14th Scientific International Conference
“Ohrid –Vodici, 2026”
Ohrid, 17-19 January 2026
“IDENTITY, CULTURE OF MEMORY, HERITAGE, TOURISM or SECURITY in DIGITAL ERA”
(in honor of professor Ahmet Aytaç PhD.)
SUBMISSIONS OF PAPERS or POSTERS
The Conference is open to individual submissions for papers and proposals for panels. All applications for papers and panels must be sent to the e-mail: conference.vodici2026@gmail.com, by 01 December 2025. The papers accepted upon the assessment of the Program Committee will be notified via email by 19 December 2025. Application for papers should content:
- Title of the papers or poster
- Abstract (in English only) not more than 300 words for individual papers, including the main argument and conclusions;
- Abstract (in English only) not more than 300 words for panel proposals, including abstracts of panel papers;
- Name and title of the author/s of the paper;
- Short bio of the author(s) of the paper, not more than one paragraph;
- E-mail address, telephone and fax numbers of the author(s) of the paper.
- Size for poster has to be 50x75 cm.
CONFERENCE LANGUAGES
Conference languages are Macedonian and English.
CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE
All registered participants will be granted a certificate of attendance at the end of the conference.
CONFERENCE BOOKLET
All abstracts accepted to the Conference will be on-line published as a conference booklet.
Deadline for Application: 01 December 2025
Notification of Acceptance Decisions: 19 December 2025
Registration: 9 January 2026
Conference: 17-19 January 2026
CONFERENCE LANGUAGES:
Conference languages are Macedonian and English
Other information
VENUE
The conference will be hold in Ohrid, Republic of North Macedonia, at the premises of the Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts (House of Uranija).
Methods of presentations
The conference is hybrid, there will be an opportunity for an online presentation.
However, the organizers prefer physical presence in order to experience the beauties of Ohrid and visit the tourist attraction for the "Vodici" holiday, as well as other suprises for the participants.
SCHEDULE
Conference will begin on 17 January 2026 and will end on 19 January 2026.
On 17 January 2026, publication (Conference proceedings) from the 13th Conference Vodici-Ohrid, 2025 ", will be promoted and disseminated.
REGISTRATION
Participation fee- EUR 100
Registration, conference materials, welcome reception, snacks, certificates.
On-line Participation through ZOOM platform includes book of abstracts, on-line access, and certificates.
ACCOMMODATION
The participants will cover accommodation costs. Organizing committee may facilitate or propose proper accommodation.
TRAVEL
Participants will be responsible for paying their travel expenses.
The digital revolution has transformed how societies define, preserve, and communicate identity, cultural heritage, and collective memory. Digital technologies reshape cultural production and global connectivity, enabling heritage sites, museums, and memory practices to reach audiences worldwide. At the same time, tourism—one of the world’s most dynamic cultural and economic sectors—relies increasingly on digital mediation, from virtual tours to social media platforms.
However, digitization introduces critical security challenges. Online archives, virtual heritage platforms, and user-generated content are vulnerable to data breaches, identity theft, misinformation, cyber vandalism, and unauthorized commercialization. These security issues pose ethical, legal, and operational risks for cultural institutions, communities, and tourists alike. This conference invites scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to examine how the digital era simultaneously expands opportunities and introduces vulnerabilities in the fields of identity, heritage, memory, and tourism.
Conference Rationale
Identity and memory have migrated to digital spaces, creating new avenues for engagement, education, and tourism. Museums and archives digitize collections and create interactive platforms, while social media becomes a space for memory and storytelling.
Yet, these innovations raise urgent questions:
- How can heritage institutions protect digital collections, personal data, and intellectual property?
- What are the risks of digital manipulation, misinformation, or cyberattacks on cultural and memory platforms?
- How can the tourism sector balance immersive digital experiences with cybersecurity and visitor privacy?
