One of the fundamental questions in Political and International Relations Theory is how a state may
endorse success. How can it verify and enhance its survival prospects in an utterly antagonistic
international environment where mistakes carry various consequences?
Rational Choice Theory in decision-making, or, more recently, the newly developed Smart States
Theory, tries to enhance the academic discussion of vital concepts that affect a state’s progress, such as
success and failure in international politics. It suggests a series of methodological approaches to this
crucial issue for states.
The Department of International and European Studies of the University of Macedonia in
Thessaloniki, Greece, together with the Faculty of Security Studies of the University of Belgrade and
the Institute of European Studies of the Republic of Serbia in Belgrade, organise a two-day
international conference in Thessaloniki, Greece with the general title “Smart states in the
contemporary international system’. The conference will offer the opportunity for academics from all
over the world to meet in beautiful Thessaloniki and discuss the choices that States have, or those that
are presented by the international balance of power, to consolidate success or feel the bitter taste of
failure in the systemic archipelago of friction, antagonism, collision and co-existence.
In particular, the conference will focus on the areas of International Relations Theory, International
Politics, International Political Economy, Security and Defence Studies, International Law, and
Modern History, connecting all of the above scientific fields with Smart State Theory and the socio-
political developments that have made the emergence of this kind of an approach a new theoretical
trend in Academia.
Important Dates & Procedures:
Applications: Please send a short CV and a 200-word abstract by 25 April 2025, titled “SMART STATES CONFERENCE” to gpapadimitriou@uom.edu.gr. The conference’s academic committee will thoroughly evaluate your abstracts, and you will receive a final decision shortly afterwards.
Conference dates: 19-20 June 2025. Place of Conference: Thessaloniki, Greece. Participation in the conference is free of fees. Only abstracts in English will be taken into consideration. The presentations will be published in a collective volume by a reputable international publisher.
- Professor Litsas, N. Spyros & Professor Skiadas, V. Dimitris, University of Macedonia
- Professor Milosevic Mladen, University of Belgrade
- Principal Research Fellow, Djurkovic, Misa, Institute of European Studies, Republic of Serbia