The project “STEMpo – Rhythm of the Community: Digital Competences for Human Development”, in which we participate as a partner institution, has entered its second year of implementation. The project runs from 12 March 2025 to 12 March 2028 and is co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). The total project value amounts to EUR 292,103.12.

During the first year of implementation, significant results were achieved in bringing STEM fields closer to students and strengthening capacities for the development of high-quality and practical STEM content.

A total of 399 students participated in project activities during the first year, while 120 STEM workshops were held in six partner primary schools. The workshops focused on developing digital and ICT competences, critical thinking, creativity and collaborative skills, while connecting STEM fields with topics related to community development, solidarity, inclusion and sustainable development.

To ensure the quality implementation of activities for students, a significant part of the project was also dedicated to strengthening the capacities of the DKolektiv project team. The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek, as a partner institution, delivered 10 training sessions for the DKolektiv project team in areas related to digital competences and the implementation of STEM content, as well as a series of group and individual mentoring sessions providing continuous professional support in the preparation and implementation of STEM workshops and public events. In addition, the project team participated in four additional training sessions conducted by external experts, as well as a study visit to Slovenia, during which they became familiar with examples of good practice and innovative approaches to the development of digital competences and STEM programmes.

STEM content was not limited to school classrooms. During the first year, 12 public STEM promotion events were also held, bringing STEM activities closer to students, parents and the wider local community.

In the second year of implementation, i.e. in the new school year, we continue with workshops for students in grades 3 and 4, as well as grades 7 and 8, in partner schools, public STEM promotion events and mentoring support for the project team. The aim is to continue providing students with practical learning experiences through STEM and to demonstrate how digital competences, technology and critical thinking can be used to solve real-life challenges in everyday life and the community.

The project “STEMpo – Rhythm of the Community: Digital Competences for Human Development” aims to strengthen DKolektiv’s capacities to increase children’s and students’ interest in STEM fields, develop ICT and digital competences, and encourage active participation of students and the community in STEM activities through an interdisciplinary approach and cooperation between civil society organizations, the academic community and schools.

The project holder is DKolektiv – Organization for Social Development, while the partners are Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek – Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek, Frana Krste Frankopana Primary School, Franje Krežme Primary School, Hinko Juhn Primary School, Ivana Brlić Mažuranić Primary School, Ljudevit Gaj Primary School and Vladimir Becić Primary School.

Reflections on Participation in the Bovec Summer School 2026

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences once again had its representatives at the Summer School in Bovec, Slovenia – teaching assistant Nikolina Begović from the Department of Information Sciences and students Monika Delić and Martina Pliestić. The impressions of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek students who participated in the Summer School can be read here.

Croatian Dialects in the Mirror of AI: Lost in Translation or Digitally Preserved?

This year, I represented the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Bovec Summer School as a member of the teaching staff.

The main theme of this year’s Summer School, Bridging Worlds with AI: Multilingual Communication, Culture and Digital Transformation, brought together a number of interested participants from Croatia, Italy, Austria and Slovenia. Within the framework of the main theme, I held a workshop entitled Croatian Dialects in the Mirror of AI: Lost in Translation or Digitally Preserved?

Six students from Croatia, Italy and Slovenia participated in the workshop, which lasted three hours, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Two professors also attended the workshop.

During the workshop, students were very active and engaged. They enthusiastically completed the tasks I prepared for them. The tasks were primarily focused on improving students’ skills in using AI tools. In addition, through various activities, we explored together the extent to which AI tools can (or cannot) assist in working with Croatian dialects. Our discussions led us in various directions, including reflecting on the limitations of AI tools, considering ways in which dialects could be preserved from extinction, and developing a plan for how AI could help us in this process.

In conclusion, the students expressed their satisfaction after participating in the workshop. They became aware of new ways of using AI tools and gained ideas for their own future projects.

The Bovec Summer School is an exceptional opportunity for students from Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Austria to spend two weeks intensively learning a foreign language from leading experts and to deepen their knowledge through practical exercises and workshops. Lectures and workshops were held at Hotel Alp, where all participants were accommodated. Upon arrival, I was welcomed by the organizers, Ms Tatjana Vučajnk and Fiorenza Ninin, as well as the professors who conducted the classes.

