About the Program
- Course materials for HIST/POLS 264
- See two digital stories about Bosnia: Travels in a Bleak and Cheerful Land by Karl Bahm, and A Visit to Bosnia by Ezra Riley.
- Mike Jaros Fund for Peace supports studies abroad.
This program is designed to give you a better understanding of the history of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It invites you to dive deeper into a conflict that most students aren’t learning about in typical classes. You will learn about the geopolitical issues of the war and how there may never be a “right” answer to solve it. Finally, the program encourages you to better understand the complexity of rebuilding a society after a conflict. To do so, we visit actual former frontlines of the war to better understand what happened during the war. We meet with politicians and community organizers from Croat, Jewish, Muslim, Roma and Serb communities as well as non-religious/nationalist organizations. We will also talk with representatives from different political, ethnic, bureaucratic and educational groups, such as the UNHCR, Mothers of Srebrenica, and the Druga, to help you realize the complexity of human relations. Finally, we celebrate the efforts to rid the country of landmines by visiting the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) headquarters for the mine-detecting dog training center.
In addition, we encourage you to go beyond the conflict. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a vibrant country that has survived a terrible ordeal and has so much to offer to everyone:
- Cosmopolitan culture of Sarajevo;
- Great cuisine and music;
- Stunning bridges, castles, mosques, and cathedrals;
- Natural beauty.
Experience all of this and more with the War and Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina Study Abroad program. A six-credit course (History and/or Political Science) conducted over four weeks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this course focuses on developing a practical understanding of the war that tore this country apart in the early 1990s. The course is a hands-on learning experience, meaning that our classroom is the cities and villages of Bosnia and Herzegovina and our sources are the people we meet and the culture they share with us.
The majority of the program will take place within the city of Sarajevo. There will be two short multi-day trips to Banja Luka-Prijedor-Tuzla and the Mostar region. In addition, there will be two one-day trips to Foca-Gorazde-Visegrad and Zenica.
Go off the beaten path. Participate in the War and Peace in Bosnia program.
Academic Course and Credit Requirements
The program provides six credits of 300-level History or Political Science credit.
The program welcomes students from all majors! UW-Superior students are required to enroll in the HIST or POLS 266: War and Peace in Bosnia course.
Non-UW-Superior students are also required to take HIST or POLS 266: War and Peace in Bosnia course via Zoom videoconference.
Program Costs: $5,700
$3,250: Includes international insurance, housing, transportation, language translator, program costs, and breakfast (consisting of baked goods and juice and coffee).
$2,450: Includes cost of flight, passport, and spending money for food and other expenses (based on $14 per meal for the entire 28 days).
Additional expenses (such as drinks or gifts) are not included in these figures and the money must come from the students’ personal budget.
Program Length
The program is approximately four weeks in length.
Students typically depart on a Monday after the graduation ceremony date and return 28 days later.
Housing
Students stay in a house together or in two separate apartments, depending on the number of participants.
Accommodations are equipped with kitchens. Expect to share rooms, common areas and bathroom areas.
Students will be expected to be respectful of each other and negotiate space as needed.
Financial Aid
Regular financial aid is available for this course.
Wisconsin residents may be eligible for the Wisconsin Study Abroad Grant. For further information, please contact Financial Aid.
Contact Information
For more information on the prep courses and the summer travel-abroad courses, contact Dr. Khalil (Haji) Dokhanchi.
Our program has its own Facebook page and students have agreed to respond to your questions regarding the program. Please feel free to join our Facebook group.