Dr. Naum Trajanovski
Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences
2016-21 Graduate School for Social Research, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw
Ph.D. in Sociology (with distinction) at the
2015-16 Central European University, Budapest
MA in Nationalism Studies (with distinction)
2012-14 Interdisciplinary Joint Master's Programme in South-Eastern European Studies, Skopje
MA in Political Science (with distinction)
Professional Experience
2025-27 Robert Zajonc Institute for Social Studies, University of Warsaw
Adjunct; Project title: NSC: Patchwork Parliaments. Post-Imperial Field of Power in The New Republic of Poland, Greater Romania and The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes after the First World War
2022-25 Faculty of Sociology, University of Warsaw
Adjunct; Project title: VWS: Towards Illiberal Constitutionalism in East Central Europe
2020-23 Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Reseacrher; Project title: H2020: CONNEKT, Contexts of Violent Extremisms in MENA and Balkan Societies
2018-20 Faculty of Philosophy Skopje, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius
Researcher; Project title: H2020: RETOPEA, Religious Tolerance and Peace Agreements
2017 European Network Remembrance and Solidarity
Project Co-coordinator; Project title: In Between? Searching for Local Histories in Borderlands of Europe
From Borders to Bridges: The Upward and Downward Spirals of Inter-State Relations in Europe
Scholarly literature underscores that bilateral relations are not a one-way trajectory toward improvement; rather, they are dynamic processes fraught with challenges and setbacks. A pertinent example is the recent deterioration in relations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria. Despite the signing of the Treaty of Friendship in 2017, stipulating reconciliation in the name of the European values, tensions between the two countries have escalated ever since, involving (re)securitisation of the past and an emergence of a discourse that suggests distrust. This case therefore illustrates how instrumentalisation of historical disputes, identity politics, and nationalist rhetoric can hinder diplomatic progress and lead to political and social stalemates.
This course invites participants to critically rethink inter-state relations by examining them through the local context of the twin city Frankfurt (Oder) - Słubice, set against the broader backdrop of the ongoing North Macedonia-Bulgaria case. The latter will serve as a focal point for introducing key theoretical concepts related to conflicts over history and memory, while the course will utilize the local context to engage with three major dimensions:
- Institutions - such as municipalities, memory institutions (e.g., museums, archives), and specialised cross-border cooperation bodies
- People - including both experts and non-experts
- Processes - e.g., the reintroduction of border controls, joint commemorations etc.
Each student is expected to produce one final project based on one of the three thematic pillars to be showcased in a public exhibition at the conclusion of the course.