At the University of Milano-Bicocca on Monday, 14 September, begins the second edition of the Summer School “Rethinking the Culture of Tolerance”, organized by the University of Sarajevo, University of East Sarajevo and the University of Milano-Bicocca.

Professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca Tatjana Sekulić confirmed that 22 students at master and postdoctoral studies will participate in this year’s school work. The participants are citizens of Ethiopia, Germany, Malaysia, Macedonia, Serbia, Mexico, Singapore, Croatia, Italy and BiH.

“In the working part of the School, about 20 lecturers from several European universities will hold lectures, and the keynote speaker is professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca Carmen Leccardi,” said Sekulić.

Lectures and seminars in the second edition of this summer program are focused on the process of trans-nationalization of democracy, referring to the new forms of social and political threats and discrimination against various minority groups.

At the same time, best practices based on recognition of the specific needs and rights of these groups will be explored, as well as the policies of redistribution of political, economic, social and cultural resources, with special emphasis on European societies, where the concept of tolerance is fundamental.

On the occasion of the beginning of the second year of the project of organizing summer schools, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation of the University of Sarajevo Prof. Dr. Ugo Vlaisavljević said that the first year of the project was successful, and that if it had not been so successful when it was hosted by the University of East Sarajevo, the second year would probably not have been entered into now, when it is hosted by the University of Bicocca in Milan.

“Participants and those who were lecturers were left with exceptional impressions. The School has been successful both in terms of the technical side and the knowledge received by them,” said Vlaisavljević, adding that it is particularly important that the two universities in Sarajevo and Eastern Sarajevo work in direct cooperation.

Speaking of the upcoming Summer School, Vice-Rector Vlaisavljević said that this year has brought together very important political scientists and people dealing with tolerance, inter-religious dialogue, human rights and topics that are closely related to the situation as it is today in BiH.

“It seems to me that the Italians have a lot to learn from us, and vice versa. It seems to me that the experts from the European Union, and those will be truly people from different universities from the EU, are able to share important experiences with us,” said Vlaisavljević.

Vice-Rector for International Cooperation and Quality Assurance of the University of East Sarajevo Prof. Dr. Dejan Bokonjić said that the second edition of the School is dedicated to the position of minority groups in a democratic society, which is directly related to the central theme – the culture of tolerance.

“I think that the authority of lecturers guarantee that this second edition will be as successful as the first one,” said Bokonjić.

The Summer School was established in cooperation with the Etnicos, Diaforà and Pragsia Research Centers, the Department of Sociology and Sociological Research, University of Milano-Bicocca.

The School organization was supported by the University of Banja Luka, University of Belgrade, University of Eastern Piedmont, University of Glasgow, University of Ljubljana, University of Milan, Woolf Institute – Cambridge and the University of Zagreb.

The School will last until Saturday, September 20.