Nikolina Begović, Teaching Assistant

On 14 July 2026, an Agreement was signed between the Museum of Slavonia and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek. The Agreement was signed by the Director of the Museum of Slavonia, Zdenka Predrijevac, and Vice-Dean for Science and International Cooperation, Professor Daniela Šincek, PhD, on behalf of the Dean, Professor Ivan Trojan, PhD. The signed Agreement confirms and expands the existing cooperation between the two institutions. The current cooperation has primarily been realized through activities related to practical training, which students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences completed at the Museum of Slavonia, collaborating with the Museum’s employees.

For the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the signing of the Agreement represents a confirmation of its continuous efforts to improve the quality of the study programmes it offers, while for both institutions it represents an indicator of numerous opportunities for professional development and cooperation within scientific work through strengthening inter-institutional support.

Text: Luka Prijić

On Wednesday, 7 July 2026, a meeting of the County Professional Council of German language teachers in secondary schools in Osijek-Baranja County was held, at which Marijana Mandić, PhD, from the Department of German Language and Literature, together with foreign language teacher Mirela Rukavina-Sabo, gave a presentation entitled “Literature Connects / Literatur verbindet: Experiences and Results of Four Years of Cooperation”, accompanied by a workshop, and presented the results of the long-standing cooperation between the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek and Isidor Kršnjavi Secondary School in Našice.

Since 2023, one workshop has been held each year as part of the science popularisation events Science Week and Science Festival, as well as within the project “Analysis of Systems in Crisis and New Consciousness in 21st-Century Literature”, funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, and this year also within the project “Urban (Non-)Resilience in Contemporary German-Language Prose”, funded by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek. Students of Isidor Kršnjavi Secondary School in Našice participated in a total of four workshops, where they engaged in a variety of activities involving critical and creative thinking, examining problems from different perspectives, presenting arguments for their views and active listening. They also had the opportunity to become acquainted with interdisciplinary work, the basics of research, and the use of digital technologies in research.

Marijana Mandić and Mirela Rukavina-Sabo gave their presentation at the County Professional Council in Našice with the aim of using their own experiences to demonstrate the benefits of cooperation between schools and faculties and to encourage participants to remain open to future opportunities for inter-institutional cooperation.

The professional meeting was held at the premises of Isidor Kršnjavi Secondary School in Našice.

Ten third-year undergraduate students and second-year graduate students of the teacher education programme in English Language and Literature, accompanied by Prof. Tanja Gradečak, PhD, and Senior Lecturer Blaženka Šoštarić, and with financial support from FFOS, spent seven days in beautiful Sicily, Italy, as part of the elective course Language of Public Communication. From 8 to 12 June, Kore University of Enna hosted the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme CROSSWOR[L]DS. The programme’s name is based on an intentional play on words, combining language puzzles that require creative decoding with the crossing of worlds, represented as movement through linguistic and cultural spaces. This dual meaning frames the programme’s central aim: to explore how multilingual and intercultural encounters function as dynamic spaces for meaning-making, negotiation and identity construction.

As part of the programme, students from our Faculty, students from Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland, and students from the host institution took part in an intensive programme of lectures and workshops delivered by experts in the fields of multilingualism, literature, cognitive sciences and translation studies, both in person and online. One of the lectures, focusing on the latest developments in the use of artificial intelligence in translation, was delivered by Prof. Marija Omazić, PhD.

Drawing on an interdisciplinary framework, the programme explored multilingualism, intercultural communication and transcultural identity alongside current European priorities such as inclusion, digital transformation and active citizenship. Particular attention was devoted to the development of socio-intercultural competences, empathy and critical awareness – key dimensions for fostering fair, respectful and inclusive interaction in international and multicultural environments.

In addition to the intensive academic programme, the hosts organised a visit to the Roman Villa del Casale near Enna, as well as to an authentic Sicilian farm producing excellent Sicilian olive oil, where we had the opportunity to taste traditional Sicilian gastronomic specialities.

