Serbia might be among some of the most fascinating places to explore the shifting dynamics between the university, the nation-state, and the European integration project. Serbia is the country of origin of many internationally renowned research talents. For example, when travelling to Serbia, my arrival by air leads to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. Furthermore, the portrait of Nikola Tesla is on some of the most conveniently usable banknotes of Serbian dinars and Euro cent coins. This is only one of the well-known names.

However, when it comes to my research interest, the history of science is just one dimension. Another is the present-day dynamism of the university as an advanced learning centre and comprehensive research establishment in Serbia with substantial international exposure. Contemporary developments don’t give way to too much historically oriented nostalgia. Following Serbia’s initiative, in August 2023, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Resolution on International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development (2024-2033; A/RES/77/326). This resolution was supported by Argentina, Cuba, Honduras, Hungary, South Africa, Spain, and Vietnam. Thus, advanced research and sustainability solutions are high on Serbia’s political and diplomatic agenda.

Furthermore, Serbian universities mirror the country's multiple geoeconomic directions. The European Union (EU) is only one of these directions. As an accession candidate of the EU, Serbia is an active participant in many EU programmes and multilateral steering formats, including those that are designed to promote the free flow of ideas and talent. The associate partner status of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, the 8th and 9th EU Framework Programmes is one example. These examples remind me that the scientific enquiry is not atomised. Scientific cooperation and higher education exchanges are often viewed as facilitators or means to restrict links between certain entities. Continued advanced research cooperation or alteration of cooperation modes in science among countries and groupings of countries is a powerful conveyor belt to make foreign policy stances more solid, more visible, and more value-laden. Thus, the way Serbian higher education and research institutions and their researchers individually prioritise some international contacts and obtain participant roles in joint initiatives is very informative about the international aspirations and future geoeconomic priorities of the country.

The COST Open Action-supported short-term scientific mission facilitated my in-person encounters and a comprehensive exposure to various aspects of the Serbian national identity and its contemporary framing. Moreover, my exposure to some elements of the country’s contemporary self-articulation through a specific reading of the past, the role of language-based ties, and priorities for international directions linked to the next decade (2025-2035) provided me with a multifaceted picture of priorities and growth potential.