ECMI at the ASN Conference in Cluj, Romania

2023-07-14
ECMI Team at ASN Cluj Conference

The European Centre for Minority Issues made its presence felt at the highly esteemed ASN Conference, hosted in the vibrant city of Cluj-Napoca, Romania on 6-8 July. The conference, jointly organized by the Babeș-Bolyai University (Faculty of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences & Faculty of Sociology and Social Work) and the Romanian Institute for Research on National Minorities (RIRNM), witnessed a confluence of intellectuals, researchers, and professionals, all converging to deliberate on crucial themes encompassing nationalism, ethnic conflict, and minority rights.

At the ASN Conference entitled “Reframing Nationalism and Populism in the Context of Securitization: Political Struggles and Scholarly Debates”, ECMI researchers presented their studies and engaged in compelling discussions that explored the complexities of minority issues in Europe. Their contributions enriched the academic discourse and garnered attention from attendees and fellow scholars alike. The ECMI researchers who participated in the conference and their topics were:

  • Aziz Berdiqulov: Topic: Russian “relocants” and Afghan refugees in Tajikistan – not everyone equally welcome?
  • Ljubica Djordjević: Topic: Sensitivity of population census in ethnically diverse societies: a view from the Western Balkans
  • Martin Klatt: Topic: Minorities, self-determination, and border delineation – a Pandora’s box?
  • ECMI Director, Vello Pettai: Topic: Minority educational reforms in Estonia and Latvia: the twilight of Russian-language education?

Among the highlights was also the keynote address, "How the study of nationalism helps us understand this moment, and what we have yet to understand," delivered by Zsuzsa Csergő from Queen's University, Canada. At that time, Zsuzsa Csergő was also a visiting researcher at the ECMI, further enhancing the Center's interdisciplinary expertise.

Beyond their research endeavors, ECMI seized the opportunity to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the European Yearbook of Minority Issues (EYMI) through an engaging academic panel and a captivating exhibition. The panel, "European Yearbook of Minority Issues: Two Decades of Mapping Europe’s Minority Landscape," guided by ECMI’s Ljubica Djordjević, provided a captivating journey through time, exploring the evolution of minority issues across Europe as documented in the past 20 volumes of the Yearbook. Esteemed scholars, Sergiu Constantin (Eurac Research), Zsuzsa Csergo (Queen's University), Tove Malloy (Europa-Universität Flensburg), and David Smith (University of Glasgow), collaborated in examining the Yearbook's unique position in publishing content related to minority topics.

Complementing the panel, the exhibition of the same title was developed by ECMI's communications coordinator, Stanislav Černega, with invaluable input from Meyeti Payet (ECMI Consultant) and Ljubica Djordjević. This exhibition showcased the EYMI's remarkable development over the years, providing a visually pleasing representation of the publication's unwavering dedication to advancing academic discussions on minority rights and cultural diversity. Attendees were enthralled by the curated poster exhibition, which artfully depicted key research questions from each volume of the EYMI, effectively capturing the unfolding narratives of minority rights and social progress across Europe. The ECMI is now gearing up to make it accessible to a broader audience by launching it online soon.

The ECMI's participation in the ASN Conference solidified its reputation as a leading authority on minority issues in Europe, leaving a lasting impact on attendees and furthering its commitment to promoting inclusivity and diversity throughout the continent.

For additional information about the conference, please visit the conference website. To learn more about the European Yearbook of Minority Issues (EYMI), please explore the EYMI subpage.

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