Comparatists from the Former Yugoslav Republics United in Skopje
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Photograph taken by: Milos Ilic
The students at the Department of General and Comparative Literature from Skopje, Macedonia had the honor to host their colleagues from Belgrade and Novi Sad, Serbia and from Zagreb, Croatia. It was the first students union of comparatists on the level of Ex Yugoslavian countries. The event – organized for less than a month!
The energy – you should have been there as a true comapratist to feel it. The organizers: the students themselves! All they needed was will, love and enthusiasms.
Literature is important, as it is always present to feed the other branches of the society. Comparatists are among the rare agents of society today whose focus would not necessarily orbit around profit. It’s the profession which aims to truly embrace what is humane. Profound interest and knowledge in books, cultures, tremendous curiosity to all social phenomena – those would be just few characteristics that could pin down the comparatists.
The gathering took place from 12 to 15 of April in Skopje, Macedonia. And this is just the beginning of the adventures. Next destination should be Zagreb, Croatia! Here are some highlights from part of the organizing team!
- What was the reason for this gathering?
Andrea Kocev (part of organizing team): There are few reasons why this gathering was conducted. Some of the reasons have academic origin or in other words, the aim to compare the curricula and what is being taught here in Skopje, and what is being taught in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Zagreb. We wanted to have the students from Sarajevo as well in the gathering, but hopefully they will join us next time. As well, we wanted to scope the different approaches to comparative literature, to exchange contacts with colleagues coming from the region and hopefully to assure serious collaborations in the future in the field of Literature and culture in general. Finally, there was this exquisite wish to get to know each other!
- Which topics were covered and which professors appeared to deliver a lecture?
Andrea Kocev: The gathering was warmly welcomed by all of our professors at the Department of General and Comparative Literature in Skopje. From our department we had the pleasure to hear unique lectures from one of the first professors of the department, as well as author and researcher in the fields of the Modern and Avant-garde era of the 20th century, prof. Vlada Urosevic who delivered a lecture on the surrealism and the tradition.