Amina Krvavac, Director of the War Childhood Museum in BiH, has been appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees of the European Museum Forum (EMF). The announcement was made at the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2025 conference, held from May 21–25 at The Sybir Memorial Museum in Białystok, Poland.
Krvavac presented this year’s European Museum of the Year Award in her capacity as Chair of the EMYA Judging Panel, a role she has held prior to this new appointment. Among the 2025 winners, the European Museum of the Year Award was presented to Manchester Museum whose renewal enhanced accessibility and created new spaces to foster deeper community connections and promote intercultural dialogue. The museum has reimagined its mission, acknowledging and addressing its complex history by redefining the role of its collections and public programs. As a university museum, it plays a vital role not only in academic research but also in advancing social responsibility and justice.
The EMYA 2025 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony
The EMYA 2025 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony was hosted by The Sybir Memorial Museum and organized by the European Museum Forum. The event gathered members of the EMYA community, including this year’s nominees, former winners, partners, and friends, under the theme “Remembrance and Solidarity for Collective Action.”
The EMF/EMYA is one of the leading organizations in Europe for developing the public quality of European museums and has established this primary position after over 40 years of providing its service. It runs the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award and is an important occasion for promoting innovative approaches in the museum sector throughout the whole continent.
The European Museum Forum Board of Trustees, which Krvavac now chairs, is composed of esteemed museum professionals from across Europe, including representatives from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, France, and Poland. The Board sets the strategic direction of the EMF, ensuring good governance, transparency, and accountability.
First Chair from Bosnia-Herzegovina
Krvavac’s appointment as Chair of the Forum reflects her leadership, expertise, and long-standing commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration within the museum sector, as well as a testament to the War Childhood Museum’s dedication to excellence and its commitment to representing Bosnia and Herzegovina on the global stage.
“This appointment, the first of its kind for someone from Bosnia and Herzegovina, represents a great responsibility for me, but also a recognition and affirmation that the work created within our context is seen as a meaningful contribution to contemporary museology. I sincerely hope it will lead to greater recognition of the work of colleagues from the museum sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have much valuable and inspiring to offer to the European and global museum community,” said Krvavac.