This type of programme provides students with an excellent opportunity to explore new topics that may not otherwise form part of the academic curriculum of individual study programmes. It also creates opportunities for developing new forms of internationalisation, including planned future intensive programmes, research projects and guest lectures by professors.

On the occasion of Elfriede Jelinek’s 80th birthday, the Austrian Cultural Forum in Warsaw hosted an international event entitled WELT.AUTORIN.JELINEK: Sprache & Demokratie (English: WORLD.AUTHOR.JELINEK: Language & Democracy). Students of the Department of German Language and Literature at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek responded to the invitation to participate in marking this important anniversary within the network of Austrian Libraries Abroad of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria.

On Friday, 19 June 2026, a series of lectures was held on the rich body of work and significant reception of the influential author, and the entire event was also streamed online. The afternoon programme included a video produced by students of German Language and Literature at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek. From 3:00 p.m., under the programme item Labor: Demokratie versus Totalitarismus. Jelinek übersetzen (English: Laboratory: Democracy vs. Totalitarianism. Translating Jelinek), video contributions by Austrian Libraries from Poland, Romania, Turkey, Hungary and Croatia were presented. The Republic of Croatia was represented by the Austrian Library in Zadar and students of the Department of German Language and Literature in Osijek as a partner of the Austrian Reading Room at GISKO.

A valuable contribution to understanding Jelinek’s poetics in translation into other languages and media was provided precisely by the video produced by the Osijek students. Under the mentorship of Iris Spajić, PhD, Senior Assistant, the video was prepared by third-year students of the single-major and double-major undergraduate study programmes in German Language and Literature: Nina Ćaćić, Laura Horvat, Lea Kaselj, Mia-Sofi Mišetić, Leon Mudri, Lora Opančar, Anna Papp, Emanuel Rapaić and Ivana Ergotić.

The video Welt.Autorin.Jelinek: Version Osijek will also be presented to the local audience as part of the Austrian Culture Days programme in November 2026.

Asst. Prof. Stephanie Jug, PhD

On Friday, 5 June 2026, a team-building event was organised for employees of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek. A total of 52 employees took part, including both teaching and non-teaching staff. The gathering was held at the “Ivica i Marica” rural estate in Karanac, with the aim of encouraging team spirit and mutual cooperation among Faculty employees.

The participants departed at 8:30 a.m., and upon arrival at the destination, a group breakfast was organised, providing an opportunity for informal socialising and conversation.

Afterwards, participants were able to choose activities according to their own interests and preferences. A variety of options were available, including taking part in a pub quiz, playing Belote, walking through the hills of nearby Bansko brdo, or simply talking and socialising in a relaxed atmosphere.

At 3:00 p.m., a group lunch was organised, during which participants shared their impressions of the activities, after which they returned to Osijek.

This team-building event provided an excellent opportunity for employees to connect outside their everyday work responsibilities and to strengthen cooperation and a sense of community among members of the Faculty. It undoubtedly contributed to stronger interpersonal relationships and to the overall creation of a positive working atmosphere.

On Wednesday, 3 June 2026, we welcomed our partners from Tübingen, Germany: the Institute for Danube Swabian History and Regional Studies (IDGL) and the University of Tübingen. Cooperation between IDGL Tübingen and FFOS has a long-standing tradition, culminating in the signing of a cooperation agreement in 2024. Prior to that, cooperation took place through postdoctoral scholarships and research stays in Tübingen, participation of our students in summer schools in Tübingen, visits by delegations from Tübingen and the organisation of exhibitions in Osijek, participation in conferences, publishing activities, and similar forms of cooperation. This time, for the first time, we had the opportunity to welcome 22 students of history and cultural studies, as well as three fellow researchers and faculty members from Tübingen.

During the one-day visit, we organised the workshop “German Colonists in Slavonia: the Case Study of Ernestinovo/Ernestinenhof (1865–1944)” in the field of history, led by Assoc. Prof. Denis Njari, PhD, from our Department of History, followed by the interactive lecture “Deutschsprachiges Kulturerbe (in) der Stadt Osijek: vom 18. bis Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts” by Asst. Prof. Stephanie Jug, PhD, and Assoc. Prof. Sonja Novak, PhD, from the Department of German Language and Literature at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek.

