SPS514 Politics, Religion and Society of the Balkans
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Mar 03, 2026
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Social and Political Sciences
Mustafa Krupalija
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
This course aims to provide students with different perspectives regarding socio-political and religious developments in the Balkans. The course will go beyond mere historical discussion and an analytical approach will be used to lead students to think about the conceptions of the Balkans from geopolitical, geo-cultural, and multi-religious perspectives.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
Veremis, Thanos. (2017) A Modern History of the Balkans: Nationalism and Identity in Southeast Europe, London, New York: Tauris. Todorova, Maria ed. (2004) Balkan Identities: Nation and Memory, London: Hurst & Company. Bjelic, Dusan I., Savic, Obrad ed. (2002) Balkan as Metaphor: Between Globalization and Fragmentation. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT. Hudson, Robert, Bowman, Glenn. (2011) After Yugoslavia: Identities and Politics within the Successor States. NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Bechev, D. (2011) Constructing South East Europe: The Politics of Balkan Regional Cooperation, Palgrave Macmillan.
Additional Literature
Richard C. (2014) Hall ed. War in the Balkans: An Encyclopedic History from the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Breakup of Yugoslavia, USA: ABC-CLIO, LLC. Šístek, František ed. (2021).Imagining Bosnian Muslims in Central Europe: Representations, Transfers, and Exchanges. New York: Berghahn Books.Teaching Methods
This course will follow; class discussions
Assignments
Face to face interaction and readings as teaching methods.
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course Introduction | |
| 2 | State Formation in the Balkans | A Modern History of the Balkans / Part I |
| 3 | Nationalism and Identity in the Balkans | A Modern History of the Balkans / Part II |
| 4 | Construction of Balkan Identities | Balkan as Metaphor / Part II |
| 5 | Construction of Balkan Identities | Balkan Identities: Nation and Memory / Part III |
| 6 | Orientalism, Balkanism, and Occidentalism | Balkan as Metaphor / Part I |
| 7 | MIDTERM EXAM AND ITS PREPARATION | |
| 8 | Religion in the Balkans | Religious Quest and National Identity in the Balkans |
| 9 | Politics in the Balkans | Central and Southeast European Politics since 1989 |
| 10 | Politics in the Balkans | After Yugoslavia: Identities and Politics within the Successor States |
| 11 | Regional Cooperation | Constructing South East Europe |
| 12 | Regional Cooperation | Constructing South East Europe |
| 13 | Contemporary Issues in the Balkans | A Modern History of the Balkans / Part III |
| 14 | Contemporary Issues in the Balkans | TBD by students |
| 15 | Presentation and Discussion of Student Research Papers |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
Office Hours & Room
| Day | Time | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 12:00 - 15:00 | A F1.9 | |
| Friday | 13:00 - 14:00 | A F1.9 |
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Research Paper
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
Presentation
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 2 5
Mid-term exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 3 4
Participation
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 5
Research Paper Presentation
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture Hours
42 hours ⏳ (14 week × 3 h)
Participation
10 hours ⏳ (10 week × 1 h)
Home Study
39 hours ⏳ (13 week × 3 h)
Midterm Exam Study
15 hours ⏳ (1 week × 15 h)
Final Research Paper
32 hours ⏳ (8 week × 4 h)
Presentation
12 hours ⏳ (4 week × 3 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [SPS514] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Mar 03, 2026 | International University of Sarajevo
Print Syllabus
Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| SPS514 | Politics, Religion and Society of the Balkans | 3 | 0 | 6 | THU 17:00-19:50 | |||||
| Prerequisite | None | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Mustafa Krupalija | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Tuesday: 12:00-15:00 Friday: 13:00-14:00 |
|||||||
| mkrupalija@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Assistant E-mail | |||||||||
| Course Objectives | This course aims to provide students with different perspectives regarding socio-political and religious developments in the Balkans. The course will go beyond mere historical discussion and an analytical approach will be used to lead students to think about the conceptions of the Balkans from geopolitical, geo-cultural, and multi-religious perspectives. | |||||||||
| Textbook | Veremis, Thanos. (2017) A Modern History of the Balkans: Nationalism and Identity in Southeast Europe, London, New York: Tauris. Todorova, Maria ed. (2004) Balkan Identities: Nation and Memory, London: Hurst & Company. Bjelic, Dusan I., Savic, Obrad ed. (2002) Balkan as Metaphor: Between Globalization and Fragmentation. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT. Hudson, Robert, Bowman, Glenn. (2011) After Yugoslavia: Identities and Politics within the Successor States. NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Bechev, D. (2011) Constructing South East Europe: The Politics of Balkan Regional Cooperation, Palgrave Macmillan. | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
|||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | This course will follow; class discussions, assignments, face to face interaction and readings as teaching methods. | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Course Introduction | |||||||||
| Week 2 | State Formation in the Balkans | A Modern History of the Balkans / Part I | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Nationalism and Identity in the Balkans | A Modern History of the Balkans / Part II | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Construction of Balkan Identities | Balkan as Metaphor / Part II | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Construction of Balkan Identities | Balkan Identities: Nation and Memory / Part III | ||||||||
| Week 6 | Orientalism, Balkanism, and Occidentalism | Balkan as Metaphor / Part I | ||||||||
| Week 7 | MIDTERM EXAM AND ITS PREPARATION | |||||||||
| Week 8 | Religion in the Balkans | Religious Quest and National Identity in the Balkans | ||||||||
| Week 9 | Politics in the Balkans | Central and Southeast European Politics since 1989 | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Politics in the Balkans | After Yugoslavia: Identities and Politics within the Successor States | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Regional Cooperation | Constructing South East Europe | ||||||||
| Week 12 | Regional Cooperation | Constructing South East Europe | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Contemporary Issues in the Balkans | A Modern History of the Balkans / Part III | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Contemporary Issues in the Balkans | TBD by students | ||||||||
| Week 15 | Presentation and Discussion of Student Research Papers | |||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Research Paper | 1 | 30 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| Presentation | 4 | 20 | 2,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Mid-term exam | 1 | 20 | 1,3,4 | Not Allowed | |
| Participation | 10 | 20 | 5 | Not Allowed | |
| Research Paper Presentation | 1 | 10 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture Hours | 3 | 14 | 42 | Participation | 1 | 10 | 10 | |||
| Home Study | 3 | 13 | 39 | Midterm Exam Study | 15 | 1 | 15 | |||
| Final Research Paper | 4 | 8 | 32 | Presentation | 3 | 4 | 12 | |||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 27/03/2026 | |||||||||