emin Atasoy

Dunja Demirović presented the paper:

From Extractive to Experiential: Re-imagining Forest By-products as Sustainable Tourism Resources
Co-authors: Tamara Gajić, Aleksandra Fostikov

Zlata Vuksanović – Macura presented the paper:

Socio-Spatial Restructuring in Europe: Comparing Area-Based Urban Governance in Denmark and Serbia

Presented research – poster presentations

Jovana Brankov participated with a poster presentation:

Learning, Remembering and Playing: Social and Educational Perspectives on Traditional Sports and Games
Co-authors: Željko Bjeljac, Ana Milanović Pešić, Stefan Denda

Suzana Lović Obradović participated with a poster presentation:

Towards Targeted Flood Risk Management in Serbia: Evidence from a Municipal-Level Assessment of Population Vulnerability and Exposure
Co-authors: Milena Panić, Ana Milanović Pešić

Milena Panić participated with a poster presentation:

Stay or Leave – Stayers as Local Actors in Rural Areas in Serbia

Co-authors: Marija Drobnjaković, Vlasta Kokotović Kanazir, Milan Radovanović, Željko Bjeljac

Zlata Vuksanović – Macura participated with a poster presentation:

Urban System Hierarchies and Social Housing Accessibility in Post-Socialist Serbia
Co-authors: Dejan Doljak, Dragana Miljanović

During the IGU Regional Conference 2026, the Institute’s associates had the opportunity to have several meetings with colleagues from abroad, among which it is worth highlighting the talks with representatives of the IGU Executive Committee: President Prof. Dr Nathalie Lemarchand, Prof. Dr Michael Meadows and Prof. Dr Barbaros Gönençgil regarding the planning and organization of the IGU Regional Conference 2030 in Belgrade. There was also an opportunity to talk with representatives of the IGU Commission for Water Sustainability, President Dr Frank Winde and Vice President Prof. Dr Liliana Zaharia, and the IGU Hazards and Risks Commission, President Dr Alessandro Mondini and Dr Martina Calovi. In addition, a meeting was held with colleagues from the Institute of Geography of the Romanian Academy, led by Director, Academician Dan Balteanu, to discuss the next planned activities for the bilateral project our Institute is implementing with colleagues from Romania. During the conference, we also had the opportunity to present our journal, Journal of the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of the Serbian Academy of Sciences. Also, participation in the IGU Regional Conference 2026 enabled the Institute’s associates not only to showcase their research results to an international scientific audience but also to exchange knowledge and experiences with researchers from various countries, strengthen existing partnerships, and establish new forms of international scientific cooperation.

Of particular importance to the geographical community in Serbia was the announcement during the conference in Istanbul that the International Geographical Union Regional Conference 2030 (IGU Regional Conference 2030) will be held in Belgrade, Serbia. The future international scientific gathering was announced under the theme “Global Challenges, Local Solutions – The Power of Geography.”

The strong and thematically diverse participation of researchers from the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA at the conference in Istanbul, together with the announcement of the IGU Regional Conference 2030 in Belgrade, significantly contributes to the Institute’s international visibility and to the promotion of geographical research from Serbia within the International Geographical Union.

Date: August 29, 2026
Source: Stefan Denda and Ana Milanović Pešić

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Dear colleagues,

We have the honor to inform you, on behalf of Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA, that IGU Regional Conference 2030 will take place in Belgrade, Serbia. The conference will bring together geographers under the motto “Global Challenges, Local Solutions – the Power of Geography.”

We invite you to be part of this conference—to share your research, meet colleagues from around the world, and discover Belgrade and Serbia.

We are looking forward to see you in Serbia and share not only our scientific achievements, but also our culture, hospitality, and positive spirit.

See you in Belgrade in 2030!
In the meantime, visit our website and stay tuned for the latest updates.

Date: August 9, 2026
Source: Milena Panić, PhD

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The symposium focused on a central challenge for the European Association: enhancing the integration of traditional sports and games within educational systems. It brought together experts from France, Spain, Serbia, Portugal, and Italy, who shared experiences regarding the incorporation of these activities into both formal and informal education. By exchanging best practices, participants highlighted initiatives that contribute to the preservation and promotion of this aspect of cultural heritage across Europe and established guidelines for future efforts. Dr. Jovana Brankov and Dr. Željko Bjeljac presented projects implemented by the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA between 2023 and 2025, which aimed to raise awareness and educate local communities about traditional sports and games in Serbia, recognized as an endangered element of intangible cultural heritage.

