We are delighted and proud to announce the start of SUPAR – Supporting Parents to Protect Children, a joint doctoral network funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Doctoral Networks. Union University Law School Belgrade is one of the project partners.
The project is coordinated by the University of Galway (Ireland), with Dr Carmel Devaney of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre as Scientific Coordinator. Alongside our Law School, the university partners are the University of Sheffield, the University of Seville, the University of Malaga, the University of Porto and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The consortium brings together universities, public bodies and organisations from Ireland, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Serbia and Norway. The project is worth €4.24 million and will run for 48 months.
The project coordinator at PFUUB is Professor Jelena Arsić, and Professor Jelena Jerinić is also part of the project team.
This is the first Horizon-funded project at Union University and one of only a few such research projects in Serbia. Within this call and its Doctoral Networks strand, SUPAR is the only project with participants from Serbia selected for funding.
SUPAR aims to create an international, cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary doctoral programme that will train a new generation of experts whose knowledge will shape public policy on parenting support. Fourteen doctoral researchers across Europe will carry out research in sociology, social work, psychology and law. The doctoral programme will be delivered at seven European universities, supported by institutions and civil society organisations working in the protection of human rights, children and families.
The project places strong emphasis on co-produced research, lived experience, and translating research into policy and practice, with the aim of strengthening how parenting support can help protect children and promote their wellbeing.