Internationalization in the educational system of a weak state: examining multiple identities of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s higher education
Higher education has often acted as the nucleus of progressive thought, the instigator of societal transformation, and the center of cultural exchange and understanding. However, in conflict‐ridden societies, higher‐education systems have shown a proclivity towards the multiple personality syndrome: their ability to solidify, connect and unite diverse communities within a society is almost always juxtaposed with higher education’s tendency to separate, regionalize and exclude. This paper analyzes a local setting of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where higher education has had a dichotomous role in the society. Most notably, the analysis scrutinizes the globalizing and ‘EU‐nionizing’ forces and values as they collide with the local tensions, traditions and identities presently existing in the higher education of Bosnia and Herzegovina.