This program will not be running in Summer 2025.
At the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, the Balkans represents a diverse mix of cultures, languages, philosophies and religions. Since the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the Balkans remain a global epicenter for peacebuilding, inter-religious dialogue, and the promotion and protection of human rights. Led by Instructors Will Johnson and Emina Buzinkic, students in this program will study the challenges and possibilities of human rights and post-conflict peace-building in one of the most dynamic, beautiful, and diverse regions in the world.
The program includes coursework, guided research, cross-border excursions and time for independent travel.
Peace Studies is an emerging field of law and inter-disciplinary academic study. The countries of the former Yugoslavia—the Balkans—have been at the forefront of international peace-building efforts since the end of the Cold War. Countries such as Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia continue to serve as models for other societies throughout the world that wish to design peaceful post-conflict transitions. Similarly, the peacebuilding projects implemented in these countries since the 1990s helped initiate a global effort to develop culturally specific human rights laws, practices, and institutions. The promotion of human rights, from both an international and domestic perspective, provides the foundation for peace studies. Therefore, students wishing to pursue careers in human rights law or peace studies will need a strong foundation in both disciplines. This program provides an interdisciplinary perspective on these topics that includes an emphasis on law, politics, history, religion, and culture. The Balkans – Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia in particular – serve as a perfect setting for immersion into the challenges and possibilities of these important disciplines.
Scholarship Opportunity: Several Balkans program scholarships will be awarded to students accepted into the Human Rights and Peace Studies in the Balkans program. Scholarship awards will be based on financial need as well as overall quality of applicants’ study abroad applications. The scholarship application is within the program application; speak with your GEO advisor for more information.