Nina Obuljen

Educational background
• 1992 University of Zagreb, Academy of Music, B.Mus. (Training: violin - performer and teacher)
• 1996 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy - French language and literature and Comparative literature, B.A.
• 1997/98 Diplomatic academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia - One-year programme, graduated with distinction
• 1999 Université Paris Dauphine, Paris, France: Seminar on the "Economy and financing of culture"
• 2004 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Science, MSc. in Political Science: Comparative politics


Accomplished research
At the Institute for International Relations she has been working on two research projects financed by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia: "The Improvement of the International Relations of Croatia: Communication and Cultural Aspects" and "Media, Communication and Cultural Aspects of Civil Society". Together with professor Vjeran Katunaric from the University of Zagreb she is responsible for the Croatian component of the project Cultural policies in Europe: a compendium of basic facts and trends, web-based, and continuously updated, information and monitoring system of national cultural policies in Europe. They have jointly prepared the 2002 report and she has done the revision and updating of the report for 2003.

Relevant publications

• Obuljen, Nina. Studija o medunarodnim tokovima izabranih kulturnih proizvoda od 1980. do 1998. godine. // Kulturni razvitak. - (2001), 3;
• Obuljen, Nina. Regional Cultural Co-operation: Croatian Position. // Redefining cultural identities in South-eastern Europe / Svob-Dokic, Nada (ur.). Zagreb : Institut za medunarodne odnose, 2001. , pg. 45-55.
• Obuljen, Nina. Community Cultural Development, Cultural Policy Networks and Culturelink. //Community, Culture and Globalization / Adams, Don ; Goldbard, Arlene (editors). The Rockefeller Foundation, New York 2002. ISBN 089184-063-X, pg. 211-223
• Obuljen, Nina. Novi medunarodni instrument za zastitu kulturne razlicitosti: prema globalnom kulturnom paktu.// Kulturni razvitak. - (2001), 4; pg. 14-15.
• Obuljen, Nina. New trends in the trade of cultural goods and services: consequences for the preservation of cultural diversity. Summary of a lecture held at the International Course on Redefining cultural identities in Southeastern Europe // Culturelink no. 37 August 2002 Vol.13, Cvjeticanin, Biserka (ur.). Zagreb : Institut za medunarodne odnose, 2002. , pg. 129-132.
• Compendium project, Croatian cultural policy profile, www.culturalpolicies.net (co-author for the 2002 version, responsible for update since 2003)
• Svob-Dokic, Nada; Obuljen, Nina (2003): Comparative Cultural Policy Issues Related to Cultural Diversity in Southeast Europe: Mapping the Approaches and Practices ( http://www.policiesforculture.org/PfC_NSvob-Djokic_SEEDiversity.pdf )
• Obuljen, Nina (2003). "UNESCO and the Cultural Diversity Debate" in: Andrew, Neil, Obuljen (eds.) Advancing cultural diversity globally, the role of civil society movements, Cape Town: International Network for Cultural Diversity.
• Obuljen, Nina (2003) The role of civil society in the cultural policy making in Croatia, in: TRANS. Internet-Zeitschrift für Kulturwiseenschaften (abstract published). The article will be published in spring 2004.
• Obuljen, Nina (2004) Utjecaj europskih integracija na hrvatsku kulturnu politiku (Influence of the European integration processes on Croatian cultural policy), Zagreb: Fakultet politickih znanosti, pp. 147.

