Serbia becomes newest member of the European Social Survey

The European Social Survey European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ESS ERIC) has accepted Serbia as its 27th member.

The ESS ERIC General Assembly approved a membership application submitted by the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development.

With 26 members before the addition of Serbia, the ESS already had the highest number of members of any ERIC.

Since the ESS became an ERIC in 2013, participating countries are designated as Members, Observers or Guests.

Member countries are committed to two consecutive rounds of the survey with full voting rights on the ESS ERIC General Assembly.

Observer countries commit to participation in two consecutive rounds but have no voting rights.

Countries with Guest status are committed to one round with no voting rights.

Serbia took part in Round 9 (2018/19) of the ESS for the first time and participated in Round 10 (2020-22) under Guest status.

Professor Rory Fitzgerald, Director of the ESS ERIC (City, University of London), welcomed the new Member: “We are delighted to have our first Member of the ESS ERIC in the Western Balkans.

“This success is testament to the hard work and determination of our colleagues in Serbia who worked tirelessly for this outcome.

“The Western Balkans are a key area for possible European Union expansion in the future and stronger research in that region is a key part of that journey. We are pleased that ESS ERIC is contributing to that landscape.”

Serbian national coordinator, Dr. Dragan Stanojević (University of Belgrade) said: “We are delighted to join forces with the ESS on this exciting journey.

“So far, many young and experienced researchers have benefited from participation. In addition, the regional cooperation of researchers is already at a higher level.”

Members:

• Austria (Federal Ministry of Science and Research)
• Belgium (Flemish Department of Economy, Science and Innovation and Federation Wallonia-Brussels)
• Bulgaria (Ministry of Education and Science)
• Croatia (Ministry of Science and Education)
• Cyprus (Directorate General for European Programmes, Coordination and Development)
• Czechia (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports)
• Estonia (Ministry of Social Affairs)
• Finland (Ministry of Education and Culture)
• France (Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation)
• Germany (Federal Ministry of Education and Research)
• Hungary (National Research, Development and Innovation Office)
• Iceland (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture)
• Ireland (Irish Research Council)
• Israel (Ministry of Science and Technology)
• Italy (National Institute for Public Policy Analysis)
• Latvia (Ministry of Education and Science)
• Lithuania (Ministry of Education and Science)
• Netherlands (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research)
• Norway (Ministry of Education and Research)
• Poland (Ministry of Education and Science)
• Portugal (Foundation for Science and Technology)
• Serbia (Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development)
• Slovak Republic (Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport)
• Slovenia (Ministry of Education, Science and Sport)
• Spain (Ministry of Science and Innovation)
• Sweden (Ministry of Education, represented by the Swedish Research Council)
• United Kingdom (Economic and Social Research Council)

Observer:

• Switzerland (FORS – Swiss Foundation for Research in Social Sciences)

Round 10 Guests:

• Georgia (Georgian American University)
• Greece (National Centre for Social research)
• Montenegro (Ministry of Science)
• North Macedonia (Ministry of Education and Science)