This page focuses on the current project of IRMO’s Department for Culture and Communication CULTMED – Interdisciplinary Research on Cultural and Media Policies and Practices: Developmental and Democratic Potentials (December 31, 2023 – December 31, 2027), funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026, NextGeneration EU program.
CULTMED focuses on research related to the development of culture and cultural policy, media and media policy in Croatia and defines the local, regional, national, European and global environment of Croatian culture and media. The project aims to establish the necessary structural conditions for ongoing research in the fields of culture and media by setting up two centres of excellence: the Centre for Cultural Policy Research, Development and Cooperation (CULTURELINK) and the Centre for Media Sociology and Digital Society (CEMEDIG). These centres will also engage external collaborators who will be actively involved in the centres’ activities.
By building such a framework, the project seeks to improve the sustainability, visibility, and systematic long-term approach to cultural and media research. The two centers will provide the communication infrastructure needed for the implementation of the planned activities during the project duration and ensure long-term monitoring of research in these areas beyond the four-year project cycle
This page also contains information on other current and completed projects carried out within the Department for Culture and Communication, an archive of conferences organized by the Department and the Culturelink Network, as well as selected scholarly monographs published by the Department’s researchers.
News – Culture and Media
Conference Report: The European Union’s Digital Decade Policy – Regulation, Development, and Social Impact
Organised by the Centre for Sociology of Media and the Digital Society (CEMEDIG) at the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), a public forum titled “The European Union’s Digital Decade Policy: Regulation, Development, and Social Impact” was...
What role does data play in 21st-century development?
Though ubiquitous, the metaphor of data as the new oil of capitalism conceals the complex developmental logic underpinning contemporary digital economies. Digital transformation is increasingly framed as a developmental imperative, with states adopting industrial...
Lectures at the ENCATC Academy on Sustainability in Cultural Management and Cultural Policy
Dr. Dea Vidović, senior assistant and collaborator on the CULTMED project, delivered lectures on funders’ approaches to sustainability, as well as on wellbeing and sustainable transformation in the cultural and creative sector. The 13th edition of the ENCATC Academy...
Workshops Held for the Cultural Development Program of the City of Rijeka
As part of the participatory process for drafting the “Cultural Development Program of the City of Rijeka 2025–2029,” the second and third workshops were held on April 8 and 9, 2025, at the Children's House in Rijeka. These workshops focused on defining strategic...
New CresCine Report “Uncommon Venues for Exhibition & Distribution of European Film” Published
Project CresCine has just released its latest report, "Uncommon Venues for Exhibition & Distribution of European Film", offering a compelling look into the future of cinema beyond traditional multiplexes. This research, authored by Anyla Dautaj, Heritiana...
Dr. Dea Vidović at International Gathering Dedicated to the Future of Philanthropy
Dr. Dea Vidović, senior assistant and collaborator on the CULTMED project, participated in the international Futures Philanthropy Gathering of Leaders titled "Building Bridges: Reclaiming Agency," held from April 2 to 5, 2025, at the Tilal Utique art residency in...
Dr. Dea Vidović Delivered Guest Lecture at the Sibelius Academy
Dr. Dea Vidović, senior assistant and associate on the CULTMED project, delivered lectures on sustainable leadership in culture. During the spring semester, as part of the master's program in Arts Management, Society, and Creative Entrepreneurship at the Sibelius...
The European Union’s Digital Decade Policy: Regulation, Development, and Societal Impact
On Tuesday, 29 April 2025, a public discussion titled The European Union’s Digital Decade Policy: Regulation, Development, and Social Impact will take place at the House of Europe (Augusta Cesarca 4, Zagreb). The event is organised by the Centre for the Sociology of...
Dr. Aleksandra Uzelac and Barbara Lovrinić Higgins Co-Authored Article in the Journal ‘Heritage’ (WoS, Scopus)
Dr. Aleksandra Uzelac and Barbara Lovrinić Higgins, researchers at the Department of Culture and Communication at IRMO, have published the article "From Data to Impact: Assessing the Value of Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age". The article was published in the...
Published Report: State of European Film Vol. 1
The first volume of the report, "State of European Film," has been published as a part of the Horizon Europe project CresCine. The report provides detailed insight into key industry trends, policy recommendations, and analyses from experts at leading European...
First Workshop for the Cultural Development Program of the City of Rijeka
As part of the participatory process of developing the "Cultural Development Program of the City of Rijeka 2025–2029," the first in a series of workshops was held on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at the Children's House in Rijeka. The workshop was led by a team from the...
How to Shape the Future of European Film Distribution? The New CresCine Bulletin Brings Key Insights from the Latest Report
With the conclusion of Berlinale and its integral part, the European Film Market (EFM), it has become evident that European film distribution is at a turning point. While streaming platforms have disrupted traditional models, cinemas have proven to be more resilient...
CEMEDIG CENTER
CEMEDIG – Centre for Sociology of Media and Digital Society
The CEMEDIG Center promotes and directs the research of the Department of Culture and Communications in the field of media sociology, a special branch of sociology characterized by interdisciplinary openness to related disciplines in the field of social sciences and humanities. This particularly applies to economically oriented topics, such as the political economy of the media, and legal and political topics, such as media regulation. In the context of digitization, the term digital sociology is often used as a term close to media sociology, and the focus is on specific development topics such as data infrastructures, platforms, digital data, digital media literacy, and data justice.
CULTURELINK CENTER
CULTURELINK – Centre for Research in Cultural Policy, Development and Cooperation
CULTURELINK Centre was established in 2024 as a result of IRMO’s long-term engagement in coordinating the Culturelink Network. The Centre aims to build on and further develop IRMO’s affluent research repository and decades-long commitment to coordinating the global cultural network (culturelink.org) for research and collaboration in the field of cultural development, which gathered more than 2000 institutional and individual members from all continents since its establishment in 1989. Culturelink Centre’s work and activities will provide an organizational and infrastructural framework for the Department of Culture and Communication national and international research partnerships and collaborations c contributing to the wider outreach and better visibility of the Department’s research results.
