Rodne studije na Univerzitetu u Sarajevu: Prekinuta institucionalizacija / Gender Studies at the University of Sarajevo: Interrupted Institutionalization

Abstract

This paper examines the status and potential of gender studies programs at the University of Sarajevo. It presents the history of gender/women's/feminist studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a primary focus on the postgraduate and doctoral gender studies programs. The postgraduate program in "Gender Studies" was offered from 2006 to 2012, while in 2013, a doctoral program in "Gender Studies" was launched, admitting only the first generation of students. Through an analysis of relevant documents, including curricula, announcements, reports, and other supporting materials, the key aspects of the program are discussed—from the content of the courses to institutional and economic barriers. The study identifies circumstances that have negatively impacted the further development and institutionalization of the program, as well as links to a decline in student interest, limited financial resources, program expenditures, and the commercialization of the program at the University of Sarajevo. Although the "Gender Studies" program formally exists and represents the only such educational program at the University of Sarajevo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, no calls for new admissions have been made for over a decade. This analysis invites a discussion on the potential for reactivating the program, with the aim of advancing gender studies in the academic context of the country.