20 YEARS OF THE INSTITUTE OF ETHNOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY (2005–2025): TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND PUBLISHING ACTIVITIES

Abstract

This paper offers a critical retrospective and strategic reflection marking the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology as an independent academic unit within the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. The analysis traces the historical and institutional conditions that shaped the (non)development of ethnological studies in Macedonia—from their early establishment and subsequent discontinuation in the 1950s, through museum-based and fieldwork practices that sustained disciplinary continuity, to the formal institutional consolidation achieved in 2005.

The paper examines the structural and conceptual challenges confronting the discipline, including the lack of a consistent research policy, limited staffing support, and the necessity of revitalizing mechanisms for the recruitment and integration of young researchers. Through an analysis of the jubilee conference “Macedonia in Ethnological and Anthropological Scholarship – From Within and From Without,” the study highlights the ongoing transformation of the field: from a predominance of classical thematic orientations toward contemporary, problem-driven, and publicly engaged research. The paper ultimately affirms the Institute’s role as a central actor in fostering academic production, critical reflection, and socially relevant scholarship at both national and regional levels.