Institute for Ethnic Studies (IES)

IES (Slovenian: Inštitut za narodnostna vprašanja) is the oldest research institute in minority and ethnic studies in Europe. Traditionally, it studies the following issues: ethnicity, ethnic relations and conflicts, nationalism, borders; the Slovene national question; national minorities, especially the position and status of national and ethnic minorities in Slovenia and of the Slovene ethnic communities in Italy, Austria, Hungary, Croatia and other successor states of the former Yugoslavia; position and status of immigrants, migration and integration policies in the Slovenia; international regulation and protection of human rights, especially the rights of national minorities; case studies and comparative studies of ethnicity in Europe and worldwide. The IES has a long track record of work in the fields of minority studies, ethnic studies and human rights. In this context, special attention has been paid to the participation of ethnic minorities in political decision-making processes - especially in South Eastern Europe, but also worldwide. Within the framework of the Stability Pact for SE Europe the International Center for Interethnic Relations and Minorities in SE Europe was established at the IES in 2001. Apart from its offices in Ljubljana, IES also has two branch offices in Lendava and Rijeka (Croatia). IES manages the Specialized Information and Documentation (INDOC) Center with a rich specialized library and archives; and it publishes its scientific journal Treatises and Documents, Journal of Ethnic Studies.