From Sarajevo to an American Classroom: Assistant Prof. Dr. Mirza Buljubašić on Genocide, Justice, and What Comes After

How can students in the United States be brought closer to understanding the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the questions of justice that remain open decades after the war? These were the issues addressed by Assistant Prof. Dr. Mirza Buljubašić from the Faculty of Criminalistics, Criminology and Security Studies at the University of Sarajevo. At the beginning of October, he held an online guest lecture at Georgia Southern University in the USA.

The lecture, titled "Genocide, Justice and What Comes After: Bosnia and Herzegovina in Comparative Perspective," was delivered as part of the course "Human Rights and Criminal Justice." The experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina was placed within a broader, comparative framework. Students were encouraged to think critically about genocide, accountability, and the pursuit of justice. They also examined difficult questions that persist long after the crimes have ceased.

The course is taught by Assistant Prof. Dr. Dragana Derlić, who previously stayed at our Faculty as a visiting researcher. For her, this topic is not merely academic. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she came to the United States as a refugee. "Some lectures have significance that extends far beyond the classroom," Dr. Derlić wrote following the lecture. She added that discussions about the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina are deeply personal for her. According to her, these conversations remind us why it is necessary to transmit knowledge about human rights violations and the consequences of hatred and division to future generations. They also remind us of the importance of justice, remembrance, and accountability.

Dr. Derlić's cooperation with our Faculty continues even after her research stay in Sarajevo. This lecture demonstrates how such connections can bring the experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina and domestic research on dealing with the past to students on other continents.