Participation at the “Improving collaboration between journalists and applied researchers in Western Balkans with focus on fiscal policies, health in conjunction to tobacco control in the light of EU integration”

From October 22 to 24, 2024, a three-day regional event for researchers, media, and non-governmental organizations was held in Tirana, Albania, under the title “Improving collaboration between journalists and applied researchers in Western Balkans with focus on fiscal policies, health in conjunction to tobacco control in the light of EU integration”. The event was organized by “Development Solutions Associates (DSA)” from Tirana and the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University (USA) as part of the Economics for Health program.

The event aimed to connect researchers and journalists from the Western Balkans who are active in the fields of public health and fiscal policies, as well as to present research findings from the project conducted in these countries. Based on the research, recommendations were also presented for improving tobacco control in the Balkan countries, with particular attention to the role of European integration.

Representing the research team from the University of Banja Luka, a junior researcher and academic assistant, Nikola Vidović attended the event. Media representatives included Olivera Dodig, host and editor of the show “Paths to Health” on the national television channel BHT, and Senja Mahinić, a journalist for the istraga.ba. Additionally, Jasmina Čekrić, the director of the organization PROI and a long-standing partner of the research team in efforts to reduce tobacco use in Bosnia and Herzegovina, attended the event as a representative of the non-governmental sector.

Besides the formal sessions and roundtable discussions, the event also provided opportunities for informal collaboration and networking between researchers and media representatives, as well as an introduction to Albania’s cultural and historical heritage. Furthermore, participants visited the Parliamentary Institute of Albania, a research institution within the country’s parliament that bridges science and legislation. This visit offered valuable insights, particularly in terms of proposing legislative changes in the field of tobacco control.