IUS TLT Staff and Students Explore Language and Cultural Connections at Zagreb Symposium

Academic staff and students from the Turkish Language and Literature, Teaching (TLT) study program at the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) participated in the International Symposium on Turkisms and Language Teaching Studies in the Balkans, held on October 15–17, 2026, in Zagreb, Croatia. The symposium provided an opportunity to share research, exchange approaches to language teaching, and explore the historical and cultural connections reflected in the region’s languages.

The IUS delegation included Asst. Prof. Dr. Dženana Bračković, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Çangal, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müslüm Yılmaz, Dr. Fatih Cihat Büyükmatür, Dr. Fikreta Fetahović Maljić, and Minela Sinanović Vefić, MA, alongside TLT students Lejla Ćatić and Hajrija Šahman.

Through research presentations and academic discussions, participants examined language teaching practices and the longstanding linguistic, historical, and literary ties between the Balkans and the Turkic world. Particular attention was given to Turkisms - words of Turkish origin that have become part of the region’s languages - and their significance as evidence of cultural contact and exchange.

The symposium also offered opportunities to discuss teaching strategies and exchange perspectives with international scholars. For TLT students, participating alongside their professors provided valuable exposure to an international academic setting and an opportunity to connect their studies with wider research discussions.

Conversations with colleagues from other institutions opened possibilities for future research collaboration and joint academic initiatives. These exchanges supported the TLT study program’s continuing engagement with regional scholarship and dialogue on language, education, and culture.

By bringing together staff and students, IUS’s participation highlighted the value of connecting teaching with research and creating opportunities for students to take part in academic exchange beyond the classroom.