Dr. Aleksandar Vasiljević

Posted on by Marija Marsenic
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Aleksandar Vasiljević, MA

Scholarship Students

Work Experience

  • (since 2025): Institute for European Studies in Belgrade – Research Associate;
  • (2023 – 2025): Institute for European Studies in Belgrade – Scholarship student of the Ministry
    of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation;
  • (2021 – 2023): Institute for Comparative Law in Belgrade – Scholarship student of the Ministry
    of Education, Science, and Technological Development.

Education

  • Ph.D. of Legal Science (2024): Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade 2020.
  • Master of Laws (2020): Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade.
  • Master of Theology (2021): Orthodox Theological Faculty, University of Belgrade.
  • Bachelor of Theology (2019): Orthodox Theological Faculty, University of Belgrade.

Interests

  • Ecclesiastical Law;
  • Canon Law;
  • Legal History;
  • Church and Contemporary Challenges;
  • Church and Bioethics

Biography

Aleksandar Vasiljević is a theologian of the Eparchy of the Banat Serbian Orthodox Church, Ph.D. of Legal Science, employed as a research associate at the Institute of European Studies in Belgrade. He was born on October 7, 1996, in Ljubovija, where he completed primary school with excellent success. In 2015, for his achievement in high school, the municipality of Vračar in Belgrade awarded him the Vuk’s Diploma. That same year, he enrolled in basic academic studies at the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Belgrade. During his studies, he was a scholarship holder of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development and the Administration for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities at the Ministry of Justice. After completing his undergraduate studies in 2019, he decided to pursue postgraduate studies, obtaining a master’s degree at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade. As a master of law, in October 2020, he simultaneously enrolled in doctoral studies at the Faculty of Law and master’s studies at the Orthodox Theological Faculty. He obtained the title of Master of Theology in 2021, while at the Department of Legal History, Faculty of Law, in 2024, he defended his doctoral dissertation entitled: “Construction of Religious Buildings – Legal and Canonical Aspects.”


He was engaged at the Institute of Comparative Law in Belgrade from May 2021, to January, 2023, as a scholarship holder of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development,. He attended and participated in national and international conferences, wrote several scientific papers and reports in the field of comparative and state-church law.


Since February 1, 2023, as a scholarship holder of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, he has been working at the Institute for European Studies in Belgrade. In addition to participating in national and international scientific conferences, his engagement is related to researching contemporary challenges and the position of religion in Europe. He also explores theology from the perspective of contemporary sociological, political, and medical challenges. He has published several scientific and review papers in the fields of state-church law, legal history, and bioethical issues.

Conferences, Lectures, and Projects:

  • “Contributions to the State–Church Law of Serbia”, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Law on Churches and Religious Communities, Institute of Comparative Law, June 26–28, 2021, Monastery of St. Nicholas near Ljubovija (Serbia).
  • “Church or Sect: Between Openness and Exclusivity”, Mediterranean Theological Meetings, July 16–22, 2023, Archdiocese of Rijeka, Lovran (Croatia).
  • “State–Church Law”, marking the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the course Canon Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Kragujevac, September 19, 2023, Faculty of Law, University of Kragujevac.
  • “Contemporary State–Church Law – Comparative Challenges and National Perspectives”, Institute of Comparative Law and the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, October 12–14, 2023, Budva (Montenegro).
  • “80th Anniversary of the Martyrdom in Ležimir”, commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the suffering in the Church of Ležimir, Orthodox Diocese of Srem, Karlovci Theological Seminary, and the City of Sremska Mitrovica, November 18–19, 2023, Sremska Mitrovica (Serbia).
  • “Recent Challenges in the West Balkan Region”, 1st Conference organized by the West Balkan Center, University of Szeged, December 3–5, 2023, Szeged (Hungary).
  • “Portugal Today – Perspectives from Serbia”, Institute of European Studies, June 27, 2024, Belgrade (Serbia).
  • 1st Scientific Conference – Western Balkans Centre, University of Szeged, October 21, 2024, Szeged (Hungary).
  • “The United States of America – A Mosaic of European Nations”, Institute of European Studies, July 14, 2025, Belgrade (Serbia).
  • “Challenges Facing Religion and the Church in the Informational Society of Late Modernity”, Institute of Social Sciences (Forum for Religious Issues and Center for Sociological and Anthropological Research), in cooperation with the Center for Empirical Research of Religion, September 5–6, 2025, Silver Lake (Serbia).
  • Additionally, at the Institute of European Studies in Belgrade, on June 7, 2024, he delivered a lecture on: “State–Church Law and Religious Architecture – The Process of Globalization.” The recording of the lecture is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKL8dufXNSg&t=3013s

Bibliography

  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2022). “The Influence of Secularization and Laicism on the Development of State-Church Law.” In: Contributions to the State-Church Law of Serbia, edited by Vladimir Čolović and Vladimir Đurić, Institute of Comparative Law, Belgrade, pp. 9 – 24.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2022). “Differences in the Comparative Theories of Alan Watson and Patrick Glen.” Foreign Legal Life 66/3, Belgrade, pp. 463 – 476.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2022). “Canonical Analysis of Irremovable Marriage Impediments.” Theology 81/1, Belgrade, pp. 59 – 76.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2023). “Synodal Texts of Orthodox Churches on Bioethics: Nikolaos G. Koyos, Bioethics – Synodal Texts of Orthodox Churches.” Book review, Matica Srpska Social Sciences Quarterly 186/2, Novi Sad, pp. 257 – 259.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2023). “Legal Protection of Church Property: Legal-Historical Analysis, Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and Law on Churches and Religious Communities.” In: State-Church Law, edited by Velibor Djomić and Zoran Vuković, Kragujevac, pp. 315 – 332.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2023). “State-Legal Sources of Religious Construction.” In: Contemporary State-Church Law, edited by Vladimir Đurić, and Dalibor Đukić, Belgrade – Budva, pp. 485 – 501.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2024). “International-Legal Aspects of Freedom of Religion:
    Reception, Challenges, and Protection in the Serbian Legal System.” Church studies 21/24, Nis,
    pp. 449 – 463.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2024). “The Relationship between the State and the Church in Portugal
    – The Position of the Orthodox Church.” in: Portugal Today – Perspectives from Serbia, edited
    by Rajko Petrović, Institute of European Studies, Belgrade, pp. 204–225.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2024). “One Hundred Years since the Draft Constitutional Charter: Legal Regulation up to the Tenth Century and Its Reflection on the Current Source of Law.” Proceedings of the Faculty of Law in Novi Sad 3/24, Novi Sad, pp. 719–735.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2025). “Spiritual Kinship: The Context of Contemporary Challenges.”
    Theology 84/2, Belgrade, pp. 73-88.
  • Vasiljević, Aleksandar (2025). “The Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States of America:
    From Tradition to Transition.” in: The United States of America – A Mosaic of European
    Nations, edited by Rajko Petrović, Institute of European Studies, Belgrade, pp. 163-181.
  • West Balkan Center University of Szeged (UoSZ): Recent Challenges in the West Balkan
    Region (since 2023).

Participation in Scientific Projects:

International:

  • West Balkan Center University of Szeged (UoSZ): Recent Challenges in the West Balkan Region (since 2023).

Language Skills

  • Serbian (native)
  • English (active)
  • Greek (basic)