Benedetta Merlino is a Doctoral student in Law and Politics at the University of Graz. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Science from the University of Bologna, a Master's Degree in International Relations from the University of Turin and a Master's Degree in Democracy and Human Rights in Southeast Europe from the University of Sarajevo, where she wrote a thesis on the impact of Civil Society in shaping the concept of nationalism among youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is part of the board of directors and writer at IARI (Institute for International Relations' Analysis), and she cooperates with the Post Conflict Research Center of Sarajevo. Her research and academic activity focus on the Western Balkan area, and her topics of interest include nationalism, state capture, post-war memorialization and Civil Society.