UNIQUE MASTER PROGRAM

According to data by the International Peace Research Association (IPRA), there are about five hundred different peace study programs in the world. In the 2017/2018 academic year, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its rich experience of coexistence of members of different religious communities and three theological faculties which are part of the academic community of this region, made a significant step in this direction by initiating and developing a joint master program Interreligious Studies and Peacebuilding, which is unique in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the world.

Teachers' Council of the Faculty of Islamic Studies of the University of Sarajevo, at its session of 10.1.2017, Teachers' Council of the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Sarajevo, at its session of 6.2.2017, and Teachers' Council of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Sv. Vasilije Ostroški” in Foča of the University of Istočno Sarajevo, at its session of 6.3.2017 supported the initiative for launching the procedure for introducing the joint study program Master Program in Interreligious Studies and Peacebuilding, which was to be organized by the three theological faculties upon accepting the Feasibility Study. The initiative had previously been supported by the founders and cofounders of theological faculties, Riyasat of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Vrhbosna Archidiocese and the Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia, as well as by the partner international organization Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had initiated, coordinated and financed drafting of the curriculum and monitored all the initial activities of the master program aimed at improving the institutional activities related to the interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding on the road of long-term stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The program is of multidisciplinary character and encompasses academic areas of interreligious studies and peacebuilding. The teaching module is a set of several academic, theoretical-practical courses which are delivered successively at the three faculties and which provide interdisciplinary knowledge of the content of the module as a whole. The study program is articulated through six modules and twelve courses, which have a clear academic structure, interconnection and complementariness: Interreligious Module – of the Faculty of Catholic Theology, Interreligious Module – of the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Interreligious Module – of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology „”Sv. Vasilije Ostroški” in Foča, Peacebuilding Module, Advanced Perspectives Module, Applicative Module and the Final Master's Thesis. The material within the modules is interpreted in a multidisciplinary way, through an interactive form of lectures, workshops and practical part. Classes are delivered by academic staff of theological faculties with the appropriate titles, and the optimum number of associates from faculties – members of the University of Sarajevo and the University of Istočno Sarajevo, as well as by experts with international references for individual modules. The master program is managed by the Joint Council, composed of deans of all the three theological faculties.

Students who complete the one-year study (4+1), as a rule, gain 60 ECTS and earn the academic degree of Master of Interreligious Studies and Peacebuilding. The master program is in line with the missions and strategies of the University of Sarajevo and the University of Istočno Sarajevo, and with positive legal documents pertaining to the higher education strategy, which is focused on research, innovation and academic excellence. Among other things, the chosen title of the joint master program refers to the correlation between monotheistic religions (Islam and Christianity) and peacebuilding as interdisciplinary academic, professional, axiological, ethical and practical disciplines present not only within religious but also within a broader social perspective.

The master's program Interreligious Studies and Peacebuilding is mainly intended for the graduates from theological faculties, social sciences and humanities who have shown interest in interreligious studies and peacebuilding, with a requirement to take additional exams depending on their previous field of study.

The first generation of the joint master's program Interreligious Studies and Peacebuilding, twenty-two students, was admitted in October of the 2017/2018 academic year. In the 2021/2022 academic year, the fifth generation of the program consisted of six students. Over the five years of existence, the program admitted sixty-three students. The program Interreligious Studies and Peacebuilding admits and is attended by graduates of different faculties including theological faculties (Faculty of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Catholic Theology and Faculty of Orthodox Theology), Faculty of Political Sciences (Social Work, Security and Peace Studies, Journalism), International Relations and Diplomacy, Academy of Performing Arts, School of Economics and Business and Faculty of Law. Five years after the establishment of the program, a total of eleven male and female students have successfully defended their master's theses and earned the degree of Master in Interreligious Studies and Peacebuilding.

On 31.5.2022, the first convocation of master graduates of the unique program Interreligious Studies and Peacebuilding was organized at the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was attended by high-ranking religious and academic guests. According to developed standards, the successful completion of this master's program provides students with the following competences: knowledge and understanding of Orthodox, Catholic and Islamic fundamental texts, dogmas and social science, and their application within the interreligious dialogue and cooperation (introduction of the Jewish component is in progress); the ability to reflect upon their own motives for peacebuilding; dialogue and mediation skills in individual and group conflicts; an ability to relate the knowledge gained in various related fields in order to solve complex problems successfully; and an ability to engage thoughtfully by using religion and trust as an inspiration to reduce intensity of conflicts.

External evaluation of the Program was performed by renowned local and international experts, and the unanimous opinion is that it is an innovative, well-organized and structured program compared to the desired educational outcomes.

Upon completing the program, students can continue studies at postgraduate programs in the field of humanities and other social sciences in line with rules on the admission to postgraduate doctoral programs in humanities, as well as broader social studies, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Union and beyond.