From 17 to 21 August 2026, the International Geographical Union Regional Conference (IGU Regional Conference 2026) was held at Istanbul University in Istanbul, Türkiye, under the theme “Exploring the Earth, Connecting Worlds.” The conference was organised in cooperation with the International Geographical Union (IGU), the Turkish Geographical Society, Istanbul University, and the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University.
A total of 10 researchers from the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA) participated in this major international scientific event: Dr Ana Milanović Pešić, Dr Gorica Stanojević, Dr Suzana Lović Obradović, Dr Milena Panić, Dr Jovana Brankov, Dr Dunja Demirović, Dr Zlata Vuksanović Macura, Dr Stefan Denda, Dr Marko D. Petrović, and Dr Tamara Gajić.
On this occasion, the Institute's associates presented the results of their research through 9 oral and 4 poster presentations within a number of thematic sessions. The presented research covered a wide range of contemporary geographical topics, ranging from climatology, water resources, environmental issues, and natural hazards and risks, through rural and urban geography, to tourism geography, cultural geography, heritage, and the history of geography.
Presented Research –Oral Presentations
Gorica Stanojević presented three papers:
Urban Air Quality in Serbia: NO₂ Concentrations and Meteorological Drivers
Co-author: Slavica Malinović – Milićević
Why Cities in Serbia Struggle with Air Pollution? The Nexus Between Residential Building Typologies and Air Pollution
Co-author: Zlata Vuksanović – Macura
Elevated Ultraviolet Radiation: Adolescent Knowledge Gaps and Targeted Sun Safety Interventions
Co-author: Slavica Malinović – Milićević
Stefan Denda presented two papers:
Geography Between Tradition and Contemporary Approaches: Evidence from the Congresses of Slavic Geographers and Ethnographers (1924–2024)
Co-authors: Milena Panić, Milan Radovanović
Tourism Development and Quality of Life in a Mountain Destination: The Case of the Zlatibor Region, Serbia
Co-authors: Jovana Brankov, Jasna Micić, Marko D. Petrović, Dunja Demirović Bajrami
Ana Milanović Pešić presented the paper:
Water Resources–Climate Variability–Population Nexus in Serbia: Implications for Sustainable Development
Co-authors: Boško Milovanović, Stefan Denda, Vesna Ristić Vakanjac, Milan Radovanović, Jovana Brankov
Marko D. Petrović presented the paper:
Local Identity as a Driver of Socially and Environmentally Sustainable Development
Co-authors: Tamara Gajić, Ana Milanović Pešić, Emin Atasoy
Dunja Demirović presented the paper:
From Extractive to Experiential: Re-imagining Forest By-products as Sustainable Tourism Resources
Co-authors: Tamara Gajić, Aleksandra Fostikov
Zlata Vuksanović – Macura presented the paper:
Socio-Spatial Restructuring in Europe: Comparing Area-Based Urban Governance in Denmark and Serbia
Presented research – poster presentations
Jovana Brankov participated with a poster presentation:
Learning, Remembering and Playing: Social and Educational Perspectives on Traditional Sports and Games
Co-authors: Željko Bjeljac, Ana Milanović Pešić, Stefan Denda
Suzana Lović Obradović participated with a poster presentation:
Towards Targeted Flood Risk Management in Serbia: Evidence from a Municipal-Level Assessment of Population Vulnerability and Exposure
Co-authors: Milena Panić, Ana Milanović Pešić
Milena Panić participated with a poster presentation:
Stay or Leave – Stayers as Local Actors in Rural Areas in Serbia
Co-authors: Marija Drobnjaković, Vlasta Kokotović Kanazir, Milan Radovanović, Željko Bjeljac
Zlata Vuksanović – Macura participated with a poster presentation:
Urban System Hierarchies and Social Housing Accessibility in Post-Socialist Serbia
Co-authors: Dejan Doljak, Dragana Miljanović
During the IGU Regional Conference 2026, the Institute's associates had the opportunity to have several meetings with colleagues from abroad, among which it is worth highlighting the talks with representatives of the IGU Executive Committee: President Prof. Dr Nathalie Lemarchand, Prof. Dr Michael Meadows and Prof. Dr Barbaros Gönençgil regarding the planning and organization of the IGU Regional Conference 2030 in Belgrade. There was also an opportunity to talk with representatives of the IGU Commission for Water Sustainability, President Dr Frank Winde and Vice President Prof. Dr Liliana Zaharia, and the IGU Hazards and Risks Commission, President Dr Alessandro Mondini and Dr Martina Calovi. In addition, a meeting was held with colleagues from the Institute of Geography of the Romanian Academy, led by Director, Academician Dan Balteanu, to discuss the next planned activities for the bilateral project our Institute is implementing with colleagues from Romania. During the conference, we also had the opportunity to present our journal, Journal of the Geographical Institute "Jovan Cvijić" of the Serbian Academy of Sciences. Also, participation in the IGU Regional Conference 2026 enabled the Institute's associates not only to showcase their research results to an international scientific audience but also to exchange knowledge and experiences with researchers from various countries, strengthen existing partnerships, and establish new forms of international scientific cooperation.
Of particular importance to the geographical community in Serbia was the announcement during the conference in Istanbul that the International Geographical Union Regional Conference 2030 (IGU Regional Conference 2030) will be held in Belgrade, Serbia. The future international scientific gathering was announced under the theme “Global Challenges, Local Solutions – The Power of Geography.”
The strong and thematically diverse participation of researchers from the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA at the conference in Istanbul, together with the announcement of the IGU Regional Conference 2030 in Belgrade, significantly contributes to the Institute’s international visibility and to the promotion of geographical research from Serbia within the International Geographical Union.
Date: August 29, 2026
Source: Stefan Denda and Ana Milanović Pešić
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