Shafaqna English- HRIUI presented: UNESCO’s position between universal ideals and the realities of power politics | Interview with Milena Dragićević Šešić, Professor at University of Arts in Belgrade.
In a world shaped by rising geopolitical tensions, cultural nationalism, digital monopolies, and increasingly complex ethical dilemmas in international cooperation, UNESCO’s role has become more important, and more contested, than ever.
In this exclusive interview, Professor Milena Dragićević Šešić, distinguished professor at the University of Arts in Belgrade and founder of the UNESCO Chair in Interculturalism, Art Management and Mediation, reflects on UNESCO’s position between universal ideals and the realities of power politics.
Drawing on her extensive experience in cultural policy, cultural diplomacy, and international projects across the Balkans, Central Asia, Cambodia, and the Middle East, she explores how culture can become both a tool of dialogue and an instrument of state soft power. The conversation examines UNESCO’s role as a mediator in a divided world, its ability to respond to digital-age challenges and algorithmic dominance, and the structural and ethical limits of using culture as a path toward human emancipation. Can culture still serve as a bridge for peace, dialogue, and post-conflict reconstruction, or is it increasingly becoming another arena of geopolitical competition?
Interview with Milena Dragićević Šešić, Professor at University of Arts in Belgrade (Part 2)