Museum Team

Founder and CEO of the War Childhood Museum. After developing the WCM from a book project, Jasminko is now leading the museum's international development and overseeing the work of its offices. He is author and editor of several books translated into six languages, including monograph ‘Sarajevo – My City, a Place to Meet’ and ‘War Childhood’. Jasminko holds a master's degree in financial management and is a Ph.D. candidate in museum management. He is a member of the Global Shapers Community established by the World Economic Forum and One Young World Ambassador. In 2018, Halilovic became the first Bosnian to be selected for the prestigious Forbes ’30 under 30′ list for his work to create the WCM. He is also a co-founder of several companies and a great fan of football and traveling.

Alongside the Museum’s small, inaugural research team, Amina was engaged in a two-year grassroots campaign that culminated in the Museum’s opening in January 2017.

Amina believes in museums as spaces for social action and drivers of change, and she is particularly interested in unlocking the potential of museums in transitional justice processes. She is committed to creating exhibitions and workshops that support open and conscious dialogue, and to promoting the idea of museums as platforms for societal healing and reconciliation. When it comes to formal education, Amina holds a BA in International Relations from the International University of Sarajevo and an MA in Children’s Rights from the University of Geneva.

Since 2020, Amina has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Europe – a network of museums, historic sites, and memory initiatives connecting past struggles to today’s movement for human rights.

In 2021, Amina joined the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) Jury, where she currently serves as the Jury Chair. The EMYA scheme, founded in 1977 by the European Museum Forum, aims to support, showcase, and award excellence and innovation in the museum field.

Since 2013, Svitlana Osipchuk has been teaching historical disciplines at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute’s Department of History. From 2016 onwards, she has also worked in the non-governmental sector, first in the field of non-formal education with focus on human rights and on teaching the history of the Holocaust, then in an organization that aims to build a journalistic community in Eastern Ukraine. She is an AMCHA-Germany project participant for professionals working with groups affected by trauma and collective violence in Ukraine (2019-2020). Svitlana advocates the importance of mental health care and care related to traumatic past. In her free time, she likes to travel across Ukraine and meet her friends.

After graduating from Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sarajevo, Selma has completed Advanced Master Program in Medical Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam. Afterwards, she attended and completed another graduate program in anthropology at The School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris. During her graduate studies, Selma conducted research on traumatic experiences in children and adolescents, and is currently conducting a pre-doctoral research on the same topic. Selma is a passionate knitter and a devoted yoga student.

Barry van Driel is presently working closely with the War Childhood Museum after being senior staff at the Anne Frank House, responsible for teacher training and curriculum development, from 1993 to 2021. He has been the Editor in Chief of the international academic journal Intercultural Education since 2000 and is President of the International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE) and on the Board of the SIRIUS Network. He has served as senior education consultant to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw as well as a consultant the FRA (Fundamental Rights Agency). He serves as a consultant to the European Commission in multiple capacities. He was lead author of the 2015 NESET II report entitled “Education Policies and Practices to Foster Tolerance, Respect for Diversity and Civic Responsibility for Children and Young People in the EU.” He was team leader for a European Commission initiated project mapping how Initial Teacher Education Institutions prepare future teachers to work in diverse classrooms, and is also expert consultant for the European Commission ET2020 Working Group on Promoting Citizenship and the Common Values of Freedom, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination through Education. Since 2010 he has been a jury member of the prestigious UNAOC-BMW Intercultural Innovation awards and has been chair of the jury since 2013.

Luc Eekhout is currently the director of Heeswijk Castle in The Netherlands. In 2022-2023 he successfully hosted the exhibition LISTEN of the War Childhood Museum. Luc studied History at Leyden University, worked in the Prinsenhof Museum in Delft, and was appointed lecturer at the Admiralty, staff of the Royal Netherlands Navy. In 1993, he started his museum management career as director of the National Carriage Museum. Here, he developed international projects, built the National Carriage Reserve, and modernized the museum organization. As communications officer of the International Association of Transport and Communication Museums, and later as treasurer of EXARC (representing archaeological open-air museums and experimental archaeology), he built an international network. In 2015-2020, he was chairman of the ICOM Netherlands National Committee and participated in the Standing Committee on Museum Definition, Prospects & Potentials of ICOM (International Council of Museums). From 2010 on, he was director of the Eindhoven Museum and Museum Kempenland (Eindhoven). In 2015, Luc was appointed director of Heeswijk Castle. He volunteered in the Fundação Damião e Lauro (about small-scale social projects in Brazil) and Foundation Pessoas Desaparecidas Brasil e Holanda (about reuniting adopted children in The Netherlands with their biological parents in Brazil). He is a member of the Advisory Board of ICOM International Committee of Memorial Museums in Remembrance of the Victims of Public Crimes and of the Expert Group to the Dutch Castle Foundation.

Merima completed her undergraduate and master’s degree in language and literature, and began to pursue her career in the field of education by working as journalist for Školegijum and Creative Development Foundation, writing and reporting on topics related to education policies. In designing educational materials for peacebuilding teaching, she sees her contribution to peacebuilding and peacekeeping in B&H. She enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

After completing her BA in Social and Political Sciences, Aynura obtained a Master of Research degree in History from Royal Holloway, University of London. Her MRes project focused on oral histories of the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, which inspired her to continue along the path of historical research. She believes museums can facilitate sustainable peace-making and grassroots process, and for that, she finds her work at the Museum deeply rewarding. Her research interests lie at the intersection of history, gender, and peace and conflict studies.

Evhenii Monastyrskyi is a historian, a researcher in the field of social sciences, and, since Fall 2021, a doctoral student of European and Russian studies at Yale University. Hailing from Luhansk, he combines studies of Soviet Ukraine in the 1920s and 1930s, including the design of Soviet ideological institutions, with social studies of the effects of the war in the Donbas region on civilians. After leaving occupied Luhansk in the fall of 2014, Evhenii studied history at the Ukrainian Catholic University (Lviv) and at Yale University. He was a 2018 Global Dialogues Fellow at the New School of Social Research (New York).

After graduating from Art History at the University of Zadar in Croatia, Ivana moved to Sweden, where she worked in the Vandalorum - a contemporary art and design museum. In 2020 she gained her master’s degree in Conservation of Cultural Heritage at Gothenburg's University. During this period, she was engaged in several research projects within Gothenburg's University and Foundation Cultural Heritage without Borders in Sarajevo, researching the role of heritage and its conservation/protection in conflict and post-conflict areas. Ivana is involved in Museum research activities, and she works with the museum's collection. In her free time, Ivana usually eats. 🙂

Teuta holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sarajevo's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Sarajevo's Faculty of Philosophy. She is currently completing an MA in Conflict Management and Humanitarian Action at the University of Siena. Before joining the WCM Team, she completed a 9-month residential period as a part of the “Mediterranean Frontier of Peace, Education, and Reconciliation” program at Rondine Cittadella della Pace. Her ongoing research at the WCM focuses on documenting war childhood experiences of national minorities in BiH.

When it comes to her personal life, Teuta mentions that she has met over 1,000 cats so far, and looks forward to meeting and befriending many more of them in the future. She also shares that she has been a Hallyu fan for over a decade.

Fernanda earned a bachelor’s degree in Social and Political Sciences, having focused her research on social and political movements in the 21st century uprisings. She then obtained a master’s degree in Management. Fernanda is passionate about her work at the War Childhood Museum as it allows her to directly contribute to the promotion of human rights and peacebuilding. She loves traveling and getting to know new cultures and cuisines. She also enjoys spending time in nature, camping, swimming, fishing and baking.

For the longest time, Lejla’s work focused on the promotion of literature, management in culture, and textbook distribution. She was the Executive Director of Bookstan, an International Festival of Literature. Lejla finished her studies in Comparative Literature and Library Sciences at the University of Sarajevo. Food and dogs will always brighten up her day. In her free time, she likes to travel, read and spend time with her family and friends.

After completing secondary education in Sarajevo, Mirela Geko enrolled at the Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo. Having finished her studies, Mirela started creating programs for youth, especially those focusing on human rights in different spheres of the society. Mirela is an instructor on the topics of gender equality, human rights, and youth participation in decision-making, and also an author of several guidebooks and two curriculums tackling these topics. She is the recipient of the 2016 UN in BiH Social Engagement Award. Fun fact about Mirela is that she is a fan of F.C. Željezničar, and regularly follows all games of BiH national selections.

Oleksandra Dmytrenko is a philologist by training. She studied Polish language and literature at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Theory of literature and comparative studies at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. During her studies, Oleksandra had a six-month internship at the University of Warsaw (Polish Studies) and studied for a year in the "Polish Erasmus for Ukraine" program in Białystok (International Relations). She was engaged in translation and teaching activities, but since 2019 she has worked in the public sector (work on the topic of education reform in Ukraine). Oleksandra is interested in journalism and human rights. In her free time, she travels, dances and learns French.

Mia earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, but she maintains an interest in several related fields of humanities and social sciences. She joined the War Childhood Museum Team in March 2018, and has so far worked in several different roles that revolve around translation/interpreting, editing and content creation, and communications. She is an avid reader and a film buff. Mia also considers herself a plant person, despite her killing a cactus once.

