The international workshop From Knowledge to Impact: Democratic Innovation Between Research, Practice, and Policy took place on 27–28 October 2025 at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory (IFDT) in Belgrade. The event gathered researchers and practitioners from across Europe to discuss how knowledge about democratic innovation can be more effectively translated into public policy.
The workshop was opened by Gazela Pudar Draško, Director of IFDT, His Excellency Kevin Colgan, Ambassador of Ireland to Serbia, and Sylvie Estriga from the EU Delegation to Serbia. In his keynote lecture, “Democracy Re-Imagined – Listening to the Authentic Voice of the People in a Noisy World,” Art O’Leary, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission of Ireland, presented Ireland’s experience with citizens’ assemblies as a successful model of deliberative democracy. He emphasised that such assemblies should not be seen as a threat to representative institutions, but as their support. Among the key ingredients of success, he highlighted representativeness, clarity of outcomes, adequate political leadership, and transparency, stressing that their cost should be viewed as an investment in democracy.
The first day continued with discussions on innovative democratic procedures, underlining that democracy extends beyond institutions – it is also about learning, empowerment, and meaningful citizen engagement. The second day focused on evidence-based democratic innovation, with examples from Poland, the UK, and France, exploring how deliberative processes can be scaled through technology, co-creation, and stronger cooperation between citizens, experts, and policymakers. The final session, “Translation That Works,” expanded the discussion geographically, showcasing examples from Southeast Europe as well as global coalitions working to bridge research, practice, and policymaking. Speakers emphasised that collaboration and exchange – both from the bottom up and top down – are essential for making democratic knowledge actionable across different contexts.
The Belgrade workshop reaffirmed the importance of trust, shared language, and collaboration between researchers, institutions, and civil society in strengthening democratic resilience across Europe.
