Ivana Jordanovska is a doctoral candidate in political science and international relations at the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on the intersection of international security and political psychology, with a particular interest in NATO and emerging challenges. Before pursuing a doctorate, she worked as an adviser for cooperation with international organizations for the prime minister of the Republic of North Macedonia. Her professional experience includes work for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. As a Balkan native, she has extensive experience in political, as well as nongovernmental work across the region. She earned her master’s in international relations from New York University as a Fulbright Fellow, her bachelor’s in political science with focus on transatlantic relations from the Institute for Political Science in Paris (Institut d’Etudes Politique de Paris – Sciences Po) and is an alumna of United World College in Mostar.
A pervasive sense of identity insecurity among North Macedonians has increased the country’s vulnerability to malign domestic and foreign influence campaigns that find openings created by generations of mistrust among the country’s ethnic groups and the populace’s general lack of faith in governmental institutions.
The Russo-Ukrainian war has awakened tensions in the Western Balkans as the structures created to maintain peace in the region are faltering. The New Lines Institute’s Western Balkans Observatory presents a collection of essays examining security issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
