Visit of the representatives from the Northeastern University to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Osijek

From 26 May to 1 June 2022, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Osijek hosted students from School for Public Policy and Urban Affairs of the Northeastern University from Boston, USA. The visit was organised at the Department of Psychology within the programme Dialogue of Civilizations Course – Ethnic Identity and Conflict in Croatia and Bosnia, coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Matt Lee. During their stay in Osijek, students of the Northeastern University, together with home psychology students, attended lectures and workshops on different topics aiming at improvement of students’ intercultural sensitivity and competencies. On 27 May 2022, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ana Kurtović from the Department of Psychology held a workshop on Cultural (case) formulation.

The workshop provided an opportunity to students to learn about cultural conceptualisations in clinical work, the role of social and cultural factors in the development of individual identity, as well as their effect on the development of psychological problems and recovery. Students had the opportunity to become aware of and to compare various factors within American and Croatian contexts that have affected them so far or could have an effect on their further professional development. On 31 May 2022, Maja Knežević and Karolina Šoš Živanović, guest lecturers from the Proni Centre for Social Teaching, gave a lecture on the role of civil society organisations in the protection of human rights, community recovery after a conflict and the preservation of community mental health. Students had the opportunity to compare the resources that exist in the communities where they grew up or live, and to critically review the role of the non-governmental sector in communities where and when the state mechanisms referring to mental health care are not sufficient.

Furthermore, on 1 June 2022, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Željko Pavić, professor of the Department of Sociology, held a lecture on the topic Sociology of tensions: ethnic relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, within which the students had the opportunity to become better acquainted with the historical context and theories of building a nation, national identity in mixed marriages, conflicts and stereotypes, and examples of positive stereotypes that exist in these areas. Finally, the psychology students, together with American students, attended a lecture and participated in a group work delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Matt Lee, within which they applied the acquired knowledge in case studies and elaborated it in their final presentations. Professors and students are satisfied with the realised cooperation, which they plan to continue in the future within the programme Dialogue of Civilizations Course – Ethnic Identity and Conflict in Croatia and Bosnia.