Centre for European Perspective - CEP

14/05/2026

Majhen (geographic smallness) vs mali (qualitative smallness)? 🧐

The notion of small state diplomacy and Slovenia as case study were explored by a group of American MBA students at Drexel University from Pennsylvania, U.S., who visited Slovenia as part of their study programme. A panel discussion featured Doc. Dr. Milan Brglez University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Miha Škerlavaj University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business and our own Ms Jelka Klemenc, held on May 7th at ImpactHub and organised by International Study Programs from Czechia.

👉 Panelists examined Slovenia’s foreign policy trajectory since independence, from its regional engagement in the post‑Yugoslav space to the Europeanization of its diplomacy during the EU accession process. Speakers noted the particularities of the Slovenian language—distinguishing majhen (geographic smallness) from mali (qualitative smallness)—and emphasized Slovenia’s norms‑based approach to foreign policy as a strategic advantage within EU and NATO frameworks.

Students’ questions primarily focused on Slovenia’s knowledge and experience in engaging with the Western Balkans, its post-conflict reconstruction period, security sector reform and EU accession path, but also on the implication of U.S. policy on international development efforts.

The session offered clear insight into Slovenia’s foreign‑policy priorities, objectives, and achievements, and provided a foundation for the students’ subsequent meetings with international businesses and exchanges with students at the School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana.

13/05/2026

12/05/2026

📢 Join our upcoming webinar:
“Social Entrepreneurship as a Local Development Tool: Good Practices and Real-Life Examples from Slovenia and Ukraine”
🗓 19 May 2026 - 10:00 CET
📝Registration: https://forms.gle/Ktw8aR7dNQt5562W9

The webinar is jointly organised by the Centre for European Perspective and the Regional Development Agency of the Kyiv Region.

🎙 Speakers:
• Mr. Marin Zver, Center for reuse (Center ponovne uporabe - CPU)
• Ms. Ksenia Pecherska - National Project for the Development of Entrepreneurship and Exports Diіa ; Parity U

More information can be found here: https://www.cep.si/upcoming-webinar-on-social-entrepreneurship-as-a-local-development-tool/

Centre for European Perspective - CEP

Supported by the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the programme.

🏠https://www.cep.si/official-development-cooperation/

🏠https://www.gov.si/en/policies/foreign-affairs/international-development-cooperation-and-humanitarian-aid/

08/05/2026

[Invitation]

How can we identify threats that operate below the threshold of open warfare? How is the understanding of security shifting in the age of hybrid threats? And how do we build societal resilience in a period of sustained strategic uncertainty?

These questions will be the focus of the panel discussion "Blurred Lines: Security in the Age of Hybrid Threats," organized by the Trivelis Institute on 18 May 2026 at 11:00 AM at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Ljubljana.

The event will address key challenges of contemporary security, the evolving nature of hybrid activity, and the role of states, institutions, and society in strengthening European resilience.

📍 The event will be held in English.

🔗 Register by 14 May 2026: https://form.jotform.com/261233079834358

🔗 More information on the program and speakers: https://trivelis.si/clanki/objave/1003/dogodek-zabrisane-meje-varnost-v-dobi-hibridnih-grozenj/article

We look forward to your participation.

07/05/2026

Kako lahko majhna država, kot je Slovenija, zagotovi verodostojno zaščito v vedno bolj nepredvidljivem okolju?

Na Trivelis Inštitutu smo to vprašanje naslovili v novem strokovnem poročilu »Temelji verodostojnega odvračanja in obrambe majhnih držav«. Poročilo izpostavlja pomen odvračanja, ki temelji na učinkih, prilagodljivosti in vzdržljivosti sistema ter ne le na obsegu vojaških sil.

👉 Več v članku in celotnem poročilu:
https://trivelis.si/porocila/objave/1001/model-obrambe-za-slovenijo-odvracanje-ki-temelji-na-ucinkih-ne-na-masi/article

23/04/2026

Empowering and supporting skilled nurses at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of health care means strengthening the resilience of the entire national health system, better health protection and population health outcomes 👩‍⚕️

Retaining nurses and midwives in the national health system is all the more crucial in view of the aging population, brain drain and other systemic challenges in 🇲🇰

The Centre for European Perspective - CEP supports key stakeholders in implementing the necessary change in 🇲🇰 in the field of education and regulation of these noble professions – in order to renew the roles and competencies of nurses and midwives in primary care, to enable their further development, leadership and recognition as effective members of the multi-disciplinary health care team.

🤝 Our team involves senior experts from Zbornica - Zveza, Ministrstvo za zdravjeRS, Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje - NIJZ and Fakulteta za zdravstvo Angele Boškin / Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care, who all contributed to this week’s activities in Skopje.

Consecutive workshops with representatives from the ministries of health and education successfully transferred new knowledge on the effective management of capacity-building projects, addressing local gaps in experience and absorption capacity.

