Stefano Bianchini is Professor of East European Politics and History at the University of Bologna, Forlě Campus and central coordinator of the Europe and the Balkans International network. He is also the Director of the two-year International Master of Arts in East European Studies (MIREES) awarding a joint diploma of the Universities of Bologna, Vytautas Magnus (Kaunas), St. Petersburg State University and Corvinus University of Budapest. He is Co-Director (along with Zdravko Grebo) of the European Regional MA in Democracy and Human Rights in South East Europe based in Sarajevo (awarded as a double diploma of the Universities of Sarajevo and Bologna). As an expert on Balkan issues, particularly on the former Yugoslavia and its successor states in politics, contemporary history and international relations, he has published several books and articles in Italian, French, English and other languages. He was an advisor and expert witness of the ICTY in the Hague. He is the Executive Editor of th journal “Southeastern Europe” (Brill publ.) and author of several books, the most recent ones are Eastern Europe and the Challenges of Modernity 1800-2000 (Routledge, Abingdon-New York, 2015); Partitions: Reshaping States and Minds, written with Sanjay Chaturvedi, Rada Iveković and Ranabir Samaddar (Frank Cass, London, 2005, Indian Reprint: 2007) and Sarajevo, Le Radici dell’odio (Edizioni Associate, Rome, third edition in 2003).