National Competitiveness in the Western Balkans: Challenges and Opportunities

The main economic factors that influence national competitiveness are GDP growth, inflation, foreign direct investment and the trade balance. The main objective of this chapter is to identify the impact of national competitiveness on economic growth in the Western Balkans. In this context, this chapter will focus on: (1) the theoretical analysis of clusters as a factor in the competitiveness of an economy and (2) the analysis of the state of economic reforms and policies that are crucial for the competitiveness of the Western Balkan (WB) countries, with a direct focus on investment policies and promotion. The study is based on a descriptive analysis of secondary data from the OECD. The period covered by the investment policy analysis is 2018 to 2024, and the results show that national competitiveness in the WB countries needs to be further strengthened by improving the business environment, creating better conditions for investment and promoting innovation, all with the aim of economic growth in these countries

Digital repositories and researchers’ perceptions of performance: Evidence from Serbia

This study examines researchers’ perceptions of the impact of digital repositories on scientific efficiency and productivity in Serbia, a developing research environment with a national Open Science policy that is still in the development phase. Based on a survey conducted among 326 researchers from universities and research institutes across various disciplines, the analysis explores how professional characteristics, including institution type, academic degree, discipline, and years of experience, affect perceived benefits from repository use. Logistic regression analysis shows that researchers affiliated with institutes, those in the humanities, and mid-career researchers are significantly more likely to perceive that repositories enhance efficiency and productivity. Academic degree alone does not significantly influence perception, suggesting that repository use depends more on institutional environment, disciplinary norms, and practical experience than on formal titles. The findings highlight the importance of institutional support, early integration of repositories into research workflows, and tailored training to maximize usage and benefits. These results provide a foundation for aligning national Open Science policies with everyday research practices, supporting targeted interventions to increase repository adoption and enhance research efficiency and productivity across disciplines

Scientific output in STEM disciplines and economic growth in the Visegrad Group: the role of industry

The rapid development of science and technology underlines the importance of ongoing analysis of the relationship between scientific output and countries’ economic growth. Despite robust empirical evidence supporting a positive relationship between scientific output and economic growth, the mechanisms through which science contributes to economic growth remain insufficiently understood. Using annual time series data from 1996 to 2022 for the four Visegrad Group countries and applying the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach, this study examines whether a long-term relationship exists between scientific output in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and economic growth. In addition, the study examines the role of industry as a potential mediating mechanism linking scientific output to tangible economic benefits. The study reveals several key findings: 1) STEM disciplines exhibit a positive long-term relationship with economic growth in the Visegrad countries; 2) not all STEM disciplines demonstrate such a relationship across all four Visegrad countries; 3) in certain Visegrad countries, the relationship between scientific output in specific STEM disciplines and economic growth is either fully or partially mediated by industry. The research provides not only new insights into the intermediary role of industry in linking scientific output with economic benefits, but also practical guidance for policymakers in the Visegrad countries regarding the strategic allocation of research and development (R&D) resources. The findings underscore the need for more differentiated R&D policies that consider country-specific variations in the relationship between science and industry, aiming to ensure the optimal translation of scientific output into tangible economic benefits

Unveiling Research Synergies in the Western Balkans Exploring Potential Research Collaboration within the Context of Smart Specialisation

The Western Balkan economies have undergone significant socio-economic transformations over the past few decades. Despite significant progress, the region’s research landscape is characterised by fragmented research efforts, limited funding and insufficient regional research cooperation. This article explores research collaboration within the Western Balkans, focusing on common research areas identified in the process of developing smart specialisation strategies. The study aims to understand the structure and dynamics of existing research networks and assess the evolution of research cooperation by comparing two consecutive periods. By analysing data from the Scopus database on Computer Science and Environmental Science publications over a ten-year period (2014–2023), the study employs Social Network Analysis to map and examine research collaboration networks. Findings reveal increased decentralisation and connectivity, suggesting a shift towards more balanced collaboration. This study advances understanding of research synergies in the Western Balkans, providing actionable insights for policymakers, funding organisations and researchers to foster more effective and targeted collaboration

Occupational change and employment in agriculture in Serbia

The aim of this paper is to analyze employment trends in Serbian agriculture from 2010 to 2024, focusing on workforce size and occupational structure. We apply descriptive statistics to Eurostat and national Labour Force Survey data to track changes across subsectors and ISCO-08 groups. Our results show that total employment in the economy stayed stable, while agriculture declined continuously, mainly due to reduced self-employment. Agricultural production lost about one-third of its workforce, reflecting demographic pressures and the erosion of small farms. Forestry and fishing show irregular patterns without long- term growth. At the same time, the occupational structure remains rigid: skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers account for over 80% of employment, while other groups stay marginal. These findings confirm global trends of labour moving away from agriculture but reveal limited progress in Serbia toward diversification and technological change. These shifts create serious challenges for sustainability and require targeted modernization policies

Objective vs. Perceived Digital Entrepreneurial Competencies of Female Students in Serbia