TV report on the event, featuring a short interview with a representative from our Institute, available at the following link: TV report

Conference program:3rd International Symposium

Participants: Jovana Brankov and Željko Bjeljac

Announcement title: Reviving Heritage Through Play: Educational and Community-Based Approaches to Traditional Sports and Games in Serbia

Date: August 3, 2026
Source: Jovana Brankov

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International Conference
28–29 October 2026
Submission deadline: 15 August 2026
Extended submission deadline: 7 September 2026
Belgrade, Serbia

Housing is central to people’s well-being and life opportunities. Housing policies may promote inclusive, affordable and sustainable housing and contribute to a more resilient society, promoting equality and shared prosperity. However, in recent decades, housing systems, especially social housing, have come under growing pressure from rising inequality, demographic change, shifting lifestyles, welfare retrenchment and increasing real estate prices, leading to severe housing pressures in many European cities (Alves et al., 2026).

Deliver sAfe and Social Housing (DASH – https://www.dashousing.eu) is a four-year project funded by the European Union’s Horizon research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Staff Exchange. The DASH project aims to generate new ideas on how to promote safer social housing, and how to translate these new ideas into concrete housing products, processes and services using innovative methodological tools.

Through collaborative research and peer learning, DASH fosters the exchange of knowledge across disciplines, sectors and countries. DASH places particular emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and the co-production of knowledge to develop innovative housing models capable of providing safe and socially responsive housing for all.

As the project approaches its conclusion, the DASH consortium, in cooperation with the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and the Institute for Recent History of Serbia, is organising the DASH Final Conference on 28 and 29 October 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia. The conference aims to create a space for exchange and dialogue among researchers, practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders from both within and beyond the project.

Conference themes

Possible contributions may address, among other issues, historical trajectories of social housing, planning regimes, housing provision and management practices, models of financing, links between policy and implementation, affordability and inclusion, cooperative and community-led approaches, visual and documentary narratives of housing, and questions of quality, adaptability and design.

We welcome contributions on, but not limited to, the following topics:

1. Learning from the Past: Historical Perspectives on Social Housing and Rental Market Regulation
2. Planning for Social Housing
3. Provision and Management of Social Housing
4. Financing of Social Housing
5. Linking Housing Policy and Practice
6. Housing Affordability, Access and Inclusion
7. Cooperatives and Community-Based Housing Alternatives
8. Changing the Narrative: Documenting Social Housing
9. Social Housing Quality and Adaptability: Old and New Design/Construction Models

Submission guidelines

Please use the template.

Abstracts should include:

• title
• name(s) of author(s)
• institutional affiliation(s)
• ORCIDs of author(s) (if available)
• email address of the corresponding author
• preferred conference theme
• abstract of up to 300 words
• up to 5 keywords

Please submit your abstract in English.

Please send your abstract to:

A digital Book of Abstracts containing all accepted abstracts will be published prior to the conference.

Conference Cost

There is no conference fee.

Please note, however, that the organisers are not able to provide funding for travel or accommodation.

Important dates

• Abstract submission deadline: 15 August 2026
• Extended abstract submission deadline: 7 September 2026
• Notification of acceptance: 4 September 2026
• Notification of acceptance: 9 September 2026
• Deadline for registration: 15 September 2026
• Full programme available: 1 October 2026
• Conference dates: 28–29 October 2026

Conference venue

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Kneza Mihaila Street 35, Belgrade, Serbia

The conference will take place exclusively on site. Participants are kindly informed that no hybrid or online participation options will be provided, and all presentations are expected to be delivered in person.

Who should apply

We welcome submissions from:

• members of housing associations, cooperatives and civil society organisations
• researchers and academics
• doctoral and early-career researchers
• housing practitioners and professionals
• local and regional policymakers

Scientific committee

Zlata Vuksanović-Macura, Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of SASA, Serbia, President
Alda Botelho Azevedo, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
Aleksandar R. Miletić, Institute for Recent History of Serbia, Serbia
Astrid Ley, University of Stuttgart, Germany
Branislav Antonić, Serbian Association of Urban Planners, University of Belgrade—Faculty of Architecture, Serbia
Dejan Doljak, Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of SASA, Serbia
Els Keunen, University of Stuttgart, Germany
Konstantin A. Kholodilin, German Institute for Economic Research, Germany
Lene Wiell Norberg, Aalborg University, Denmark
Manuel Heckel, University of Stuttgart, Germany
Rikke Skovgaard Nielsen, Aalborg University, Denmark
Sara Neves, Domus Social, Portugal
Sónia Alves, Aalborg University, Denmark
Suzana Lović Obradović, Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of SASA, Serbia

Organising committee

Zlata Vuksanović-Macura, Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of SASA
Alda Botelho Azevedo, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa
Els Keunen, University of Stuttgart
Sara Neves, Domus Social

Contact

For questions regarding the conference or the submission process, please contact:

Accommodation

Participants are kindly requested to make their own accommodation arrangements.

Belgrade offers a wide range of accommodation options to suit different preferences and budgets. Several hotels are located within walking distance of the conference venue, including: 1) the Moskva Hotel , 2) Hotel Indigo Belgrade by IHG, 3) Lumière Hotel Pool & SPA, 4) Maison Royale, 5) the Palas Hotel, etc. Accommodation can also be arranged through online booking platforms such as Booking.com, Airbnb, etc.

 

Phoros:

Associates of the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA, Ana Milanović Pešić, Slavica Malinović-Milićević, Tamara Gajić, and Marko D. Petrović, have been engaged as visiting professors at the Institute of Natural Sciences and the Graduate School of Economics and Tourism at the Eurasian National University (ENU) in Astana (Kazakhstan) in the academic year 2025/2026.

During the winter semester of 2025, Dr. Malinović-Milićević was engaged as a visiting professor at the educational programs of basic and master studies in geography. The teaching was implemented in an online format for one group of students at the basic level and one at the master’s studies in geography.

During the summer semester of 2026, Dr. Gajić and Dr. Petrović provided guest lectures at ENU, and the goal of their visit to Astana was to create educational and scientific ties between institutions and exchange knowledge in the field of international academic practice.

During the summer semester of 2026, Dr. Milanović Pešić was engaged as a visiting professor at the educational program of master studies in geography. Her teaching was implemented in an online format for two groups of master’s students in geography.

Special appreciation is extended to the Office for International Cooperation of ENU and the management of the Institute of Natural Sciences and the Graduate School of Economics and Tourism at the ENU for the invitation and support.

Date: March 31, 2026
Source: Dr. Marko D. Petrović

 

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the open call for papers for the forthcoming Special Issue of Land (IF 2024: 3.2; CiteScore: 5.9) entitled: “Territory, Heritage, and Landscape Nexus: Bridging Cultural Landscape and Urbanism”.

This Special Issue aims to explore the complex relationships between territory, cultural heritage, landscape transformation, and contemporary urbanism, with particular attention to interdisciplinary approaches bridging planning, geography, architecture, heritage studies, and landscape research.

Guest Editors:
Dr. Zlata Vuksanović-Macura, Geographical institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA, Belgrade, Serbia
Dr. Nevena Vasiljević, Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Serbia
Dr. Dina Statuto, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy

Manuscript submission deadline: December 31, 2026

More information you may find at

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/special_issues/35U4P5KNN9

Date: May 11, 2026
Source: Zlata Vuksanović-Macura

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We would like to announce the open call for article submissions for upcoming Special Issue entitled Integrated Hydrological and Water Quality Approaches for Assessing and Mitigating Pollution in River, Lake and Reservoir Basins, in the academic journal Hydrology IF: 3.2, CiteScore 5.9.

Guest Editors:
Dr. Dejana Jakovljević, Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA
Dr. Dragana Milijašević Joksimović, Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA
Dr. Ana Milanović Pešić, Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA
Prof. Dr. Alina Bărbulescu, Transilvania University of Brașov, Department of Civil Engineering

Manuscript submission deadline: December 31, 2026

More information you may find at the following link https://www.mdpi.com/journal/hydrology/special_issues/W79PI26EMX

Date: March 6, 2026
Source: Dr. Dejana Jakovljević

On January 28, 2026, the “Mile Nedeljković” Award for the best book in contemporary folklore and Serbian folk tradition was presented at the National Library “Sveti Sava” in Arandjelovac. The recipients were Dr Željko Bjeljac and Dr Jovana Brankov, associates of the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, for their scientific monograph “Old Folk Sports, Games and Competitions – Preservation, Transmission of Knowledge and Presentation”. The award, named after one of the most prominent Serbian ethnologists, is conferred by the Citizens’ Association “Heritage and Future – Aranđelovac 1859”. The jury’s explanation of the award was presented by Dr Branko Zlatković, the jury’s president, and Dr Jelena Jovanović, an academician, who also provided commentary on the book.

Date: February 3, 2026
Source: Jovana Brankov, PhD

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