Research

Albulena Halili

My research focuses on the Western Balkans at the intersection of diplomatic history, strategic competition, and information security, examining how the region navigates great-power rivalry and contested narratives. Three major research topics that I am working on:

Disinformation, Hybrid Threats & Media Literacy

I lead MeDisInfo, a research cluster examining foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), hybrid threats, and democratic resilience in the Western Balkans. This work builds on EU- and USAID-funded projects on disinformation and media literacy (Fakespotting, MkSafeNet). Current focus: post-truth discourses and narrative power in the regional information space.

Geopolitics & Strategic Studies of the Western Balkans

My work analyzes great-power competition and security dynamics in the region, including the Western Balkans' security order after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Russia–China nexus and European security futures. Current focus: theorizing the Western Balkans as a site of contested strategic order rather than a periphery of European security. Collaborations: COST Action CA23129 (PEACE network).

History of Diplomacy and Transatlantic Relations

My longer-standing work spans transatlanticism and the Versailles international order, NATO intervention in Kosovo and the origins of R2P, and pacifism and nonviolent resistance in Albanian political thought. Current focus: technology diplomacy and generative AI as an emerging dimension of statecraft. Collaborations: COST Action CA24169 (SiDnet).

Projects

CEEDev

CEEDev – Development Studies in Central/Eastern Europe

Coordinator · Active

MkSafeNet

National Center for Safe Internet for Children and Youth

Coordinator · Completed

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Fakespotting

Coordinator · Complted

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SEEU STUDENTS 5.0

Coordinator · Completed

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ESPLORADO

Researcher · Completed

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CA23129 – Peace Research Community Europe (PEACE)

COST Action

Researcher · Active

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CA24169 – Science in Diplomacy Network: implementing multilateral policymaking in intersectoral, cross-disciplinary & strategic domains (SiDnet)

COST Action

Researcher · Active

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Trainings

Conflict Resolution and Social Harmony

Training of Trainers regional seminar organized by MVDSI in partnership with Columbia’s Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights
Tetovo and Skopje, 2013

NATO Winter Academy

Addressing 21st Century Challenges: The Role of NATO and Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic
Prague, 2013

General Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Opportunity or Challenge for Internal and Regional Stability?

In cooperation with the University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology and ACIPS, and Academic Network Southeast Europe, University of Hamburg
Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2010

Talks/ Panels

North Macedonia, 25 Years after
23 February 2026, University of Disburg-Essen, Germany

The Challenge of Democracy and Shaping the Geopolitical Landscape
17 December 2025, South East European University

Towards a Secure European Area in a Globallized World: The Security – Rule of Law Nexus
2-3 June 2025, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Skopje.

Speaker at panel discussion during study visit of MA students from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at SEEU, March 2025.

Geopolitical Repercussions of the Russian Aggression on Ukraine for the Western Balkans: Security Challenges and Integration Prospects
International conference “The Future of the Western Balkans After the Russian Aggression on Ukraine — What’s Next?” at the University of Tetova, 24 June 2024.

Speaker at the experts’ panel discussion “Building Social Resilience to the Adverse Effects of Disinformation” in the framework of the conference “Media Literacy in Digital Spaces” Media Literacy Days, 24-31 October 2023.

Speaker at the roundtable on the topic “France’s soft power in the Western Balkans”, SEEU, March 2022.

The Parliamentary Elections in Kosovo: A Chance For a Real Change?
The Institute of Central Europe, Lublin, Poland, February 2021.

The Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue: The Origin, Conditioning Factors, Results and Perspectives,
The Institute of Central Europe, Lublin, Poland, September 2020.