The RSKH is integrated with the CIS-FPS academic web domain that encompasses its research and publishing activities. This includes political, economic, environmental, societal and military aspects of regional security. The project’s scope corresponds to the comprehensive, broadened and widened concept of security that is the standard in the contemporary academic study in International Security Studies as a subfield of International Relations, as well as in the practice of international organizations such as the UN and the OSCE.
The OSCE mission to Serbia has been co-operating with the Faculty of Political Science for more than a decade. The cornerstone of this co-operation has been the Mission’s support for the scholarship program for security-related MA and PhD studies at the Faculty, a part of the education component of the project Consolidating the democratization process in the security sector in Serbia.
Until now, the Mission covered the costs of more than 100 scholarships for young Serbian citizens. In 2015, the Mission created the Alumni Network of scholarship recipients in order to provide more opportunities for academic development and interaction. Another complementary activity within the project is support for the Journal of Regional Security, as the flagship publication of the Faculty, which often includes word of the members of the Alumni Network.
In order to enhance visibility/increase the reach of the Journal of Regional Security and provide more opportunities for academic and policy discussion on security issues, the Mission supports the development of the online platform entitled Regional Security Knowledge Hub (hereinafter referred to as RSKH).
The leader of the project is the Center for International Security of the Faculty of Political Science (CIS-FPS) at the Faculty of Political Science (FPS) which co-publishes Journal of Regional Security with the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), and being supported by the OSCE Mission to Serbia.
The RSKH shall address the need for a reliable source of scholarly knowledge and information with an ambition to foster an epistemic community for regional security questions and policy-relevant knowledge. This is to be done via two distinct streams of knowledge resources that are bounded by our goal to engage our key beneficiaries, the global community of scholars and students, in the dialogue about regional security dynamics and theory around the world. In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for online platforms for exchange among scholars and students has been massive.
Marko Kovačević
Project Coordinator
Marko Kovačević is an Assistant Professor in International Security at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Political Science. His research and teaching focus on international relations theory, critical security studies, European security, small states, and academic writing, including the coordination of the MA Program in Peace, Security and Development in the academic year 2024/2025.
Marko’s current research explores regional security cooperation in the Western Balkans, role theory and Eastern European candidacies for elected UN bodies. During 2022–2025, he was the work package leader on the MIND research project, funded by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, and currently contributes to the Horizon Europe project Geo-Power-EU (2024–2027).
Some of his articles have appeared in European Political Science, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, Journal of International Relations and Development, Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, and Third World Thematics: A TWQ Journal, including the chapters in edited volumes published by Routledge and Springer. Marko is a Co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Regional Security. He earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Political Science (2021).
Tijana Rečević
Assistant Project Coordinator
Tijana Rečević holds a Ph.D. in International and European Studies and currently serves as a Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade. She earned her BA and MA degrees in International Relations from the University of Belgrade and an MA in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Her doctoral research explores the role of public opinion in foreign and security policy. Her primary academic interests include international relations and security theory, critical security studies, foreign policy analysis, and European studies.
Tijana has published several articles and book chapters with reputable academic publishers and has participated in multiple international research projects on EU security and defence policy, including the ongoing GeoPower Europe project funded by Horizon Europe. Since 2019, she has served as Managing Editor of the Journal of Regional Security.
Milan Hiber
Intern
Milan Hiber is an MA student in Peace, Security and Development at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade. He completed his undergraduate degree in International Studies at the same faculty. He also completed the Future Studies programme of advanced undergraduate studies at the Belgrade Open School.
Milan is a Project Assistant at the Belgrade Open School, where he works on SIDA-funded programmes relating to the process of accession of Serbia to the European Union. He is an editor of BOS’ Let’s Talk About Negotiations news portal.
He is also a founder of the civil society organisation CERS (Center for Education and Regional Cooperation), whose mission is to promote cooperation and dialogue among youth in the region through informal education.
Aleksandra Vušurović
Intern
Aleksandra Vušurović is an MA student in Peace, Security and Development at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade. She also holds a master’s degree in Architecture from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade. Her research interests are predominantly focused on the fields of international security and the politics of memory in international relations, as well as on materially-oriented research in IR and security studies. The geographic focus of her interests includes Russia and the post-Soviet security complex, the Western Balkans and the EU.
Through her work at Beldocs IDFF, Aleksandra also has several years’ experience in implementing human rights projects addressing transitional justice, youth cooperation, reconciliation and peacebuilding in the WB region.
Sabina Sali
Intern
Sabina Sali is a final-year International Relations student at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade. Her academic interests include European integration, regional cooperation, the foreign policies of the Balkans, Turkey, and the Middle East, as well as the role of youth in democratic processes.
She has gained practical experience in research, project administration, education, and media through work with the Centre for Contemporary Politics, CRTA, and the Belgrade Open School. She has participated in international programs such as the Regional Academy for Peacebuilding, the School of American Studies, and the European School of Debate, and has been involved in election monitoring, policy analysis, and educational workshops. Sabina is a recipient of the Dositeja Scholarship and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Scholarship.
Lazar Šljukić
Intern
Lazar Šljukić is a graduate student of International Studies at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade. His academic and professional interests include international security, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, regional cooperation in the Western Balkans, and the role of youth in reconciliation processes. He has participated in several cross-border initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue and understanding between young people from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo.
Lazar was involved in various projects related to regional development, intercultural exchange, and grassroots peace efforts. His experience includes work with international organisations and youth-focused platforms promoting inclusion, tolerance, and cooperation across ethnic and national divides.
Former Interns
- Regional Security Knowledge Hub, Phase 2 (2023): Katarina Bogićević, Nikolina Klajić, Iva Kojić, Nina Pavlović, Ivana Janković
- Regional Security Knowledge Hub, Phase 1 (2020-2021): Aneta Šamanc, Marko Žunjić, Ognjen Radosavljević