Sonja Novak

Organised by the Haus der Heimat des Landes Baden-Württemberg, a group of German teachers visited the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek and the Department of German Language and Literature on 29 May 2026. The visit was organised with the aim of learning about the Croatian education system and exchanging experiences in the field of teaching.

During the morning, accompanied by members of the Department of German Language and Literature Martina Budimir, MA, Ivana Šarić Šokčević, PhD, Sanja Ivanović Grgurić, and Ana Keglević Blažević, the guests visited several secondary schools in Osijek: I Grammar School Osijek, II Grammar School Osijek, Jesuit Classical Grammar School, and the School of Economics and Administration Osijek.

During their visits to the schools, the German teachers spoke with school staff and gained insight into the organisation of work and curricula, teachers’ everyday work, and the position of the teaching profession in Croatian society.

After visiting the schools and taking a short break, the guests visited the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek in the afternoon. In the Small Council Hall, they were welcomed in German by Vice-Dean Associate Professor Sanja Jukić, PhD, while Associate Professor Ivana Jozić, PhD, welcomed the guests on behalf of the Department of German Language and Literature.

Following the introductory remarks, a round table entitled “Education and Professional Development of German Language Teachers” was held, with the participation of teachers and students from the Department of German Language and Literature. Guest participants in the discussion included Izabela Potnar Mijić, Senior Adviser for English and German at the Education and Teacher Training Agency, and Ninočka Truck-Biljan, PhD, Head of Teaching Practice for students enrolled in the teacher education tracks of German Language and Literature and English Language and Literature.

The programme concluded with a guided tour of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek.

On Wednesday, 3 June 2026, Asst. Prof. Irena Pavela Banai, PhD, gave a lecture entitled “Female Sexuality: The Psychobiology of Desire and Behaviour” at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek as part of the FUZ&JA project. At the beginning of the first part of the lecture, the speaker pointed out that female sex hormones, unlike male sex hormones, are among the most variable biological systems in the human body. This is demonstrated by the fact that female hormones fluctuate more within a few days than male hormones do over the course of an entire lifetime. She also noted that humans are the only species that engage in sexual relations outside the fertile period. The speaker therefore explained concealed ovulation in women and the role of hormones in the ovulatory shift in preference, according to which women unconsciously prefer more masculine men during their fertile period. It is also important to highlight the interesting changes in women’s behaviour during this period. Namely, women pay more attention to clothing, cosmetics and diet in order to emphasise femininity. Referring to several studies, the speaker showed that although women have concealed ovulation, men can unconsciously sense when they are in their fertile period. However, it was repeatedly emphasised during the lecture that this shift and significant hormonal changes do not affect women who use hormonal contraception.

The second part of the lecture was devoted to myths about female sexuality, the most prominent of which concerned the female orgasm. Before the 16th century, it was also referred to as “female pleasure”, but the realisation that a woman does not necessarily have to experience orgasm in order to conceive later led to its pathologisation. The (disheartening) fact was highlighted that the clitoris was not fully anatomically described until 1998 (Helen O’Connell). In other words, humankind landed on the Moon before this female sexual organ of pleasure was described in detail. The speaker therefore emphasised that female sexuality has always remained in the shadow of male sexuality. However, not all cultures are centred on fulfilling male needs. In the Mangaia tribe, it is the men who learn from their elders at an early age how to properly satisfy a woman. Sexuality is therefore socially conditioned and consequently prone to taboos, myths and change. The speaker called precisely for such change: open conversations about female pleasure, the body and healthy romantic relationships that can contribute to the destigmatisation of female sexuality.

The final part of the lecture was enriched by numerous questions from the audience about changes in female hormones and their impact on partner choice and infidelity, as well as hormonal contraception. The speaker once again emphasised the importance of knowing one’s own body, interoception and needs, as well as working together to challenge myths and taboos related to sexuality.

