Speakers

Danche Danilovska Bajdevska is Program Director at Metamorphosis Foundation for Internet and Society, where she oversees strategic program development and ensures the quality and impact of initiatives advancing social accountability, responsible digital transformation and information and media integrity. With over 20 years of experience, she has played a leading role in strengthening civil society capacity and advocating for alignment of Macedonian legislation with the EU acquis.

She has actively contributed to drafting key national policies, including the Law on Prevention of Corruption and Conflict of Interest, the Law on Free Access to Public Information, government transparency strategies, and frameworks for civil society funding. She is also engaged in shaping North Macedonia’s Open Government Partnership National Action Plans.

Her expertise extends to digital rights and regulation, where she has co-authored policy research such as Towards a Feasible Implementation of the Digital Services Act in the Western Balkans, offering insights for fostering safe, transparent, and rights-respecting online environments.

Danche holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje.

Irena Cvetkovik, holds a PhD in Gender Studies from the Euro-Balkan Institute, where she also earned her Master`s degree in Gender Studies and Sociology. She has served as a young volunteer teaching assistant at the Institute of Gender Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje. As an interdisciplinary researcher, Dr. Cvetkovik has authored numerous articles and publications across various social science fields, including gender studies, the anti-gender movement, media, feminist and queer topics. Cvetkovik`s public engagement began with her blog, Femgerila, and today she is a regular columnist for Prizma.
In addition to her academic pursuits, she is an active advocate for the human rights of marginalized communities, focusing on marginalized women, LGBTIQ individuals, drug users, sex workers, and people living with HIV. Currently, she serves as independent researcher and as a docent professor at the Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities in Skopje.

Jelena Kalinić is a biologist, MA in Literature, science communicator, journalist, and founder of the NGO Science and the World (Nauka i svijet), an organization dedicated to promoting scientific literacy and strengthening public resilience against disinformation in the Western Balkans. Since its establishment in 2017, the NGO has developed projects that engage young people, science enthusiasts, and marginalized communities in understanding the role of science in everyday life.

Her professional focus is on health, environment, and digital literacy, with a particular emphasis on addressing science-related disinformation in areas such as vaccination, climate change, and public health. She has led campaigns to counter misinformation on vaccines and cancer prevention and actively collaborates with media and NGOs across the region to foster more accurate, responsible, and accessible science communication.

In addition to her work as a science communicator, Jelena regularly writes articles, creates educational content for social media platforms (naukagovori.ba and vakcine.ba, Instagram and Facebook Nauka Govori /Science Speaks, podcast Nauka govori/Science Speaks ), and develops strategies to expose manipulation tactics used in the spread of pseudoscience and conspiracy theories. She is passionate about bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and the public, encouraging critical thinking, and empowering citizens to make informed decisions.

Kristina Voko has served as the Executive Director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania (BIRN Albania) since 2014, overseeing the organization’s strategy, operations, fundraising, and projects. Her tenure has focused on designing and delivering initiatives and research in journalism, media freedom, disinformation, freedom of information, anti-corruption, open data, and transparency.

Voko leads BIRN Albania’s information-integrity work, developing methodologies to monitor the information space and assess the impact of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) on democratic processes. She has directed comprehensive monitoring across audiovisual, online and social media, tracked political discourse and disinformation narratives, and documented identity-based and gendered disinformation campaigns. Her portfolio combines data-driven analysis with open-data tools, FOI-based reporting, and policy engagement to strengthen institutional accountability.

Recent efforts include cross-platform monitoring of electoral campaigns, compliance assessments of digital campaigning standards, and programs that document hate speech and digital harassment targeting women in politics and women activists. She collaborates with national stakeholders and international partners to translate findings into newsroom practices, public awareness, and evidence-informed recommendations. Voko regularly contributes to debates on media literacy, platform accountability, and democratic resilience in Albania and the Western Balkans.

