On September 21, 2023 the University of Alicante hosted an initial working meeting between the representatives of the Institute for Social Development and Peace (Instituto Interuniversitario de Desarrollo Social y Paz), the University of Alicante and the Jaume I University from Castelló de la Plana inter-university research centre and the Centre for Protestant Studies Gáspár Károli from Serbia. The Institute was represented by Dr Daniel La Parra a full professor (catedrático) of the University of Alicante. On behalf of the Károli Research Centre the participant to the meeting was Dr Damir Sütő, the Centre’s research fellow and international relations envoy.

The participants to the meeting presented the programmes of their respective organisations indicating several potential forms of future cooperation. Primary research areas of the Institute for Social Development and Peace include peace studies, regional integration processes, public policies and social intervention, social choice and welfare, poverty and social exclusion, as well as social development, democracy and diversity.

The academics agreed on the mutual importance with reference to the exchange of experience and inter-organisational cooperation within research programmes of their organisations. Jointly recognised examples of potential cooperation include participations in conferences and various gatherings organized by the two research centres, joint membership in editorial boards of their periodicals and other scientific publications, peer-review collaboration, etc.

Subsequent to the meeting, the hosts organised a working lunch during which a number of preliminary steps significant for practical advancement of inter-institutional cooperation between the Institute for Social Development and Peace and the Károli Research Centre were further coordinated in more details.