Text: Matej Gabud

From 27 to 31 May 2026, the 26th Sports Games of the Independent Union of Research and Higher Education Employees were held. This year’s Games were once again hosted by Rovinj, and the trade union branch of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek was represented by 23 members: Kristina Kiš, Ivan Trojan, Slavica Svalina, Dubravka Kuna, Slađana Josipović Batorek, Gabrijela Vrdoljak, Jasna Poljak Rehlicki, Nemanja Spasenovski, Marina Zelić, Silvija Galić, Sanja Habulinec, Mario Varga, Goran Milić, Antonela Bajkovec, Kristina Jurić, Domagoj Tomas, Valerija Križanić, Zoltan Juhas, Danijela Ozimec, Snježana Vukelić, Vera Krajinović, Demian Papo and Dario Homoki. Competitions were held in 16 different sports disciplines, with members of as many as 62 branches taking part, while our branch achieved an excellent fifth place in the overall standings! The best results were achieved in the following sports:

TENNIS (W) – 1st place (Josipović Batorek)

SWIMMING (W) – 2nd place (Kiš)

CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING (W) – 2nd place overall (Kiš); 1st place in the category (Kiš)

CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING (M) – 3rd place in the category (Varga)

SWIMMING (W) – 2nd place (Kiš)

TABLE TENNIS (M/W pair) – 2nd place (Svalina)

BASKETBALL (W) – 3rd place (Vrdoljak, Bajkovec, Josipović Batorek, Poljak Rehlicki)

FUTSAL (W) – 2nd place

(Kiš, Bajkovec, Habulinec, Vrdoljak, Vukelić, Josipović Batorek, Poljak Rehlicki)

TOP SCORER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Gabrijela Vrdoljak

BEST PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Slađana Josipović Batorek

The Sports Games were marked by sunny weather, a competitive spirit and an excellent atmosphere off the sports fields, and we are already looking forward to next year, hoping for even better sporting results and fewer cases of sunstroke! 😊

Adriana Jurić, a second-year graduate student of Psychology, actively participated in the event from 21 to 23 May 2026. The Days of Psychology in Zadar traditionally bring together scientists, professionals, teachers, researchers and students from Croatia and abroad and represent one of the most prominent psychology conferences in the region. The student presented the research results in the form of a poster presentation entitled “Do Teachers’ Assessments of Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome Symptoms Predict Self-Reported Externalising Problems in Early Adolescents?”, authored by Adriana Jurić, Rea Kovačević, Sandra Brezetić, Silvija Ručević and Dino Krupić. This research arose from the internal project of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek entitled “The Relationship of Certain Cognitive Difficulties with Emotional and Behavioural Characteristics of Adolescents, Resilience and Determinants of the Adolescent–Teacher Relationship”, led by Sandra Brezetić, PhD, in which Adriana Jurić participated as a student researcher.

Through this extracurricular activity, the intended outcomes were achieved in terms of enhancing Adriana Jurić’s scientific competencies, as well as increasing the visibility of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek within the scientific community. Adriana Jurić reported that this extracurricular activity was a positive and enjoyable experience for her, as well as a foundation for future participation in scientific and professional conferences.

Sandra Brezetić, PhD

Organised by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek and the Doctoral Programme in Modern and Contemporary Croatian History in a European and Global Context at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, the second Sociohistorical Workshop, entitled “Why Theory?”, was held on 23 May 2026. This year’s workshop examined the extent to which a theoretical framework is necessary for historical research and how it influences the formulation of research questions and the interpretation of historical sources.

At the beginning of the programme, Asst. Prof. Luka Pejić, PhD, welcomed the participants and emphasised that the aim of the Sociohistorical Workshop was to create an institutional platform for young historians interested in social history. He highlighted the importance of presenting current research, networking and exchanging research experiences among young historians, particularly noting that this year, thanks to the co-organisation, the workshop had moved beyond its local scope and included doctoral students from other universities. He especially stressed the importance of theoretical literacy among historians for producing high-quality historiographical work. As Chair of the Programme and Organising Committee, he also thanked his colleagues Valentina Kezić, MA, Franka Maslov, MA, Nikola Tomašegović, PhD, and Veronika Završki, MA.

The workshop opened with a keynote lecture by Assoc. Prof. Branimir Janković, PhD, from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, entitled “On the Uses and Disadvantages of Theory for the Life of a Historian”. The lecture provided a valuable introduction to the theoretical and methodological issues that were further explored throughout the workshop. The keynote was followed by a highly engaging discussion on the state of contemporary Croatian and regional historiography.

The programme was divided into three thematic sessions. In the first session, Franka Maslov presented the theoretical and methodological approaches used in her doctoral research on male and female homosexuality in Croatian society from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Doctoral student Marko Kolić discussed gender history through the study of the role and position of women in medicine in Croatia between the two world wars, while Perica Vujić presented on the language of historiographical discourse using history textbook discourse as an example.

The second session opened with Nina Gagulić’s presentation on the theory and methodology of oral history and contemporary perspectives and challenges associated with this research method. Doctoral student Dora Tomljanović examined the issue of economic nationalism “from below”, while Martin Zelić used the example of the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek during the First World War to illustrate the theoretical and methodological challenges of new cultural history.

In the final session, Rebeka Puhalo discussed the role of theory in military history research, using the 761st Tank Battalion during the Second World War as an example. Ilija Šušak emphasised the necessity of interdisciplinarity in contemporary historical scholarship, while Luka Vrbanić concluded the workshop with a presentation devoted to the archival arrangement of records and the role of archivists in shaping future historiography and collective memory.

Each session was followed by a discussion during which participants and members of the audience asked questions, shared comments and exchanged research experiences, further contributing to the workshop’s central purpose.

Through a diverse range of presentations and stimulating discussions, the workshop once again raised important questions concerning established theoretical and methodological models and historiographical paradigms. Ultimately, the latest edition of the Sociohistorical Workshop reaffirmed the essential role of theoretical literacy and constructive discussion in producing high-quality historical scholarship.

Text: Lana Trabak

Photographs: Danijel Jelaš

First-year graduate students of Psychology Marija Ćurić and Tatjana Djedović actively participated in the 25th Days of Psychology conference, organised by the Department of Psychology at the University of Zadar from 21 to 23 May 2026.

They participated with a paper entitled “Social Support and Perceived Control over Life as Predictors of Positive Mental Health”. The paper presents the results of research in the field of health psychology conducted by the students as an extracurricular activity under the mentorship of Professor Gorka Vuletić.

In addition to presenting their paper, their participation included attending the workshop “Between Reality and Filters: The Relationship Between Exposure to Filtered Instagram Photos and Body Image Among Adolescent Girls”, as well as oral presentations in the developmental psychology section (“The Relationship Between Romantic Experiences, Depression and Loneliness in Adolescence”, “What Are We Looking for on Tinder? The Relationship Between Motives for Use and Internalising Problems Among Young Adults”) and the work and organisational psychology section (“Employee Motivation and Work Engagement in a Heterogeneous Work Environment: A Case Study”, “From Personality Profiles to Leadership Styles”).

Professor Gorka Vuletić

On 25 May 2026, a round table entitled “Just a Teacher” was held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek. It was organised by project leader Asst. Prof. Ivana Perkušić, PhD, with the support of the organising committee. The event was held as part of the project of the same name, which seeks to systematically examine the role, position and social status of teachers in the contemporary education system. The “Just a Teacher” project was designed to open up, from a student perspective, the question of who a teacher is today, what teachers do and what it means to “be a teacher” in the context of rapid social change. Through a series of activities – an interview, a debate, workshops in secondary schools and a podcast – students connected theoretical knowledge with concrete experiences from school practice, while developing communication, research and argumentation skills and strengthening cooperation between the Faculty and schools.

