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The LGIU Top Thinkers in Local Government 2026 list recognises individuals whose work contributes to advancing local democracy through a strong connection between research, policy, and practice. The list highlights thinkers who engage directly with the challenges facing local government, democratic participation, and governance innovation, while maintaining analytical depth and intellectual leadership. Prof. Savaş Zafer […]

In September 2025, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serhat Yetimova from Sakarya University (Türkiye) completed a Short-Term Scientific Mission under COST Action CA22149 (CHANGECODE).His research explored how cinema and film literacy can strengthen deliberative democracy, especially through migrant participation.Through collaborations at Sorbonne University, CIRET, and Sorbonne Nouvelle, he examined cinema’s role as both cultural expression and democratic

How do democracies adopt new tools for citizen participation?This article compares the rise of participatory budgeting (PB) in Poland and Ukraine. Both countries started with civic and donor-led initiatives, but their paths diverged: Poland made PB a legal requirement nationwide, while Ukraine left it to voluntary local initiatives.The study looks at why these choices were

Last week, Dr. Urška Lampe and doctoral researcher Cecilia Furioso Cenci from the IRRIS Institute – Center for Oral History, and members of Working Group 2, took part in the 23rd International Oral History Association Conference, that took place  between 16 and 19 September in Kraków, Poland, They contributed to the panel “Oral Archives: Which

We are happy to announce an upcoming in-person event that is going to take place 8-9 September 2025 and hosted by: Institute of Political ScienceFaculty of Social SciencesUniversity of Wrocław The focus of the 2-day meeting will be deliberation: its historical roots, its forms and tools, and its relevance for today’s challenges. The program with