31. 3. 2026 | PR, Young BSF
Applications for the 15th edition of the Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF) are now officially open.
Young BSF team is inviting ambitious young professionals working in the broadly defined field of international politics and related areas, aged between 18 and 35, to apply by 19 April 2026. We are looking for a group of diverse participants who bring a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, while ensuring gender balance and global representation. Information about the application process is available on the official Young BSF website.
This year’s forum, titled “After the Rupture: Agency and Resilience in a Fragmented World” will focus on questions of agency and resilience in an increasingly complex and fragmented international environment. Participants will explore how individuals, institutions, and societies interpret global disruptions and how these interpretations shape their capacity to act.
Young BSF 2026 will take place in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, from 28 to 30 August. Following the programme, participants will also attend the Bled Strategic Forum, held in Bled on 31 August and 1 September.
Participation in the forum is fully funded, with all costs covered by the organisers. This ensures that equal participation of all individuals.
16. 3. 2026 | PR, Young BSF
The 15th Young Bled Strategic Forum, titled “After the Rupture: Agency and Resilience in a Fragmented World,” will examine how individuals, institutions and societies respond to disruption in a rapidly changing international environment. At a time when long-standing assumptions about stability, cooperation and democratic consolidation are increasingly challenged, the forum will focus on how interpretations of global change shape our ability to act and build resilience.
Through discussions structured around three thematic pillars—interpreting rupture and responsibility, defining what is worth defending, and exploring agency in a fragmented world—participants will reflect on the role of young leaders in navigating uncertainty and contributing to shaping the future.
Young BSF 2026 will take place in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, from 28 to 30 August 2026. Following the Young BSF programme, participants will also attend the Bled Strategic Forum in Bled on 31 August and 1 September 2026.
Applications will open soon. To stay updated, subscribe to the CEP newsletter for the latest announcements.
18. 12. 2025 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR
Si želiš pridružiti ekipi, ki organizira enega izmed osrednjih zunanjepolitičnih dogodkov Slovenije?
Iščemo nadobudnega, zagnanega in motiviranega projektnega asistenta / asistentko.
Tvoje naloge bodo vključevale:
🌍 pomoč pri koordinaciji in načrtovanju aktivnosti Blejskega strateškega foruma
🎤 pomoč pri organizaciji mednarodne konference Blejski strateški forum
🤝 koordinacijo in sodelovanje z mednarodnimi partnerji
📦 koordinacijo logistike Blejskega strateškega foruma
🌐 komunikacijo s slovenskimi in tujimi udeleženci
👥 sodelovanje s slovenskimi in tujimi strokovnjaki
📊 pomoč pri pripravi poročil
📋 druga podobna dela in naloge
Več informacij o razpisu najdeš tu.
14. 11. 2025 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR
The first OSCE WIN Academy – Youth Edition, co-organised by the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF), the OSCE, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, took place in Ljubljana from 3–6 November. The programme brought together 16 students from South-Eastern Europe for four days of workshops, discussions, and exchanges focused on gender equality and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda.
The Youth Edition is part of the OSCE WIN (Women and Men Innovating and Networking for Gender Equality) project. The main objective of WIN is to advance gender equality as a prerequisite for achieving and maintaining stable, prosperous, and peaceful societies across the OSCE area. WIN regularly delivers capacity-building programmes, leadership trainings, and skills development opportunities for professionals and practitioners. This was the first time the Academy was organised specifically for young people, making it a new step in extending WIN’s tools and training approaches to the next generation of peace providers.
The programme
The programme opened with a public event titled “Looking Back in Order to Look Forward: Empowering Youth to Lead and Strengthen WPS.” Speakers underlined that the WPS Agenda is about ensuring full inclusion in peace and security efforts and highlighted the need to shift narratives away from seeing women only as victims.
The panel featured:
- Ambassador Darja Bavdaž Kuret, MFA Slovenia
- Prof. Dr. Ljubica Jelušič, University of Ljubljana
- Dr. Lara Scarpitta, OSCE Gender Issues Programme
Moderated by Peter Grk, BSF Secretary General
The event was opened by Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Dr. Scarpitta, and Prof. Dr. Andrej Kohont, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Over the next few days, the participants then engaged in the participant-only programme, which included sessions on the OSCE’s work and its field operations in South-Eastern Europe, key international frameworks on gender equality, and the intersections of gender, youth, and peacebuilding.
Throughout the programme, they had the opportunity to learn from and engage with a range of OSCE experts and practitioners, including Anastasia Fusco (WIN Project Manager, OSCE Gender Issues Programme), Augusta Featherston (Head of Democratization Department, OSCE Mission to Serbia), and Elmaja Bavčić (Adviser on Gender Equality, OSCE), who led sessions on OSCE structures, gender frameworks, and practical approaches to equality in the security sector.
The programme also featured a conversation with Sonja Lokar, former Chair of the Stability Pact Gender Task Force, as well as a fireside chat with alumnae of the OSCE Young Women’s Dialogue Academy. In addition, participants took part in the workshop “Youth Voices for an Equal Future,” a feminist tour of Ljubljana, and a discussion with Ms. Lucija Tacer, Member of the National Assembly.
11. 9. 2025 | Bled Strategic Forum, PR
The Bled Strategic Forum celebrated its 20th edition on 1–2 September 2025 under the title A Runaway World, gathering over 2,300 participants from 94 countries. Once a modest regional meeting, the Forum is now widely recognised as Central and South-Eastern Europe’s leading platform for dialogue among statesmen, diplomats, academics, youth and civil society.
