By December 2024, ten participants of the Kosovo-Serbia Research Visiting Program finalized their research projects. This program brought together five researchers from Serbia and five from Kosovo with the goal of fostering regional cooperation and creating a platform for individuals motivated to conduct research on the relations between two societies. The topics they explored include cultural heritage, dealing with the past, socially engaged art, nationalism in music and pop culture, and more.
In June 2024, as part of the program, the group from Serbia visited Pristina and Gračanica, while the group from Kosovo visited Belgrade. During these visits, the researchers engaged with over 20 organizations, university professors, activists, and artists. They had the opportunity to meet with academics, cultural workers, and activists such as Jelena Lončar, Idro Seferi, Jeta Xharra, Vladimir Arsenijević, Vesa Qena, Siniša Volarević, Mila Mihajlović, Enver Petrovci, Shpetim Selmani, and Visar Krusha.
The researchers also visited various organizations, including the Humanitarian Law Center, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER), National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS), Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), European Policy Centre (CEP), BIRN Kosovo, Kosovo 2.0, Musine Kokalari Institute, Qendra Multimedia, Artpolis, Integra, Oral History Initiative, Foundation 17, Civil Rights Defenders, and others. These visits provided the groundwork for the participants’ research, which they developed and completed over the following months. Below, you will find the biographies of the program participants and links to their final research papers:
Nemanja Kidžin, Belgrade, Serbia

Nemanja Kidžin is a PhD candidate in psychology at the University of Belgrade and a research associate at the Institute of Psychology in Belgrade. He has primarily focused on the psychological impact of acting on empathy, personality, and dissociative experiences, although his research area is broader and includes the study of acting and theatre from various social science perspectives. In this project, Nemanja explored the work of theatre actors and organisations from Kosovo and Serbia that engage with socially relevant topics in their artistic work. Given the history of collaboration between societies from Serbia and Kosovo, Nemanja’s research focused on how this collaboration functions, what its goals are, and what its effects are. Artistic and non-governmental organisations from both communities achieve fruitful cooperation, which stands out against the political climate of neglect and isolation in which they operate. Joint projects they work on, regardless of political boundaries, fill a communication vacuum and have an emancipatory effect on society. The political and social context in which they create has a multifaceted function. On one hand, it represents a limiting factor and a barrier to greater achievements, while on the other, recognition by political structures stands out as one of the main goals of their work.
You can download his research HERE.
Albulena Mavraj, Pristina, Kosovo

Albulena Mavraj is a journalist with experience primarily in print media in Kosovo, focusing on economic and political issues. She graduated from the University of Hasan, Pristina with a degree in journalism and also completed her master’s studies in Mass Communication and Journalism. Albulena was awarded a scholarship from the European Union and participated in the ERASMUS program, attending studies for one semester in Norway at NLA College as part of the Global Journalism program. Her research aims to explore economic cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia, specifically examining export and import policies and statistics. Despite the ongoing political challenges faced by both Kosovo and Serbia on their path to peace, trade between the two countries remains the most significant in terms of both exports and imports. Albulena used a qualitative approach in her research, conducting interviews with relevant stakeholders from both Kosovo and Serbia.
Her work was published on BuletiniEkonomik, and you can download her research HERE.
Nevena Rudinac, Belgrade, Serbia

Nevena Rudinac is a researcher and activist with a particular interest in addressing the past. She works at the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia, where she contributes to the development of the Transitional Justice Program. She holds a master’s in psychology from the University of Belgrade and is currently pursuing a master’s in political science at the Faculty of Media and Communications. Her paper examines the contested collective memories surrounding the Kosovo War, particularly the differing narratives between Kosovo Albanians and Serbs. It highlights how collective memory is shaped by political interests and plays a crucial role in nation-building, with Kosovo Albanians framing the war as a liberation and Kosovo Serbs viewing it through the lens of victimhood. The paper discusses how memory activists challenge these dominant, often state-sponsored narratives by promoting marginalized voices, such as those of victims of sexualised violence and anti-war protesters. The research underscores the difficulties that activists face in changing the deeply entrenched memories of the war, as it is tied to personal and political identity.
You can download her research HERE.
Merita Hasani, Mitrovica, Kosovo

Merita Hasani is a legal professional from Mitrovica, with extensive experience as a legal assistant and researcher. She has a background in transitional justice related to the Kosovo-Serbia conflict and is an active feminist advocate working on women’s issues in the Balkans. Over the past five years, she has focused on promoting gender equality and social justice in her community through activism and volunteer work. Merita also completed an internship at the Humanitarian Law Center in Belgrade, gaining insights into human rights and legal advocacy. Her research explores the legal challenges faced by Kosovo Serbs, particularly concerning citizenship rights, and examines how these challenges impact both peace and conflict in the region. She aims to provide a deeper understanding of the human stories behind the legal issues, emphasizing the importance of addressing legal injustices while fostering dialogue and reconciliation in a historically complex region.
You can download her research HERE.
Katarina Mladenović, Belgrade, Serbia

Katarina Mladenović completed undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, in Management and Production in Radio, Theater, and Culture, and her master’s degree in Scene Architecture and Design at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad. She participated in the production of various cultural projects in Serbia, after which she continued her education in Indonesia, where in 2023, she completed her master’s degree in Anthropology at Gadjah Mada University, focusing her research on the anthropology of space and the heritage of cultural landscapes. In this project, her research focuses on the intersection of national identity, belonging, and the emotional landscapes of post-conflict societies, particularly in the context of Serbia and Kosovo. Katarina examines how historical narratives, collective trauma, and past conflicts perpetuate mistrust and obstruct reconciliation efforts. Central to her research is the exploration of identity crises, especially how fear of the ‘other’ shapes national identity and geopolitical relations between Serbia and Kosovo. She also explores the impact of cultural significance, territorial ties, and historical myths on national pride and collective memory, which profoundly influence the current relations between the two societies.
You can download her research HERE.
Butrint Avdyli, Peja, Kosovo

