This summer, 23 students from Mason’s Korea and US campuses embarked on a study abroad trip to the Balkans led by Mason Korea Professors Borislava Manojlovic and Roland Wilson.
Dr. Manojlovic and Dr. Wilson are Conflict Analysis and Resolution (CONF) faculty and Co-Directors of the Peace and Conflict Studies Center Asia (PACSC Asia) at Mason Korea. Dr. Manojlovic launched the program in 2013 and has been leading it for nine years.
The program, which came to a halt during the pandemic, resumed with a full batch of CONF and global affairs students this summer. About 17 students from Mason Korea participated in the experiential learning course, with six joining from Mason’s Fairfax campus.
"My top priority was my academics when I applied for this study abroad program, but the program turned out to be so much more than that," said Won Woo Kim, CONF student representative at Mason Korea. "It was a perfect balance of travel, experiential learning, and the chance to interact with students from various countries. The excellent guides, and high quality meals and accommodation were a plus," he added.
The group visited three cities in Bosnia and Croatia (Sarajevo, Mostar, and Dubrovnik), and students had a cultural immersion experience at landmarks such as the Mostar Bridge, Kravice Waterfalls, and Old Town Dubrovnik. The group also met with representatives from organizations such as UNDP Sarajevo, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Humanitarian Law Centre Sarajevo, the Post-Conflict Research Center, and the Nansen Dialogue Center.
The course, which was held for two weeks in July, focused on learning about a systemic approach for dealing with the contentious history that can contribute to building more equitable and just societies. The aim was to understand not only how a contentious past impacts the ways in which post-conflict societies function, but also to look into various social practices and initiatives of counteracting the negative effects of divisive past.
“The value of this experiential learning course is that it provides a unique opportunity for students and scholars to travel abroad and visit post-conflict societies on one trip, and learn on the ground how post-conflict peacebuilding efforts impact the dynamics of relationships among different ethnic groups,” said Dr. Manojlovic.
The summer study abroad program in the Balkans will continue next summer.