Ongoing projects

The InQuire Migration Research Labaratory Program is designed to support social science research with a special focus on migration studies. It aims to equip researchers with the necessary skills to conduct high-quality research in the field of migration. 

Objectives

  • Enhance research capacities in migration studies. 
  • Foster collaboration among researchers in the Western Balkans. 
  • Promote evidence-based policymaking through rigorous research. 

The program has successfully conducted multiple sessions.

The WageIndicator Foundation is an independent, multinational, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on a wide range of labor-related topics. Its mission is to improve labor market transparency by providing accessible, research-based insights for workers, employers, and policymakers.

As a coordinator for the WageIndicator network in the Western Balkans, CREDI is responsible for organizing data collection and analysis across the region. This effort is crucial for understanding wage structures, employment trends, and working conditions in the region, contributing to evidence-based policymaking and labor market improvements.

To ensure high-quality data collection, CREDI collaborates with dedicated research experts from each country within the network.

Completed projects

As part of our commitment to fostering research excellence and capacity building in the Western Balkans, WB-MIGNET successfully supported the project “Internships of Young Researchers to Migration Think Tanks in Western Balkans”. Led by the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) in Tirana, Albania, the project included CREDI as a consurtium member, alongside the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Geography (Serbia) and the Institute for Strategic Studies and Prognoses (ISSP, Montenegro).

The project provided young researchers specializing in migration with valuable opportunities to engage with leading think tanks and research institutes within the WB-MIGNET network. These internships strenghtened research skills, fostered academic development, and enhanced connections between emerging scholars and migration experts.

Funded by the Western Balkans Fund, this initiative concluded successfully, contributing to the development of regional research capacity and collaboration on migration-related issues.

The Second Regional Winter School “Diaspora as a Potential for Local Development: From National Policies to Local Actions” was organized by the Faculty of Geography and the Western Balkans Migration Network (WB-MIGNET), with support from the global program “Migration & Diaspora” (PMD) of German Development Cooperation, implemented in Serbia by GIZ.

The goal of the school, which brought together representatives of local governments from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, was to strengthen the capacities of employees in local government units to understand the significance of the diaspora in development processes and its economic contribution through the transfer of knowledge, skills, and technology.

Western Balkans Migration Network (further WB-MIGNET), organized the First Regional Winter School “Diaspora for Local Development”, held in Belgrade, Serbia in period of 10 – 11 December 2019 at ENVOY Conference Center. This innovative Winter School aims to involve experts and practitioners from the Western Balkans to establish connections, exchange knowledge and learn from the others best practices of diaspora involvement in local development. The main objective of the School is to expand knowledge about theories and methodologies for the analysis of (e)migration and diaspora from the Western Balkans, Southeast Europe and the world at large.

Coordinator of Western Balkan Migration Network and director of CREDI Nermin Oruc along with CREDI’s
CREDI’s research fellows Dzeneta Karabegovic, Jasmin Hasic participated in the World Bank project „Supporting the Effective Reintegration of Roma Returnees in the Western Balkans “. The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG-NEAR) approached the World Bank to develop an evidence base and to deliver policy advice and technical assistance for supporting the effective reintegration of (Roma) returnees in the Western Balkans countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Serbia.

With support from CREDI, Nermin Ourc and other researchers were involved in the project as national consultants for Bosnia and Herzegovina.  The synthesis report presenting the results of this research can be found here.

The third annual conference, titled “A search for that special place under the sun in Modern Europe: Migration in the 21st century”, was held on May 25-26, 2018 in Zagreb. It was jointly organized by the Institute of Economics, Institute of Migration and Ethnic Studies and University College Effectus. 

Outcomes

  • Brought together approximately 30 scientists from 14 countries, primarily from Western Balkans
  • Facilitated discussions through 3 plenary lectures, 8 sessions and a public policy debate
  • Enhanced knowledge exchange on migration issues in modern Europe. 

The second two-day Annual Conference of the Western Balkans Migration Network titled „Migration in the Western Balkans: What do we know?“ was held at International Burch University on 19-20 May 2017.

The conference brought together Western Balkans scholars and policy makers, in order to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and a discussion of migration. It challenged existing models and discourses of migration, addressed current policy challenges, and offered solutions for more humane treatment of migrants and better utilization of human mobility.

 

The Center for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), on behalf of the Western Balkans Migration Network (WB-MIGNET), is organizing a conference titled “Migration, Diaspora, and Development in Albania and the Western Balkans.”

This conference take place on October 27-28, 2017, in Tirana, Albania, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and experts to discuss key migration trends, the role of the diaspora, and their impact on the region’s development. The event aims to foster dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders to enhance policy responses and research on migration-related challenges and opportunities in the Western Balkans.

The First Annual Conference of the Western Balkans Migration Network (WB-MIGNET) in Tirana on 15-16 April 2016, marked the initiation of the Network activities. It was attended by a number of representatives from government institutions, international organisations, academia and students.

It  was hosted by the Center for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Albania, one of the Network’s founders together with six other think tanks: Institute of Economics Zagreb, Croatia; Center for Development Evaluation and Social Science Research (CDESS), Bosnia and Herzegovina; Institute for Strategic Studies and Prognoses (ISSP), Montenegro; South East European University (SEEU), Macedonia; Group 484, Serbia; and a group of independent researchers from Kosovo.

The annual meeting of members of the WB-MIGNET Executive and Academic Advisory Board was held on the second day of the conference. The event was used as an opportunity to discuss progress achieved   and finalise the plan for further activities of the Network. This is expected to contribute to producing high-quality evidence and other resources that should improve migration policies in the Western Balkan region and increase awareness on migration issues worldwide.

As an initial activity, WB-MIGNET developed the Observatory for the Western Balkans, an online platform for policymakers, researchers, and donors interested in migration issues in the region. 

Outcomes

  • Established a centralized resource hub for migration related data and reserach
  • Facilitated informed decision-making and policy development