In May 2025, the Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans (LFMWB) Programme launched the Student Joint Research Grant Initiative, marking a significant milestone in promoting scientific research and academic collaboration on landscape fire management (LFM) across the region.
Ten students from six universities in North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo have joined the initiative, forming five joint research pairs. After signing their contracts in May, the students began developing their Bachelor and Master theses, setting out to explore some of the most pressing challenges in LFM.
The initiative was designed to encourage cooperation between universities in the Western Balkans, fostering cross-cultural learning and joint problem-solving. Each student pair is jointly mentored by professors from both institutions, combining national experience with regional expertise. The students’ work contributes to filling key LFM gaps identified by the Programme, such as the absence of national fire risk maps, limited post-fire data collection methodologies, and the lack of scientific research in burned landscapes.
Their research covers a range of themes, including the use of remote sensing and GIS tools for evaluating and mapping burned areas, the analysis of fire vulnerability and its impact on ecosystems, erosion, and tourism, as well as the application of numerical simulations to model fire spread in forest environments. Other studies explore biodiversity recovery and vegetation regeneration in burned and unburned habitats, along with restoration measures aimed at improving post-fire recovery processes.
Supported with grants of up to 2,500 CHF for Bachelor theses and 3,500 CHF for Master theses, each student works under an individual contract, with the final thesis serving as the main deliverable.
By engaging young researchers in applied LFM, cross-border studies, the SDC’s LFMWB Programme, coordinated by Farmahem (acting as a Regional Executive Agency), is investing in a new generation of professionals capable of providing scientific foundations for future LFM strategies in the Western Balkans. The Student Joint Research Grant Initiative not only strengthens academic partnerships but also contributes to the development of context-specific, evidence-based approaches to managing and restoring fire-affected landscapes across the Western Balkans.