GEO-POWER-EU Consortium Meeting and Strategic Gaming Workshops Held in Belgrade
On 8–9 October 2026, GEO-POWER-EU partners gathered at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, for a two-day consortium meeting and interactive workshops focused on strategic gaming and multistakeholder policy co-creation. Bringing together researchers and policy experts from across the consortium, the meeting explored innovative approaches to strategic foresight, geopolitical analysis and collaborative policymaking in the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans.
The first day was dedicated to StrategEUm: European Geopolitics in the 21st Century, a serious game developed by the Faculty’s Serious Games Lab. Participants explored potential geopolitical developments through 2031, examining how strategic decisions by the EU, the United States, Russia, China and Türkiye could shape the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries. The simulation enabled participants to test alternative geopolitical scenarios and assess the possible consequences of different policy choices.
The second day focused on Dilemma Games and their potential application in multistakeholder policy co-creation studios. Within GEO-POWER-EU, these studios aim to bring together researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to discuss research findings and jointly develop and refine policy recommendations on EU enlargement, the Eastern Partnership, geopolitical competition and strategic autonomy. Through interactive group work and plenary discussions, participants explored how Dilemma Games could facilitate dialogue, address competing policy priorities and support collaborative decision-making.
Both workshops highlighted the complementary roles of strategic gaming and participatory approaches in connecting academic research with policy development. While StrategEUm enables the exploration of alternative geopolitical scenarios, multistakeholder co-creation approaches support the translation of research findings into policy recommendations.
The Belgrade meeting strengthened collaboration among GEO-POWER-EU partners and contributed to the project’s broader objective of developing a comprehensive and multidimensional EU strategy towards the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans.
