Alps-Adriatic Scientific Award launched and presented for the first time

Alps-Adriatic Scientific Award_Official Ceremony

Winners Petra Sušilović and Eugenio Tamburrino, Elisabeth Gutjahr/University Mozarteum Salzburg/AARC President 2023, Suzana Golemi/University of Shkodra/AARC President 2022, Cristina Beretta/University of Klagenfurt/President of the Award Committee (Copyright: Katharina Grafenauer)

In order to encourage young scientists of the Alps-Adriatic region to conduct research that is of crucial importance to the region itself, the Alps-Adriatic Rectors’ Conference (AARC) has proudly launched the Alps-Adriatic Scientific Award.

The Call for Applications for the newly established award, initiated by the AARC Ambassadors of the AAU, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cristina Beretta MA and Ass.-Prof. Dr. Jasmin Donlic M.A, was announced in November 2022. Students, graduates and PhD graduates from institutions in the Alps-Adriatic region could apply – the prize acknowledging outstanding master’s and diploma theses as well as dissertations focusing on topics and issues of the Alps-Adriatic region. Theses from all disciplines as clustered within the European Research Council (ERC) and in all languages of the AARC (i.e. Albanian, Bosnian, Croatian, German, Hungarian, Italian, Serbian, Slovene and English as lingua franca) could be submitted.

The Award Committee, chaired by Prof. Cristina Beretta and composed of delegates from the AARC member institutions International University of Novi Pazar, Iuav University of Venice, University of Ca’ Foscari, University of Nova Gorica, University of Pavia, University of Shkodra and University of Klagenfurt, was very impressed by the high scientific quality of the many theses that were submitted during this year’s 1st call.

The 1st Alps-Adriatic Scientific Award was presented on 13 May 2023 within the framework of the AARC Meeting of the General Assembly, honouring two dissertations and two diploma/master’s theses. The winners are (ordered by category and alphabetically):

  • Ana-Mari Bošnjak/University of Sarajevo, “Europeanization of local self-government in transition countries” (PhD Dissertation),
  • Eugenio Tamburrino/University of Ca‘ Foscari, “Aquae Alpinae: Water in the Eastern Alps during Roman times. Water supply, discharge, management and social aspects” (PhD Dissertation),
  • Lisa Mentzl/University of Klagenfurt, “Bees, Balkans, Branding. Slovenia’s Approach to the Staging of National Identity” (master’s thesis), and
  • Petra Sušilović/University of Mostar, “Hydraulic numerical analysis of groundwater flow in the area of the left hinterland of the dam of Mostar hydroelectric power plant” (diploma thesis).

The Alps-Adriatic Rectors’ Conference heartily congratulates and thanks all award winners and participants as well as the involved AARC colleagues and institutions, and is very much looking forward to the next edition of the successfully established Alps-Adriatic Scientific Award (the next Call for Applications is currently planned for 2024)!