Maida Ćulahović coordinates policy and advocacy efforts at Citizens' Association “Zašto ne / Why not” aimed at improving the digital space with a particular focus on harmonization with the relevant EU policies and regulations. She is an expert in media and digital policy, and previously, had worked at the communications regulator of Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the development of regulatory framework for the audiovisual media sector and its harmonization with European standards and best practices, as well as coordinating international cooperation with other regulatory authorities and networks.
She has collaborated with various other stakeholders including international organizations and CSOs and has extensive experience as a consultant, researcher and contributor. Maida holds an M.A. in European Studies from the University of Sarajevo in association with the University of Bologna and London School of Economics.

Milica Kovačević, Program Director of the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), coordinates organization’s Democratic Citizenship programs, dealing with the radicalization, disinformation, and malign foreign influences. She has been active in the civil society in Montenegro for over two decades. Her expertise includes elections, policy analysis, foreign and security policy, and civil society.
She participated in numerous research projects that analyzed Russian and Chinese soft and sharp power and the influence of corrosive capital in the Western Balkans. Since 2018, as part of Raskrinkavanje.me team she analyzes disinformation and propaganda, with focus on foreign affairs and security.

Reald Keta is a legal expert on electoral matters and a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Law, University of Tirana, with research focused on the transparency and control of political finance. He has contributed as an expert to the Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee "On Coordinating and Overseeing All Institutional Actions to Combat Disinformation and Other Forms of Foreign Interference in the Country's Democratic Processes", covering the electoral component.
He has published several articles on political party finance, electoral integrity, and the transposition of the EU acquis. He currently serves as the appointed Director of the National Unit for Approximation with the EU at the Prime Minister’s Office of Albania.

Shkelzen Osmani has over 20 years of experience in journalism, civil society, and digital transformation. He specializes in fact-checking, media literacy, and AI-powered information integrity, with a strong record of delivering technology-enabled projects at the intersection of media and democracy.

As founder of Hibrid.info and its innovation hub, Hibrid Lab, he leads the creation of AI tools, data analytics solutions, and emerging technology applications designed to counter disinformation, advance democratic values, and build resilient information ecosystems.

He has a proven track record in international networks, global technology platforms, and in bringing together journalists, researchers, and technologists to deliver scalable, cross-border innovations. Passionate about civic tech, educational exchange, and media innovation, his work focuses on empowering citizens and especially the younger generation to navigate the digital era critically, responsibly, and inclusively.

Roman Jurowetzki is an Associate Professor of Innovation and Data Science at Aalborg University, Denmark, and Chief Scientist at CAISA – the national center for AI in society. His research and teaching focus on innovation and emerging technologies and the policies that shape them. Methodologically, he has been hands-on building and using AI and NLP for more than a decade. He advises public institutions and companies on AI strategy and, within CAISA, works on AI sovereignty and capability building. Roman connects innovation studies with applied AI to design defenses that combine automation, human judgment, and institutional safeguards – with a strong focus on what AI can actually do and where it can drive innovation.

Ana Maria Salinas is the Senior Manager of New Partnerships and Creative Projects at Tactical Tech, an organisation that for over 20 years has empowered civil society and media to understand and respond to the challenges created by digital technologies. Ana Maria is a Colombian journalist, political scientist, and communication specialist with over 15 years of experience in strategic communication and community development. Over the last decade, she has worked as a communication specialist, facilitator, and speaker in various public and private organisations, governmental institutions, and NGOs focused on journalism and public debate. At Tactical Tech, she supports the development of educational interventions and capacity-building programmes focused on media and AI literacy. She also facilitates conversations on the impact of technology and AI on society, democracy, and the environment for media and content creators, human rights defenders, advocacy groups, and the non-profit sector.

Jovana Gligorijević has been a journalist at the weekly "Vreme" since 2002. Over the years, she has held various positions within the magazine, including social media editor, section editor, and deputy editor-in-chief.

In 2017, she became one of the three founders of the “Journalists Against Violence Towards Women” Group. She co-authored the guidelines for media reporting on violence against women and is the author of four training modules for reporting on gender-based violence. From 2017 to 2020, she specialized as a media trainer of the Deutsche Welle Academy. Since then, she has worked as a media trainer for Deutsche Welle Academy, the Serbian Media Association, the Media Diversity Institute (London), the British Council, and the Belgrade Open School, among others.