Butrint Avdyli is a journalist from Peja, Kosovo. He completed his studies at the University for Business and Technology in Prishtina and further pursued a master’s degree at AAB College. Since 2016, Butrint has been working for Telegrafi, the largest online media outlet in Kosovo, initially as a journalist and currently as an editor. Throughout his career, Butrint has conducted numerous interviews with notable personalities and has covered important topics related to culture, art, youth, as well as environmental and health issues. He is the recipient of two prestigious awards: the Best Video Story at the journalism competition organised by RYCO and Deutsche Welle in 2023, and the Media Award in Kosovo from the TrustBuilding Platform, organised by UNMIK, recognizing his outstanding commitment to journalism. In addition to his media work, Butrint contributed to RYCO in 2024 by producing several articles for the Hajde Platform. He has successfully secured two journalism grants awarded by CBM and USAID Kosovo. In his research, Butrint wanted to highlight the achievements of Albanian artists in the vibrant cultural scene of Belgrade, with a particular focus on the legacy of the actor Bekim Fehmiu. Central to this exploration were in-depth interviews with relevant cultural actors who were familiar with the legacies of post-Yugoslav movie and theatre scene.
His work was published on the Telegrafi portal. You can download his work HERE.
Anđelija Stanimirović, Niš, Serbia

Anđelija Stanimirović graduated in communications from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Niš. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, specializing in Elections and Electoral Campaigns. Her academic interests include studying various forms of propaganda, identity formation processes, and political ideologies. In her research, Anđelija explores the presence of nationalism in public discourse and popular music, as well as how identities are shaped by propaganda narratives and political campaigns, particularly among young people. Based on fieldwork and theoretical research, her work identifies numerous examples of harmful narratives that may contribute to fueling conflicts between the Serbian and Albanian communities in the territory of Kosovo. Young people represent a particularly vulnerable category for such narratives, as they are in a specific stage of life where attitudes and identities are being formed, often making them the primary participants in interethnic incidents.
You can download her research HERE.
Azem Deliu, Pristina, Kosovo

Azem Deliu has a bachelor’s in Albanian literature from University of Pristina and works as executive creative director at Horizon Plus. Azem was honored with the prestigious Distinguished Student Award for his first poetry volume, The Funeral of Rain (2013). His first novel, The Illegal Kisser (2016), became a national bestseller and has already been translated into English. Interest in the author is also growing in other countries. The French press has called him ‘a great author from a small country’ and ‘the new star of European literature’. His novel Notes of the Worm Smolinski was translated in Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Turkish and was shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Literature 2020. Azem aimed to analyze street art and chants of sports fan groups in Serbia to address messages from the other side, as well as messages from one’s own groups and group identities. Azem intended to use comparative literature techniques to compare intertextuality, interculturality, terrains of influence, and relations of the expressions with the past and present, as well as the projections some of them have for the future. These reflections are written in narrative essay form.
You can download his research HERE.
Uroš Popadić, Belgrade, Serbia

Uroš Popadić is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Belgrade, with a focus on Peace and Security Studies, writing about the role of the EU in peacebuilding in the Western Balkans. At the faculty, he is working on a project at the Centre for Peace studies (the Balkan Peace Index), and at the Centre for International Security. He is the President of the Research Forum at the European Movement in Serbia, where he is also a part of a project of the European Institute of Peace on regional cooperation and reconciliation. Uroš has published two books at the European Center for Peace and Development, as well as several scientific articles. Uroš explored how culture and intercultural cooperation can contribute to reconciliation, through an analysis of peacebuilding efforts among cultural organisations and civil society organisations in Belgrade and Prishitna. His research was based on interviews which were founded on the theoretical ideas of social identity theory and the culture of peace. He investigated the understanding of ideas, narratives, identities, and concepts in the popular imagination, in the context of the search for a shared European identity. He found many commonalities between the two communities, with a shared interest in cooperation and understanding in the fields of art and culture. He also found that both communities have the same fears and worries of the political reconciliation struggle, with negative official rhetoric harming intersubjective peace.
You can download his research HERE.
Albina Kastrati, Podujevo, Kosovo

Albina Kastrati is a young journalist with a background in activism and Kosovo-Serbia relations. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Prishtina and has gained experience working at Gazeta 10 and interning with Deutsche Welle. Additionally, she completed an eight-month fellowship with Radio Free Europe and is currently with BIRN. At Balkan Transitional Justice, Albina’s investigative and creative writing skills contribute to a deeper public understanding of regional issues. Committed to journalistic integrity, her role involves synthesizing research, storytelling, and cultural insights to inform and empower audiences. Her work at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has further honed these competencies, underscoring her dedication to rigorous and enlightening journalism. Her investigative work with Heartefact focuses on the complex dynamics of integration and identity in the Balkans, particularly between the Albanian and Serbian communities. Through personal stories and experiences she explores the challenges of integrating while navigating cultural differences, historical tensions, and misunderstandings between assimilation and integration.
You can download her research HERE.
This program was carried out as part of the project “Enhancing Cross-Border Cooperation and Civic Engagement in the Western Balkans,” which Heartefact implements with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).