The idea to establish a network of young researchers interested in minority rights, post-conflict reconstruction, inter-ethnic reconciliation and dialogue in the Western Balkan region came into being in conjunction with the FP6 MIRICO project.

The main motivation for such an idea emerged as a consequence of the insufficient number of professional ties among research institutions in the region, which often pioneer reconciliatory attempts in the academic sphere of their countries. Namely, the already established links between  Western European academic institutions and (certain) counterparts in the Western Balkan region frequently give the impression that regional interconnection at the academic level exists as well. This however is not a case, as the ties among academic communities of the Western Balkan countries have been seriously damaged as a result of wars, nationalistic policies manifested by the ministries managing scientific affairs and the restricted ability to travel and become involved in cooperative projects. This sometimes occurs even within a single country.

Young scientists have been particularly hard hit by such trends, as they had no chance to get to know colleagues from other research and academic circles in neighbouring countries. The fragmentation of cooperation also resulted in limited access to the latest academic sources in neighbouring countries. Emerging literature in the different languages of the region is often available exclusively at the national level, not having being translated into English or published in the local journals. To address this shortcoming, the main aim of the network would be to create an online platform that would serve as a space of data, information and references for exchange. This would be accomplished first by developing a web platform, whereas later we anticipate the launch of an online publication named "inter@nic network paper series." This would both ensure the continued and committed cooperation of the MIRICO young researchers as well as the establishment of collaboration with other academic institutions in the region whose collaborators, young researchers, would become involved in the network.

Believing that the region posses powerful academic capacity, and assuming that true reconciliatory efforts should come from the inhabitants of the region itself, the MIRICO collaborators who originate from the countries of the region decided to put forward the initiative to establish the network. Nevertheless we do not intend to limit membership exclusively to young academics from the Western Balkans, but are looking forward to share our research results with counterparts from the rest of the world.  The first goal the creation of the network should serve is the dissemination of the MIRICO research results to all related disciplines (law, sociology, history, political science etc.). Subsequently we plan to use the network as forum for the exchange of ideas and research findings dealing with recent history and its implications for today's societies.

List of inter@nic network national contact coordinators: