Ivana Keser is a post-doctoral research assistant in the Department for Resource Economics, Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), Zagreb. She holds a B.A. in Political Sciences, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia, LL.M. in European and European Legal Studies, Institute for European Integration, Europa-Kolleg, University of Hamburg, Germany. She holds a PhD in Sociology of Regional and Local Development, University of Zadar, Croatia, and University of Teramo, Italy. Keser has completed a one-year program at the Center for Peace Studies, House of the Human Rights, Zagreb. Her research interests include local and regional development, sustainable urban development, and participatory governance. She is a member of the following associations: Institute of Public Administration (Zagreb), Croatian Department of the European Association for Regional Research (Zagreb) and Croatian Sociological Association (Zagreb).