Report on the Jean Monet Network’s Workshop

A two-day conference was held between 30^th November and 1^st December in Strasbourg, France in the frames of the EU-supported Jean Monet Network. This was the second workshop in relation to the Borders and Human Security to Military Security Database. During the meeting the scholars and practitioners discussed the creation of the JMN Dyad Database. The current phase is about the analysis of collected data, furthermore additional datasets will be included to the database, and missing data should also be addressed.

During the first sessions the audience could hear introductory, more theoretical and methodological panels on the aims of the network, why databases matter to social scientists, how data was collected and designed regarding the French border sections, and on the mapping of the collected datasets.

During session no. 2 Roland Hesz, Chief Analyst of CESCI was a panelist. Along with Jean Rubio from MOT, he brought a more think-and-do-tank viewpoint to the valuable academia-dominated previous discussion, some more practical, INTERREG-related aspects. He had a presentation titled Data harmonization in the Danube Region and in the Balkans, in which he discussed the followings: main reasons for cross-border data harmonization; obstacles to cross-border statistics gathering and processing; attempts at solutions including CESCI’s approach used in the frames of the Territorial Analysis of Danube Transnational Programme, and some Balkan projects; and the conclusions and remarks. Roland was also a discussant during session 4, where panelists talked about database building, developing indicators, datasets on cross-border indigenous nations and territories, dataset on EU External Integrated Border Management.

It was agreed that the fruitful cooperation of the network will continue with a meeting in Poland next year, potentially around next June. By May partners are expected to deliver a first draft of their chosen topic, for CESCI it is focused on the obstacles in data harmonization in the Danube Region and the Balkans.