Perspective Europe: Building Future with Science

The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina was entrusted by the German Federal Government to take the lead in the field of education, science and society in the framework of the Western Balkans Process. Being aware of the crucial importance of this science diplomacy undertaking, Leopoldina brought together key national stakeholders of the science and education systems in a newly established platform, the so-called Joint Science Conference of the Western Balkans Process.

Participants from 12 countries attended the launching meeting at the Leopoldina headquarters in Halle and at the German Federal Chancellery in Berlin: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Kosovo*, FYRo Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. The conference was organised with the kind support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Federal Chancellery, the German Federal Foreign Office and the Prussian Heritage Foundation.

The first part of the conference dealt with the main integration challenges in South-East Europe, envisaging three priority areas: politics, science and society. In the second part, the programme encompassed roundtables on the future of the science systems – including means for enhancing cooperation within and with South East Europe – as well as on the science-policy-society interaction and its role in the strategic European integration. Further, the programme featured meetings with political stakeholders involved in the Western Balkans Process and discussions on the role of culture in international relations.

The results were summarised in a Joint Statement, which was inserted into the 2nd stern Balkans Summit of heads of state and government, held on 27 August 2015 in Vienna (Austria).