This study examines the relationship between perceived and objectively demonstrated digital entrepreneurial competence (DEC) among female higher education students in Serbia. The aim is to assess the extent of calibration between self-assessed and knowledge-based measures of DEC and to explore whether demonstrated competence and calibration differ by employment status and study level. The study applies a cross-sectional quantitative design using two complementary instruments: a self-assessment questionnaire and a knowledge- based test. The data originate from an online survey conducted between March and May 2025 among students in Serbian higher education institutions. The analysis focuses on the subsample of female students who completed both instruments (N = 62). The findings indicate a systematic tendency toward overestimation of DEC. Employed female students demonstrate higher objectively assessed competence, while Master’s students show both higher demonstrated competence and smaller calibration gaps; however, these differences should be interpreted cautiously due to the overlap between employment status and study level in the subsample. Theresults underline the importance of combining subjective and objective measures in the assessment of DEC and suggest that dual-assessment approaches can help educators and policymakers identify both competence gaps and self-assessment bias

Social Inclusion of Roma through Active Labor Market Policies in Serbia

Roma communities across Europe face persistent labor market exclusion, characterized byhigh unemployment, informal work, and limited access to formal employment. Despitenumerous policy initiatives, evidence on the effectiveness of active labor market policies(ALMPs) targeting ethnic minorities remains scarce, largely due to the absence ofethnicity-disaggregated data. This paper evaluates the employment outcomes of a targetedALMP program, "Inclusion of Roma and other Marginalized Groups in Serbia", implementedby German Development Cooperation in support of the National Strategy for Social Inclusionof Roma in Serbia 2016–2025. The program provided vocational training, practical skillsacquisition, and self-employment subsidies to Roma and returnees facing multiple barriers tolabor market participation. Using data from an endline survey of 350 program participantsconducted on average 14 months after registration, the paper examines changes inemployment status, sectoral employment patterns, job quality, and participant satisfaction.The results show a substantial increase in employment — from 23.4% before the program to65.2% after participation. The largest employment gains were recorded in industry (+48.2percentage points), followed by other sectors (+46.4 p.p.), self-employment (+33.5 p.p.), andservices (+27.2 p.p.). Most participants expressed satisfaction with the program: 78.6%received certificates and 63.3% found the acquired skills useful. However, job qualityimprovements remained limited, only 18% of those employed held permanent contracts andjust 11.4% reported increased earnings attributable to the program. Regression analysisindicates that educational attainment was the strongest predictor of post-programemployment, while gender and returnee status showed no significant effect. The findingssuggest that ALMPs can be an effective tool for promoting labor market inclusion of highlymarginalized populations, but sustained improvements in job quality and earnings requirecomplementary investments in formal education and demand-side policies

Responsible Transformation of Education Through Engineering Students’ Perceptions of Well-Being

Higher education institutions are committed to continuous enhancement of educational programs to ensure alignment with student needs and expectations. Nevertheless, there remains an insufficient grasp of students’ perceptions of wellbeing dimensions, limiting institutions’ ability to create responsible supportive environments. The study aims to offer deeper understanding of engineering student’s perspectives on the relevance and impact of key components influencing their well-being. Based on literature review insights and the identified research gap, the OECD Better Life Index dimensions were applied at the micro-level to examine students’ perceptions. The study included 276 first-year undergraduate engineering students enrolled at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the perceived importance of individual dimensions, while the Mann-Whitney test identified potential gender related differences and correlation analysis explored relationships among dimensions. The analysis highlighted that personal and professional advancement are seen as having significant importance, while there is high unawareness on importance of civic engagement and social responsibility. The findings highlight both what students seek and the areas where higher education institutions need to respond by helping students understand the importance of less prioritized dimensions and offering them engaging opportunities. This study makes a meaningful contribution by clarifying how young people perceive various well-being dimensions and aligning these insights with strategic approaches that higher education institutions can implement, therefore offering practical guidance and recommendation for fostering higher student engagement

Ya Falastin: Networks of Resistance Against The Economy of Genocide

This work offers a radical ecological reading of Palestine as a more-than-human subject. What pedagogies emerge when we listen to olive roots, children's voices, poets addressing land as sentient witness? Using the Tree of Life and Death as a methodological metaphor, I trace how pluriversal relational pedagogies form counter-metabolism against capitalism's parasitic logic. The Tree framework structures analysis: roots hold pre-monotheistic ontologies where earth and body remain inseparable; branches express steadfastness, care, and reciprocity; mycorrhizal networks sustain life while sharing soil with Armillaria – capitalism feeding on death. I map three necro-economic patterns: epistemicide (killing the word “genocide”), economy of genocide ($225 billion through arms/tech/finance), and ecocide (one million olive trees as temporal annihilation). Palestinian voices persist as epistemologies. When poets address “Ya Falastin,” land becomes a listening subject – trees witness, roots remember, soil responds – these are not testimonies but theory. Counter-hegemonic processes that allow the forest of life to survive depend on unlearning growth ideology and cultivating global solidarities rooted in collective refusal

Harmonization of the agricultural policy of the Republic of Serbia with the agricultural policy of the European Union

This paper focuses on agricultural policy as a set of measures that influence the functioning, growth, and improvement of agriculture in a country like the Republic of Serbia. Serbia’s agricultural policy is intertwined with various national policy activities and depends on the common budget resources, facing constant pressures and challenges. The key objective is to analize the alignment of Serbia’s agricultural policy (SAP) measures with the agricultural policy of the European Union. The results of this research indicate that although the SAP has experienced decline and serious crises, structural and systemic changes in agricultural policy have occurred in recent years through integration, the adoption of standards and regulations, and significant financial investments. Harmonization with EU laws, accompanied by increasing financial assistance, enables further development of Serbia’s agricultural policy. However, several limiting factors still exist in Serbia concerning alignment with the EU’s agricultural policy, such as the unfavorable position of rural areas, low educational levels of the population, and depopulation of rural regions