This conference explores these intersections, emphasizing ethical, secure, and inclusive approaches to digital heritage and tourism in the modern era.
TOPICS OF INTERESTS
We invite scholars, PhD and MA students, researchers and practitioners in history, anthropology, sociology, cultural heritage, political science, economy, tourism sciences, psychology, media, architecture, museology, archiving, audio-visual arts, information sciences/ technologies, archeology, history of art, geography, and all related fields to submit papers on any topic related to conference theme.
Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Digital Heritage, Identity, and Security
- Digitization of archives, monuments, and museums
- Privacy and data protection in virtual heritage platforms
- Cybersecurity challenges in online collections and tourism services
- Memory, Remembrance, and Digital Risks
- Online memorials and virtual commemorations
- Ethical and security challenges in user-generated memory platforms
- Protecting sensitive historical or traumatic content from cyber misuse
- Tourism, Technology, and Cybersecurity
- Virtual and augmented reality in cultural tourism: security implications
- Social media, digital identity, and visitor privacy
- Risks of data exploitation, hacking, and online misinformation in tourism marketing
- Post-Conflict and Transnational Memory Practices
- Digital reconstruction of heritage in post-conflict societies
- Secure transnational archives and plural memory narratives
- Protecting marginalized communities’ cultural heritage in digital spaces
- Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives
- Digital humanities, AI, and algorithmic risk
- Ethics of digital curation and security in heritage studies
- Policy frameworks and best practices for cybersecure cultural institutions
THE CONFERENCE PROGRAMME COMMITTEE
Rubin Zemon, Ph.D. Centre for Advanced Researches, Skopje, North Macedonia
Izabela Agardi Ph.D., Institute of Advanced Studies Kőszeg, University of Pannonia, Hungary
Fariz Khalili, Ph.D. MIRAS Social Organization in Support of Studying of Cultural Heritage, Baku, Azerbaijan
Ahmet Aytac, Ph.D. Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Izmir, Turkiye
Veselin Popov Ph.D., Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Science
Elena Marushiakova Ph.D.. Honorable Professor of the University St. Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom
Veronika Wittman Ph.D., Johan Kepler University, Linz, Austria
Meli Shopi, Ph.D., University Alexander Xhuvani, Elbasan, Albania
Juraj Marushiak Ph.D., Institute of Political Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Petko Hristov Ph.D., Bulgarian Academy of Science, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum
Mutluhan Taş Ph.D., Gazi University, Ankara, Turkiye
Milica Jokovic Pantelic Ph.D., Institute for Social Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia
Dejan Metodijeski, Ph.D. University Goce Delchev, Stip, Skopje, North Macedonia
Ana Chupeska Ph.D., Univeristy St. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, North Macedonia
Mustafa Ibraimi Ph.D., Univesity Mother Theresa, Skopje, North Macedonia
Kubilay Akman, Ph.D., Usak University, Usak, Turkiye
Jasminka Simić, Ph.D. Editor- in – chief, Radio-Television of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Denis Himçi Ph.D., University Alexander Xhuvani, Elbasan, Albania
Organization Committee
Aleksandar Manasieski, Ph.D. , Center for Advanced Researches, Skopje
Dorina Daiu, Ph. Candidate, Institute for Studies on Crimes and consequences of the Communism in Albania, Tirana
Fatima Salifoska Ph.D., Institute for Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of Albanians, Skopje
Zoran R. Vitorovic, DID Ph.D, Center for Advanced Researches, Skopje
Marina Vrvcoska M.A., Center for Advanced Researches, Skopje
Evgenija Shulevka , Center for Advanced Researches, Skopje
Igor Panev M.A., University Ss Cyril and Methodius, Skopje.
CONTACTS
contact@ceadvre.eu
conference.vodici2026@gmail.com
Contact persons:
Marina Vrvcoska MA marina.vrvcoska@gmail.com,
viber: + 38970422287
Evgenija Shulevska
viber: +38978597432
