Anes Osmić, an assistant at the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo and a doctoral student at the University of Klagenfurt, is this year’s recipient of the “Lejla Hairlahović-Hušić” scholarship. This scholarship, awarded by the War Childhood Museum and the Lejla Hairlahović-Hušić Foundation in honor of their late researcher, supports doctoral candidates whose research aims to improve society, just as Anes’ research on children’s emotional literacy through literature does. We spoke with him about his work and the significance of this recognition.
Can you walk us through your research project? What are the main goals and questions you are addressing?
I am researching the topic of emotional literacy in the field of literature in the context of education. I am interested in whether children, even in primary school, can develop concrete, practical, and life-important skills through reading and analyzing literature. In my work, I advocate for the functional role of literature, which should contribute to the quality of children’s everyday lives.
To test my concepts and ideas, I conducted research among fifth, seventh, and ninth-grade students in three primary schools in Sarajevo. With one group, I worked on reading and analyzing literary works from Bosnian children’s literature for one semester, once a week, with the aim of developing emotional skills. The key goal of the research is to determine whether literature can help develop these skills. The results we obtained, together with colleagues from the Department of Psychology, Prof. Dr. Maida Koso-Drljević and Dr. Delila Lisica, showed that children from this group were more skilled in three out of five emotional literacy skills after four months, which is encouraging.
How has the “Lejla Hairlahović-Hušić” scholarship supported your research?
The War Childhood Museum and the Lejla Hairlahović-Hušić Foundation are among the few who have recognized the importance of this research and decided to financially support it. Academic work can be a lonely and frustrating endeavor, requiring a lot of time and sacrifice. The scholarship has primarily supported my research by providing personal motivation to continue pursuing this topic, especially when things get complicated, which happens often. That’s why doctoral research, for good reason, takes between four and six years.
In addition to providing motivation, the scholarship has brought me great joy, as it signifies that people beyond my immediate academic circle recognize the value of this topic and my scientific approach to it.
How will your research contribute to the field of education in Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond?
It’s difficult to say at this point, especially given the challenges and poorly implemented practices in the Bosnian education system. I hope this research will at least encourage literature teachers to use literature to develop students’ emotional skills, which, according to research, have a positive impact on peer relationships, learning, mental health, and addressing issues like violence, substance abuse, and teenage pregnancies, until broader systemic changes in education take place.
Ideally, I would like my work to spark a dialogue, both within the educational field and in the broader social context, about concrete ways to introduce emotional and social literacy programs for children in schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as has been done for decades in other school systems around the world.
What advice would you give to future students applying for this scholarship or those interested in similar research topics?
For those applying for the scholarship, I recommend being as clear, concise, and straightforward as possible when presenting your research idea. If you can’t summarize your research in just one page, it might indicate that some aspects are still unclear to you, suggesting that you need to spend more time refining the key points.
For those interested in topics related to emotions in literature, emotional literacy, or developing other practical skills through reading and analyzing literature, I invite you to visit room 196 at the Faculty of Philosophy or reach out to me on social media so we can discuss and reflect together.
The “Lejla Hairlahović-Hušić” scholarship is awarded to doctoral students who are citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina or foreign nationals conducting research in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Students from a variety of academic fields, including anthropology, archaeology, history, art history, journalism, law, linguistics, literature, pedagogy, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology are eligible to apply.
Additional information about the scholarship will be available on our official website and social media platforms.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