Awards:

• ▶ OSCE and the Commissioner for Equality Award for her media contribution to tolerance (first place in the print category for an article on the judicial treatment of rape victims in Serbia, titled “The State Rapes, Doesn’t It?” 2015)
• ▶ Annual Award of the House of Human Rights for a series of articles on mental health (2018)
• ▶ EU award for investigative journalism (2021)
• ▶ U.S. Embassy and NUNS Award “Dejan Anastasijević” for investigative journalism (2022)

Kreshnik Gashi is the Editor-in-Chief of KALLXO.com, a leading investigative and fact-checking platform.

Over the course of his journalistic career, he has produced more than 100 investigative television reports addressing corruption, illicit financial flows, organized crime, violent extremism, and human rights across the Western Balkans.

Gashi has uncovered and documented numerous cases of corruption and legal violations, primarily in Kosovo. His investigations have directly contributed to the arrest and prosecution of over 100 public officials and members of organized crime groups. He is the co-author of two analytical reports that trace the sources and impact of disinformation in Kosovo, detailing the influence of Kremlin-backed, Chinese, and regional disinformation networks.

His ongoing work focuses on in-depth research related to violent extremism, terrorism, money laundering, illegal migration, the rule of law, and human rights. Beyond his investigative reporting, Gashi is actively engaged in media literacy initiatives and the capacity development of media organizations and public institutions.

For his outstanding contribution to investigative journalism, he has received more than 20 awards from both national and international organizations.

Marina Zec is the Website Editor at Agelast and the Founder of Oblakoder, an independent youth media platform based in Belgrade. She is currently a PhD student in Media Management at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade.

Before founding Oblakoder, Marina worked as a journalist at Radio Belgrade 202, where she developed her interest in youth culture, media innovation, and independent production. She holds a Master’s degree in Gender, Culture and Media from Goldsmiths, University of London, where her research focused on the gendered aspects of passionate work in news media and the position of women in editorial management. She also obtained a Master’s degree in Media Management from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, with a thesis on hybrid forms of journalism in the digital environment, and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication Studies from the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade.

Liliana Vițu was appointed the Chair of the Audiovisual Council, Moldova’s regulatory body for TV and Radio, in December 2021 for a six-year mandate.
Ms. Vițu started her career in 1999 as a BBC World Service correspondent in Moldova. In 2009, she was appointed the director of the News and Debates Department at the public TV channel “Moldova 1” to promote long overdue reforms at the public broadcaster. As Prime-minister Spokesperson from 2013 to 2015 she ran nationwide public communication campaigns on the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and visa free regime. Her experience includes consulting in media development for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, UNDP Uzbekistan, OSCE Tajikistan and working as a Project Director for Internews in Kyrgyzstan. In 2011 she was the first journalist to be nominated by the US Embassy for the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, USA. In October 2023 Russia banned her from entering the country for fighting its propaganda and disinformation in her role at the Audiovisual Council.

Aleksandar Dragicevic- Environmental activist and sustainable development specialist with almost two decades of experience in community engagement, environmental protection, and public advocacy. Widely recognized as one of Montenegro’s leading environmental voices, with a record of driving national movements to defend rivers, forests, and public spaces, and to advance EU environmental standards under Chapter 27.

As a co-leader of the Save the Rivers of Montenegro campaign, contributed to the nationwide ban on harmful small hydropower projects. Through the Forests Are Not for Sale initiative, mobilized communities to protect state-owned forests from illegal logging and unsustainable exploitation.

Founder of an eco-tourism initiative in Durmitor Natio Aleksandar Dragicevic- Environmental activist and sustainable development specialist with almost two decades of experience in community engagement, environmental protection, and public advocacy. Widely recognized as one of Montenegro’s leading environmental voices, with a record of driving national movements to defend rivers, forests, and public spaces, and to advance EU environmental standards under Chapter 27.
As a co-leader of the Save the Rivers of Montenegro campaign, contributed to the nationwide ban on harmful small hydropower projects. Through the Forests Are Not for Sale initiative, mobilized communities to protect state-owned forests from illegal logging and unsustainable exploitation.

