Ivan Rajkovic

Ivan Rajković is a Research Fellow in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Vienna, affiliated with the CaSt research group. He holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Manchester (2015). Previously, he was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at University College London (2015-2017) and a Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (2017-2019).

His research focuses on political ecology, moral economy, and labor studies in post-Yugoslav and Balkan contexts. Current projects explore energy transition dynamics, particularly small hydro-power developments in Serbia, Bulgaria, and Northern Macedonia, examining their socio-environmental impacts and ecopopulist mobilizations. Earlier work analyzed labor struggles in post-Yugoslav factories, exploring concepts like 'mock-labour' and grassroots demands for 'proper capitalism.'

Rajković’s publications span peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute), edited volumes on moral economy and green capitalism, and public-facing platforms like LeftEast. His book manuscript The Gift of Work examines indebtedness and social legitimacy in post-Yugoslav industrial settings.

Teaching includes courses at the University of Vienna, with past roles in UCL’s School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies. He advises students on topics linking political ecology, anthropology of work, and Balkan socio-economic transitions. Currently on research leave until July 2025, he maintains active collaborations with regional activists and interdisciplinary anthropological networks.