Representatives of the UR-WISE project team from the Faculty of Economics, University of Niš (FEUN) participated in the 3rd Southern Africa Regional Science Association (SARSA) Annual Conference, held from 10–12 September 2025 at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
The conference, themed “Rethinking the Regional Development Opportunities and Challenges in Southern Africa”, brought together scholars and practitioners from across the globe to discuss critical issues related to urbanisation, regional development, and resilience. Key topics included sustainable urban development, housing, smart cities, infrastructure, urban agriculture, mobility, climate change adaptability, and the persistent challenges of inequality and informality.
The UR-WISE team — Jelena Stanković, Vladislav Marjanović, Ivana Marjanović, Branko Krsmanović, and Aleksandar Stamenković — presented their paper “Enhancing Citizen Engagement and Trust in Smart City Governance.” Their contribution underscored the importance of participatory approaches and institutional trust in building sustainable and inclusive smart cities, a theme highly relevant for both Southern Africa and the Western Balkans.
Highlighting the impact of their work, the paper was selected for publication in a Scopus-indexed journal, further demonstrating the scientific excellence and international visibility of the UR-WISE project.
Participation in this prestigious event reinforced UR-WISE’s commitment to fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange, while positioning FEUN and the project team as active contributors to the global regional science community.