Bridging Science, Policy, and Community: Enhancing Air Quality Research, Advocacy, and Capacity Building in North Macedonia

The project strengthens research, institutional capacity, and public engagement related to air pollution and environmental health in North Macedonia, with a particular focus on Tetovo as a case study. It builds upon several years of interdisciplinary collaboration between the two institutions and contributes to expanding scientific evidence on air quality challenges in the Western Balkans.

The collaboration supports academic research, scientific publication, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building in environmental sustainability and air quality management. Research activities focus on topics such as indoor and outdoor particulate matter interactions, pollution impacts from energy production, and machine learning approaches for pollution prediction.

The project emphasizes public awareness and science communication through workshops, exhibitions, and innovative visualization approaches that make air pollution more visible and understandable to the public. In partnership with international collaborators, it combines science, technology, and art to strengthen environmental advocacy and community engagement.

The initiative also contributed to the development of young researchers through the McCall MacBain Clean Air Fellowships, supporting postgraduate studies and strengthening local expertise in air pollution management and environmental research.