Relevant seminar and conference participation
(Recent seminars and conferences where she has actively participated either with a paper or as a session chair)
• Community, Culture and Globalization Conference, Rockefeller Foundation's Study and Conference Center, Bellagio, Italy, 7-11 May 2001 (participant in a joint research project, paper published)
• A Course on Redefining cultural identities in Southeastern Europe, Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik, 14-19 May 2001. (lecturer, paper published)
• Towards a Global Cultural Pact, Lucerne Switzerland, 21-23. September 2001. (speaker)
• Bigger, Better Beautiful, Budapest 14-17 February 2002. (rapporteur)
• A Course on Redefining cultural identities in Southeastern Europe, Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik, 13-18 May 2002. (lecturer, paper published)
• Le Rencontre de Zagreb: Music policies and Cooperation in Europe, 3-5 October 2002 (speaker)
• Fostering Cultural Diversity and Development: local, national and global strategies, Cape Town, South Africa, 10-13 October 2002. (chair of a plenary session)
• Discussion: "Konvention für kulturelle Diversität?/ Convention for cultural diversity?" Depot. Kunst und Diskussion, December 9, 2002. (speaker)
• Discussion series on Cultural diversity organized by the French Institute in Zagreb and IMO/Culturelink. 22 January 2003. Debate on Globalization, Trade Liberalization, Cultural Policies and Cultural Diversity (speaker)
• Work conference on Regulations in favour of Cultural Diversity, Cultural Centre De Balie, Amsterdam in collaboration with Hivos and the Research Group Arts & Economics of the Utrecht School of the Arts, 25-27 September 2003 (participant and speaker at two public discussions organized in DeBalie, Amsterdam on 25th and 27th of September).
• Advancing Cultural Diversity Globally: The Role of Civil Society Movements, 13-15 October, Opatija, Croatia (chair of the conference, articles published in the conference reader and conference report)
• "The unifying aspects of Culture" Vienna, November 2003 (speaker, abstract published, paper to be published in spring 2004)

As a member of the Steering Committee of the International Network for Cultural Diversity (since 2001) she is involved in advocacy, lobbying and dissemination of information concerning global cultural diversity issues. She has represented the INCD on many occasions either as a speaker at different conferences and meetings or as a delegate participating at various governmental or intergovernmental meetings. (International Network on Cultural Policies, UNESCO, La Francophonie etc.)

She has published several articles in Croatian newspapers and magazines about different cultural policy issues, have participated in debates and interviews on radio and television, participated in the Debate on the National Review of Croatian Cultural Policy (autumn 1998) and the Debate on the Strategy of Cultural Development: Croatia in the 21st century (spring 2001).

From 1998 until 2000, she has been working as the chief of cabinet to the Croatian minister of culture and during that period was actively involved in planning and evaluating Croatian cultural policies.

Since spring 2004, Nina Obuljen has been the chair of the Cultural Council for International Relations and European Integration of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. She heads the Croatian delegation at the Intergovernmental expert meetings in UNESCO on the Draft Convention on the protection of the diversity of cultural contents and artistic expressions. Nina Obuljen is also a member of the Working Group for the reform of the book policy set up by the Croatian minister of culture.


Winning project description:
Why we need European cultural policies: Influence of the EU enlargement on cultural policies in transition countries

The aim of this research is to show there is a need for European-level cultural policies. Otherwise, cultural matters in transition countries will depend increasingly on provisions adopted within the framework of other common policies, with significant consequences. This research will include an analysis of legislation and other provisions of public policies in new EU member states and assess to what extent EU enlargement affects cultural policies. While debates focus on the question of the need for "European cultural policies", I agree with those authors who say that a de facto European cultural policy already exists, even though it is not yet clearly articulated. Provisions from various common policies have an impact on culture. This can include both instruments aimed specifically at culture and those that apply more generally. Published studies on: obstacles to the mobility of artists; cultural workers; cultural goods and services; analysis of employment opportunities across Europe; tax systems; copyright; and the liberalization of marketplaces, all prove that cultural policies depend on, and are influenced by, provisions and rules arising from other spheres of public policies. This project is an extension of research I completed for my postgraduate studies and the writing of a Masters' Thesis on the impact of the European integration processes on Croatian cultural policy.

The impact of EU enlargement has been one of the most debated topics among researchers in all public policy fields in the transition countries. The goal of becoming a member of the EU has been accompanied by a fear of what consequences the enlargement might bring. Since the early 1990s, studies of EU enlargement have focussed primarily on the harmonization of legislation with the Acquis, as well as the economic costs and benefits of the process. Culture has been mostly neglected or, if it appeared, it was usually to support the thesis that enlargement not only brings economic benefits, but also enriches European cultural diversity. This research will assess the importance of adopting common cultural policies in achieving this goal. While l will look at the influences of existing measures and instruments on culture, I will also show that the lack of a clearly defined European cultural policy, while possibly beneficial for those member states that want to preserve their traditions and policies, represents a challenge for new member states or those that might become candidates in the future. It is difficult for those countries to understand the consequences of enlargement on cultural policies and to analyse which instruments should be adopted to counteract some potentially negative implications.