The round table was moderated by sociology students Fran Kolenić, Vlera Temaj and Marijana Vincetić. The discussion included Marijana Krijan, teacher adviser at Sibinjske žrtve Primary School in Sibinj; Ivan Čelebić, Headteacher of the First Grammar School in Osijek; Zvonimir Parać, sociology teacher at the Third Grammar School in Osijek; Marija Jurić, school psychologist at Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić Primary School in Strizivojna; Dominik Hudolin, school pedagogue at Mate Lovrak Primary School in Županja; and Asst. Prof. Ivana Perkušić, PhD, from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek. The discussion was structured around several thematic areas covering key issues related to the teaching profession: the meaning of the teaching vocation, the relationship between parents and schools, changes in the perception of teachers as figures of authority, and the social perception and public discourse surrounding teachers. From the perspectives of different professional roles – headteachers, teachers, school support professionals and secondary school teachers – the participants analysed how changing relationships with parents and students, as well as the way teachers are discussed in public, affect teachers’ professional identity, mental health and motivation, and influence young people’s decisions to pursue a teaching career.

The “Just a Teacher” round table confirmed the importance of creating professional and public space for discussion about the teaching profession, especially at a time when teachers are expected to teach, provide educational support, perform emotional labour and adapt to complex social circumstances at the same time. In this way, the “Just a Teacher” project further highlighted that a teacher is not “just” a teacher, but a key stakeholder in the educational process and an important contributor to society’s future.

On 23 May 2026, field classes were held in Vukovar as part of the regular teaching activities in the courses 20th-Century Art, Museum Theory and Practice, and Research Methodology and Modes of Writing about Art within the undergraduate study programme in Art History. Four of the six third-year Art History students and eight of the eleven second-year Art History students participated.

The institutions in which the field classes took place were the Vukovar City Museum and the Vučedol Culture Museum. The following activities were carried out: at the Vukovar City Museum, classes were held within the museum’s permanent exhibition and the Bauer Collection exhibition. At the Vučedol Culture Museum, classes were held within the permanent exhibition.

The aim of the field classes was to introduce students to museums and current exhibition programmes and to provide them with an opportunity to analyse exhibitions for the purposes of writing seminar papers. The following expected outcomes of the field classes were achieved: familiarising students with the activities of two important museum institutions of the general and specialised type in eastern Croatia, as well as with the museological concepts of their permanent exhibitions. Furthermore, students became acquainted with styles, movements, artists and works of visual art from the 20th and 21st centuries, learned to recognise and identify 20th-century art styles, and examined examples of modern and postmodern art. By visiting the exhibitions, students gained insight into the exhibition activities of leading museum institutions and became familiar with various forms of museum communication, as well as with the museological aspects of interpreting museum objects.

Asst. Prof. Daniel Zec, PhD

As part of the AI Explorers project, Information Technology students Kristina Gagulić and Klara, under the mentorship of Assoc. Prof. Tomislav Jakopec, PhD, and assistant Nikolina Begović, organised a workshop on artificial intelligence on 20 May 2026. The workshop was attended by third- and fifth-grade pupils from Višnjevac Primary School. Through a Kahoot quiz and interactive tasks in which the pupils actively participated, the students demonstrated some of the myths that commonly arise when discussing artificial intelligence. They also highlighted the many possibilities offered by artificial intelligence and its applications in everyday life. The pupils enjoyed the workshop and demonstrated their knowledge of artificial intelligence, which they further expanded with the help of our workshop leaders.

Text: Luka Prijić

As part of this year’s Pannonian Book Festival, the book Central Europe through the Eyes of Croatian Intellectuals in the Twentieth Century, edited by Domagoj Tomas and Tomislav Kardum, was presented on 21 May 2026. The presentation was held on the festival’s main stage and, in addition to the editors, featured Damir Agičić, who moderated the discussion, and Matej Vidaković, who offered the perspective of a reader from outside the field of history. The book is a collection of selected texts by Croatian intellectuals who reflected on the concept of Central Europe.