Main modalities were agreed on how the 2nd phase of our project (2026–2028) will act upon concrete deliverables achieved so far, transform the national education system of nurses and midwives in 🇲🇰 and set up the system for regulating these professions.

We will also continue to empower graduate nurses in the field of health prevention and work toward a national ‘school for parents’ programme in cooperation with local associations of nurses and midwives.

🇸🇮 State Secretary Mr Denis Kordež, Dr Vesna Janevska, 🇲🇰 Minister of Education, and H.E. Ambassador Gregor Presker Slovenian Embassy Skopje/Амбасада на Република Словенија opened the official launch ceremony this morning. Ministers reaffirmed the value of the Slovenian-Macedonian development partnership and their full commitment to implementing priority actions in the national health strategy.

A further enforcement of concrete synergies with their programmes in 🇲🇰 was discussed with WHO North Macedonia, as well as UNFPA North Macedonia and UNICEF MK.

Supported by Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

23/04/2026

We’re launching the EUTI Newsletter! 🚀

No inbox clutter—just a quick, monthly update to keep you informed.

What’s in it for you?

👉 First Look: Updates on upcoming and developing trainings.
👉 Recent Activities: A short brief on what EUTI has been doing lately.

We’ll send one short email in the first week of every month. That’s it.

Note: This will be our last post on this platform. We are shutting down this account in a week and moving all our updates over to the newsletter—so make sure to subscribe to stay in the loop!

🔗 Subscribe here: https://european-union-training-initiative-euti.kit.com/002e715185

22/04/2026

Kako se spreminja varnostno okolje v Evropi? Kakšna je vloga zveze in Evropske unije? Ali kot družba res razumemo, kaj pomeni odpornost?

Na Trivelis Inštitutu so o vprašanju sodobnega varnostnega okolja govorili z Mirkom Ciglerjem, nekdanjim vojakom in diplomatom, ki med drugim v pogovoru opozarja: “Varnost ima svojo ceno – in ta ni stvar želja, ampak realnosti.”

👉 Preberite celoten pogovor: https://trivelis.si/clanki/objave/999/varnost-brez-iluzij-slovenija-na-preseciscu-hibridnih-konfliktov/article

Pogovor z Mirko Ciglerem razkriva, kako hibridni pritiski in strateške iluzije oblikujejo pripravljenost države ter zakaj varnost ni več samoumevna.

22/04/2026

"As a young leader, it carried special significance to represent my country at such a pivotal historical moment, the one where global officials are not only gathering to exchange perspectives but are actively seeking solutions to pressing geopolitical challenges. The forum demonstrated that diplomacy today must move beyond dialogue into concrete, coordinated action." Mubina Šašić, ENTER:CHANGE alumni

🌍 Through our partnership and support of Embassy Ankara, two of our ENTER: CHANGE programme alumni were invited to the Antalya Diplomasi Forumu 2026 — one of the leading global platforms bringing together policymakers, diplomats, and thought leaders to navigate today’s complex world.

The highlight of the Forum was definitely a brief but meaningful personal conversation with Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia 🇸🇮

Held under the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” the forum tackled some of the most pressing global challenges — from geopolitical tensions and shifting power balances to the future of multilateralism and global trade.

Across a diverse programme of panels and discussions, our alumni engaged with conversations on:
🔹 The future of diplomacy in an increasingly fragmented world
🔹 Peace and security, including debates on the Middle East and pathways to conflict resolution
🔹 Energy, trade, and economic resilience in times of uncertainty
🔹 The role of emerging domains like space diplomacy in international cooperation.

Moments like this show the power of youth engagement in global dialogue and we’re excited to see our alumni contributing to shaping the future of international cooperation. ✨

"It was very interesting to encounter a new political and diplomatic culture that I was able to observe in Turkey, starting from the host country to the countries of Asia and Africa that were present. The approach was much more formal, with higher security measures and similar aspects." Boris Luketa, ENTER:CHANGE alumni

ENTER: CHANGE empowers young leaders in the Western Balkans with the skills, knowledge, and networks to foster inclusive and accountable democratic governance.

Learn more about the project:
https://www.cep.si/.../bosnia-and-herzegovina-enter-change/

The activities under the ENTER: CHANGE project are supported by the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the programme.

21/04/2026

Yesterday, we officially launched the first workshop within the project Strengthening Education and Professional Regulation in Nursing and Midwifery in North Macedonia – Phase II (2026–2028).

The event opened with welcome remarks by Mr. Goran Križ from the Slovenian Embassy Skopje/Амбасада на Република Словенија, who highlighted Slovenia’s continued support and commitment to strengthening capacities and fostering cooperation in the healthcare sector. This was followed by Ms. Jelka Klemenc from Centre for European Perspective, who presented the project’s objectives and underlined the importance of knowledge exchange, partnership, and creating long-term impact.

The programme continued with a Project Management Workshop led by Mr. Klemen Srna, setting the foundation for effective implementation in the upcoming phase.

The project is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through Programme.