Organised jointly by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia — through the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs — and the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), the Forum has thrived thanks to this close partnership from its inception. While the Ministry ensures the political and diplomatic vision, the Centre for European Perspective plays a vital role in the logistical organisation, supporting every detail that allows the Forum to function smoothly and to welcome thousands of participants and high-level guests year after year. The synergy of these two institutions has been essential in shaping the Bled Strategic Forum into a flagship event for Slovenia’s diplomacy.
This year’s edition featured 32 debates and over 180 speakers, including presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers. A recurring theme was the state of the global order, strained by persistent crises, space for cooperation shrinking, and international law under pressure. Among the most emphatic messages was a call for leaders to assume responsibility, act with integrity, and defend the fundamental values that underpin democratic and cooperative societies.
Dialogue featured not just between nations but across generations. Young leaders engaged in the Young Bled Strategic Forum programme and specialised Deep Dive sessions to address issues such as climate apathy, rising geopolitical tensions, and the ethical dilemmas posed by European rearmament. Their participation highlighted the Forum’s commitment to ensuring that the voices shaping tomorrow’s policies are heard today.
In one especially symbolic moment, the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan each took part in separate panels on European partnerships. Although they were not co-panelists, both listened attentively to one another’s contributions. This simple act conveyed a powerful message: after the signing of a peace agreement, the region is entering a new chapter of stability and cooperation. It captured the essence of what the Bled Strategic Forum — and the Centre for European Perspective as its long-standing co-organiser — strive for: not just discussion, but trust, mutual recognition, and constructive engagement.
As the Bled Strategic Forum turned twenty, its continuing strength lies not only in what is said on its stages, but also in how ideas are shared, relationships formed, and future paths explored. With the Centre for European Perspective’s dedicated work from the very beginning, the Forum continues to serve as a bridge — between states, between generations, and between ambition and action.
The 21st edition of the Bled Strategic Forum will be held on 31 August and 1 September 2026.
27. 8. 2025 | PR, Young BSF
Pokljuka, 28 August 2025 – Today marks the beginning of the 14th edition of the Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF), taking place on Pokljuka and later continuing at the main Bled Strategic Forum. This year’s programme, titled What values?, puts the spotlight on values as one of the core forces shaping global politics. In a time marked by a resurgence of realpolitik, Young BSF poses a timely and layered question: How – if at all – do values influence international politics? And what does the state of the world reveal about ourselves and the values we hold?
Designed with and for young professionals
This year’s Young BSF brings together 49 young professionals from 26 countries, aged 18 to 35, working broadly across the field of international politics. The group includes diplomats, activists, journalists, advisors, parliamentarians, legal experts, entrepreneurs, trade unionists, and more – all united by their commitment to making a positive impact in their communities and beyond.
The 2025 edition has been shaped in close collaboration with past and current participants. Last year’s alumni helped co-design the programme; young experts will lead most of the workshops, and this year’s participants will take on roles as moderators in all forum discussions. Every element of the programme was built with the aim of maximising participant engagement and ownership.
What can today’s world tell us about our values?
Young BSF 2025 explores values as a fundamental driver of international politics. At the centre of the programme is the question of whether values still meaningfully shape global decision-making – and how our current world reflects, reinforces, or challenges the values we claim to uphold.
Participants will explore this intersection through three key thematic pillars:
- the crisis of the rules-based international order,
- the stalling fight against the climate emergency, and
- the personal experience of practitioners confronting the gap between their values and the constraints of their working environment.
The event’s format is deliberately participant-oriented. Workshops and peer-to-peer discussions take priority, while classic panel formats are reserved for the closing part of the programme. By focusing on exchange among participants themselves – all of whom bring exceptional knowledge and experience – the forum fosters an environment for both deep reflection and practical idea-sharing.
In addition to promoting learning and professional development, the forum also plays a crucial role in community building. New connections and friendships formed during these three days often lead to fresh collaborations and future opportunities, making the Young BSF experience as personally enriching as it is professionally impactful.
Bringing in the best from abroad – and showcasing Slovenia’s own expertise
Twelve institutional partners supported the development and delivery of this year’s Young BSF – six of them directly involved in shaping the programme content. The organisers emphasised the importance of quality and diversity in both local and international partnerships, with the dual goal of bringing top talent to Slovenia while also showcasing Slovenian expertise to the world.
Among the content partners are the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Germany), The Carter Center (USA), Cast from Clay (UK), the Gajst Institute, the Centre of Excellence in Finance, and the Slovenian Student Association of Psychology. The event is co-organised by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Centre for European Perspective, with additional support from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, the Central European Initiative, the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
The Young BSF continues to serve as a dynamic tool of Slovenian public diplomacy – one that brings international professionals to Slovenia while creating space for the country’s ideas, people, and institutions to be presented to a global audience.
An independent programme, deeply connected to Bled Strategic Forum
Although independently curated, Young BSF is closely interwoven with the broader Bled Strategic Forum. On Monday, participants will host a special series of in-depth conversations – Deep Dive by Young BSF – which will be open to all Bled Strategic Forum attendees. These sessions, held in either one-on-one or focused panel formats, offer selected Bled Strategic Forum guests the opportunity to explore their ideas in greater detail and in dialogue with the younger generation.
As in previous years, selected Young BSF participants will also participate in Bled Strategic Forum panel discussions and be given priority during Q&A segments, ensuring that insights from mid-level practitioners inform high-level debates.