Reflecting on the book’s central theme, Vidaković pointed out that throughout history the concept of Central Europe has proved highly fluid and open to different interpretations. According to him, the editors present Central Europe as a region shaped between Russian and Orthodox influence on the one hand and the Germanic cultural and political sphere on the other. He particularly emphasised how interesting it is to trace the process through which the idea of Central Europe became part of intellectual and political discourse over time, especially after the communist period, when aspirations to “return” to the Central European civilisational sphere were frequently expressed in public. Vidaković also noted that the book provides a strong basis for further reflection on the concept of Central Europe, stressing that its meaning changes depending on social, political and cultural circumstances. Precisely because of this variability, he considers the concept to remain relevant and stimulating for contemporary intellectual debate.

Discussing their methodology, Tomas and Kardum explained that one of their main objectives was to define the criteria according to which the intellectuals and texts included in the book would be selected. The key criteria were the intellectual and social relevance of the authors, their belonging to the Croatian national context, the fact that the analysed texts were written during the twentieth century, and their comprehensive focus on Central Europe rather than isolated or fragmentary references to it. During the presentation, they also explained that the book consists of an introductory study and a selection of texts by Croatian intellectuals. The analysed texts can be divided into three historical periods: those written up to the end of the First World War, those written between 1918 and 1945, and those written between 1945 and 1989. They stressed that the selected authors’ understanding of Central Europe was strongly influenced by changing geopolitical circumstances and the social and historical turning points that marked the twentieth century.

In conclusion, Professor Tomas emphasised that Central Europe can be viewed from different perspectives: as a geopolitical, cultural and civilisational, and literary space, which is why it remains an important subject of historical and humanities research. The book presentation once again confirmed the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of identity and the intellectual history of Croatia. We extend our sincere congratulations to Professor Tomas.

Text: Lana Trabak

Photographs: Danijel Jelaš

On 20 May 2026, students visited the Belišće Town Museum as part of the course “Croatian and Regional Economic History of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries”. Under the expert guidance of the Museum Director, Nada Đilas Bosanac, the students toured the museum exhibition dedicated to the town’s industrial character.

Belišće was founded in 1884 by the company S. H. Gutmann d. d. for the purpose of exploiting Slavonia’s abundant forest resources, which had formed the basis of highly competitive business operations since the mid-nineteenth century. The company developed its operations by relying on the intensive exploitation of timber and its industrial processing. Given the predominantly rural character of nineteenth-century Slavonia, the population of Belišće consisted largely of an immigrant workforce associated with the town’s industrial development from the time of its foundation.

In this context, the Belišće Town Museum presents the development of the industrial colony, including the construction of residential buildings, supporting infrastructure and the railway network that connected forest exploitation sites with the surrounding civilian settlements. To maximise production, the company significantly developed various supporting industries connected with timber processing, particularly the chemical industry. One of Belišće’s distinctive characteristics is that a large proportion of its employed population continues to work in the industrial sector today.

Full Professor Vladimir Drekalović, PhD, from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Montenegro gave two guest lectures at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek (20 and 22 May 2026). Both lectures were held for first-year students of the double-major undergraduate study programme in Philosophy as part of the lectures and practical classes for the course Logic.

In the first lecture, he introduced students to the theoretical foundations of natural deduction in propositional logic. He first presented the historical context of the emergence and development of this system of logical reasoning, with particular emphasis on the ideas of the German mathematician Gerhard Gentzen and the Polish logician Stanisław Jaśkowski, after which he introduced students to the basic rules on which the system is based. In doing so, he used the so-called Fitch notation, introduced in the 1930s by the American logician Frederic Brenton Fitch.

In the second lecture, students were given exercises in which they had to apply the rules they had learned. Following one of the fundamental pedagogical principles, he progressed from simpler to more complex exercises, focusing on those requiring the introduction or elimination of conjunction and implication, as well as the introduction of disjunction. Students worked on the exercises independently or in pairs and presented their solutions to the group.

Professor Drekalović presented the material with ease and patiently explained concepts that, due to their highly formalised and therefore abstract nature, are considered particularly demanding both to teach and to master. For this reason, he placed particular emphasis on explaining the practical application of the natural deduction system. I am convinced that all of this contributed to the fact that many students successfully completed the assigned exercises and are now prepared to tackle more demanding types of problems.

Text and photographs:
Hrvoje Potlimbrzović