Nadiya studied Philology at the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”. In regards to her non-formal education, she participated in different programs, including the Ukrainian Leadership Academy and the Open University of Reforms. Nadiya began her professional journey in NGOs in Ukraine, working as the SMM Manager in the National Scout Organization “Plast” and a communication manager in “U-Cycle”. She herself is a girl scout and a mentor for girls. Nadiya enjoys traveling, and in her free time she likes to go hiking or camping.

Mersiha completed her studies at the Department of Literatures of Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo. She relies on her previous, ample experience in working with children to enthusiastically contribute to the creation and implementation of War Childhood Museum's educational activities. Mersiha enjoys reading, and spending time with the Museum's youngest visitors. She also finds being in nature, cooking, and recycling to be particularly relaxing.

Amina completed the first and second cycle of Criminology studies at the Faculty of Criminalistics, Criminology and Security Studies in Sarajevo. She initially joined the WCM as a volunteer in July 2018 and following her engagement at the Museum started to work with people on the move in migrant camps in BiH. As a part of the “Mediterranean Frontier of Peace, Education and Reconciliation” project, Amina completed the “Conflict Management and Humanitarian Action” master program at the University of Siena. The project, realized by Italian NGO Rondine Citadella della Pace and CEI, puts into focus creative transformation of conflict, and a part of Amina's project-related research was carried out right here at the War Childhood Museum.

Amina is involved in the Museum’s educational activities, but also works with the collection. In her free time, she enjoys reading and longs strolls. Amina believes that punk isn’t dead yet.

Šejla completed her studies in English Language and Literature, the study of which was a result of her great love for foreign languages. Her career went into another direction, and now she has almost 18 years of work experience in the field of finance and administration. Šejla is very passionate about tourism in general and likes to travel a lot. Now, as a Finance and Administration Coordinator of the War Childhood Museum, she has the opportunity to combine all the things she loves – she uses English language actively and improves her knowledge, she develops her skills further in the field of finance and administration, and also has a chance to contribute to the development of tourism and promotion of her country's culture. Šejla is passionate about nature and photography. She absolutely adores her two daughters and enjoys spending time with them.

Zerina was born in 1998 in Goražde, where she completed her primary and secondary education. She is currently studying Pedagogy at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo. While attending a secondary school, she was a volunteer for several organizations and associations, including the Association of Secondary School Students in BiH (ASuBiH). Zerina also volunteered and took part in the projects of the SOS Children’s Villages in BiH. The knowledge and experience she gained while volunteering steered her towards her studies, and towards education as a profession. Zerina loves theater art, and has been a longstanding member of the Goražde Youth Theater – there, she has had the opportunity to be a part of several plays discussing relevant topics and challenges facing the society of today. She has actively played handball, and in her free time, she enjoys hiking.

Ajla was born in Zenica in 1996. She finished the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Sarajevo, and during this period worked as a children’s sports gymnastics teacher. For her undergraduate studies, Ajla completed the Interdisciplinary Studies: Conservation and Restoration program at the Academy of Fine Arts, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and the Faculty of Architecture (University of Sarajevo). She had the opportunity to be a part of conservation-restoration projects in Rome and Firenze. Ajla graduated in Conservation and Restoration in 2022. She also worked in the Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration of Archival Materials of the Archive of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while also doing volunteer work for different projects that involve the preservation of BiH cultural heritage. Ajla loves art, history, children, and “Plavi orkestar.”

Ena Robovic was born in 1997 in Sarajevo. She completed her secondary education at the Third Gymnasium in Sarajevo, and is a senior undergraduate student at the International Burch University, Department of Graphic Design and Multimedia.
She considers herself a self-reflective, responsible, and organized person. Ena adores the sea and cars. She also enjoys watching TV series and taking long walks with her schnauzer Muni. Aside from her work at the Museum, she is actively working as a freelancer.

Lejla’s work revolves around the education and supervision of all team members, as well as the supervision of participants in the WCM’s collection. She graduated from the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo and continued her education at several European centers. She has extensive experience when it comes to clinical work with both children and adults. She is particularly interested in the psychology of trauma and the impact of stress on everyday life.
Lejla’s psychotherapy practice integrates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and EMDR. She hopes to complete art therapy education one day. When it comes to her everyday life, Lejla is a yoga practitioner and enjoys spending time in nature, together with her daughters and friends. She also enjoys her role of a “museum psychologist” 🙂

Dan is an Irish fiction writer, journalist, and editor. A graduate of Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, his writing has appeared in The Irish Times, Oprah.com, GQ, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Guernica, and elsewhere. He is an editor at Literary Hub and the author of the Sarajevo-set novel Restless Souls, which was named one of Entertainment Weekly's 10 Great Debuts of 2018. A native of Dublin, he now divides his time between Jackson, Wyoming, and Austin, Texas, with his wife, Téa, and their dog, Gully.