Founder of an eco-tourism initiative in Durmitor Natio

Vuk Vujisić is environmental activist and former investigative journalist who has dedicated most of his career to exposing illegal exploitation of natural resources and fighting environmental crime in Montenegro. His work was instrumental in stopping one of the largest environmental plunders in the country — the illegal gravel extraction from the Morača River, and in protecting the Bolje Sestre water source, which provides drinking water to the Montenegrin coast through the Regional Waterworks system.

Beyond his investigative work, Vuk developed Montenegro’s first public map of environmental “black spots” and launched Čuvaj.me, a platform for reporting environmental crimes, created in cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Ecology. The platform strengthens transparency, citizen participation, and institutional accountability in environmental protection.

He is also the founder of Ozelenimo Crnu Goru (“Let’s Green Montenegro”), a social and environmental initiative focused on tree planting and the restoration of green belts as a contribution to climate change mitigation. Through his work, Vujisić continues to bridge civic engagement, environmental protection, and public advocacy, empowering communities to take an active role in safeguarding Montenegro’s natural heritage.

Emilija Petreska-Kamenjarova holds an MA in communications and a BA in journalism. Works at the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services of the Republic of North Macedonia since 2002, on issues such media and: gender, freedom of expression, hate speech, human rights, programs accessibility, media literacy, elections etc. Currently, she holds the position of Assistant Head of the Programme Affairs Department at the Agency. She worked as journalist in radio, TV and news agency. She has published a number of papers on gender in the media, hate speech, the position of the Macedonian media, citizen journalism.

She has held workshops or was a panelist on the following topics: media and gender/women’s bodies, gender based violence, gender marginalized groups, hate speech, right to privacy, media literacy, clientelism in the media etc.

Luciano Scambiato Licciardi is the Press and Communication Team Leader at the EU Delegation to North Macedonia, a role he assumed in September 2025. From 2019 to 2025, he led Press and Information at the EU Delegation to Moldova, after serving as an expert for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Georgia and Ukraine. He previously worked with international organisations and in Sicily on migration and the protection of unaccompanied minors. He holds master’s degrees in International and Diplomatic Sciences and in International Journalism.

Julian Ringhof is a Policy and Case Handler Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect). At DG Connect, he works on the Global Aspects of Digital Services, including DG Connect’s international engagement on online platform governance, in particular the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA). Before joining the European Commission, Julian Ringhof was a Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations where his research focused on the implications of digital and emerging technologies for international affairs. He graduated with an MPhil in Technology Policy from the University of Cambridge and a dual BSc/BA in mechanical engineering from the University of San Diego.

Vasko Popetrevski is editor and host of the TV show “360 Degrees” and the web-portal 360stepeni.mk. He has more than 25 years of professional experience, working as reporter, editor and news anchor at A1 TV, Kanal 5 TV and Alsat TV, and at Dnevnik daily and Gragjanski weekly newspapers. He graduated from the School of journalism at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje as the best student of the generation.
TV news show "360 Degrees" was established in 2014 and currently is in its 12th broadcasting season. The show has its Monday version - interview or debate style program and Thursday version - in-depth style magazine, consisted of 3-4 investigative or analytical packages on various topics. The show has won more than 40 awards for journalism excellence and investigative journalism.

Riste Zmejkoski works as a Strategic Communications Officer at the EU Delegation to North Macedonia. He has extensive experience working at the intersection of international organizations and the media. He holds an MA in Media and Communications from Goldsmiths, University of London.

Zoran Trajchevski has been the Director of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services since 2014.

He possesses a Master's Degree in Mechanical Sciences and Energy Efficiency and a Master's Degree in Economics. In 2013, he obtained the scholarly degree of PhD in Economics. Since October 2017, he has been engaged as Assistant Professor in the scholarly field of Business and International Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management in Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia.

Mr. Trajchevski is the author of a number of papers on the topics of regulation and reforms in the field of electronic communications, published in some relevant scholarly journals. As a former Director of the Agency for Electronic Communications, and current Director of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, he possesses an extensive knowledge of the legislation related to media and electronic communications and the state of play in the audiovisual sphere.