The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) and Boston Consortium for Arab Region Studies (BCARS), under the umbrella of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, organized a two-day international conference on the refugee crisis in Belgrade on July 20th and 21st.
The conference’s participants concluded, among other things, that the refugee crisis has unfortunately turned into a long term situation, exacerbated by the increasing unpredictability of developments in the field and actions of the many actors involved.
The two-day Belgrade event started with opening remarks by Northeastern University’s Co-Director of the Middle East Center Denis J. Sullivan, who said that the idea for such a conference originated during his trip to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan—a location he visited with CIRSD President Vuk Jeremić.
“Because of the complicated nature of the refugee situation, there are no solutions that we could adopt in advance. When it comes to this particular situation, even six months is a long-term. We must not forget that the main driver of the refugee crisis is the Syrian civil war,” professor Sullivan said.
The conference included participants from the United States, Europe, and the Balkans, many of whom were researchers and activists dealing directly with the effects of the refugee crisis.
In order to be able to adequately face 21st-century refugee realities, the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees requires serious reform, as it clearly falls short of contemporary demands, the participants argued. They noted that even if such a reform were enacted, the broader UN system still requires deeper reform.
Following the conferences on refugees held earlier in Istanbul and Brussels, the Belgrade event served as a continuation of the joint CIRSD-BCARS effort. The next event is set to take place this autumn in New York.
Horizons Hosts James Dorsey for a Discussion on Middle East Escalation
The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) hosted an award-winning journalist and scholar Dr. James M. Dorsey for a special Horizons Discussion on June 23rd, 2025. In conversation with Horizons Managing Editor Stefan Antić, Dorsey unpacked the lightning-fast escalation between Israel and Iran, the Trump administration’s divided response, and the wider stakes for regional and great-power politics.
Read more
Vuk Jeremić at St. Petersburg Economic Forum: “We Are Living in a Time of Grave Geopolitical Instability”
St. Petersburg, June 2025 – Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on the high-level panel “Eco-Rethinking of the Global Financial System,” Vuk Jeremić, President of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), delivered a stark warning about the risks posed by escalating global tensions to any serious attempt at international financial system reform.
Read more
CIRSD Hosts Ugandan Presidential Advisor Odrek Rwabwogo in Latest Horizons Discussion: A Deep Dive into Africa’s Industrial Future
The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) hosted Mr. Odrek Rwabwogo, Uganda’s Presidential Advisor on Exports and Industrial Development, as the featured guest in the latest installment of its flagship Horizons Discussion series — the main dialogue platform of Horizons journal.
Read more
CIRSD Vice President Stefan Jovanović Speaks at Regional Conference on China’s Role in the Western Balkans
Belgrade, June 5, 2025 – Stefan Jovanović, Vice President of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), participated in the regional conference “Democracy Meets Strategy: Parliament’s Place in China Policy”, held in Belgrade. The event gathered parliamentarians, policymakers, and experts from across the Western Balkans to examine the region’s evolving cooperation with the People’s Republic of China.
Read more
“Because of the complicated nature of the refugee situation, there are no solutions that we could adopt in advance. When it comes to this particular situation, even six months is a long-term. We must not forget that the main driver of the refugee crisis is the Syrian civil war,” professor Sullivan said.
