The Fourth Bosnian Slavicists Congress Held
In Sarajevo, from 22 to 24 May, the largest scientific gathering of Slavicists took place, organized by the Slavic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina, chaired by Prof. Dr. Mehmed Kardaš, in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, the University of Sarajevo – Faculty of Philosophy, and the University Rectorate. The President of the Congress Organizing Committee was Prof. Dr. Elma Durmišević.
This year's Congress hosted around 160 participants from sixteen European countries over three days, presenting current linguistic, literary, and cultural topics. These included the standardization of Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian languages in the late 20th and early 21st centuries; language history; dialectology topics; Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian language in teaching practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina and worldwide; contemporary Slavic linguistic research; Bosnian-Herzegovinian literature/literature of the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina within South Slavic, comparative, and intertextual contexts; phenomena of migration-diaspora literature and minority literary and cultural traditions within the Slavic context; Slavic literatures and transition; representation and perception of emotions in Slavic literary and civilizational contexts; and modern Slavic literary and cultural research.
On the first day of the Fourth Bosnian-Herzegovinian Slavic Studies Congress, a plenary lecture was delivered by Professor Celia Hawkesworth (University College London), this year's recipient of the “Ban Kulin” Award for outstanding contribution to Slavic studies. Previous awardees include Prof. Dr. Svein Mønnesland, Prof. Dr. Nazif Kusturica, and Academician Prof. Dr. Senahid Halilović, founder and first president of the Slavic Committee.
Speakers also included the University of Sarajevo Rector Prof. Dr. Tarik Zaimović, Vice Dean for International Academic Cooperation, Research, and Publishing, Doc. Dr. Minka Džanko, and on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, Benjamin Hedžić. All emphasized the importance of such scientific gatherings for promoting the humanities. The Slavic Committee awarded them gratitude certificates as a token of appreciation for long-standing support.
Keynote speeches by Academician Prof. Dr. Krešimir Bagić (University of Zagreb) and Prof. Dr. Julije Dragojlović (University of Belgrade) were held at the impressive Bošnjački Institute – Adil Zulfikarpašić Foundation, along with the promotion of the Slavic Committee’s publications. The Congress concluded with an artistic segment, where Damir Imamović captivated attendees with his unique interpretation of sevdah.
The conference days (May 23 and 24, 2025) took place at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, where participants presented their research in three parallel sessions. Professor Rifat Škrijelj, director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Sarajevo, visited one session to wish participants success and received a gratitude certificate from the Slavic Committee for longstanding support of its projects. Although the Congress aimed to include participants from Ukraine who submitted topics, their presentations were held online.
Several institutions, including the Bošnjački Institute – Adil Zulfikarpašić Foundation, the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Sarajevo Museum, the Museum of Literature and Performing Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Museum of War Childhood, the Sarajevo Olympic Museum, and the Bosnian-Herzegovinian National Museum, supported the Congress by opening their doors to participants. The AS Holding Group sponsored the event.
The Congress concluded on Saturday, May 24, 2025. Proceedings are expected to be published, as is customary after such scientific gatherings. All activities of the Slavic Committee can be followed at: https://slavistickikomitet.ba/.
More about the Fourth Bosnian-Herzegovinian Slavic Studies Congress can be found at:
http://www.fmon.gov.ba/Obavjest/Pregled/1440
https://youtu.be/qc6_HK8fKfQ?si=czMG2Y3n0RBCbxe0
Photographer: Faris Šačić.
