Presentation of the Edited Volume East Meets West – Istok susreće Zapad

About Us

History classes at the Faculty of Croatian Studies of the University of Zagreb began during the 1997/1998 academic year. Currently, the Department of History offers classes at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate (doctoral) levels of study.

History studies at our faculty are organized according to the contemporary scientific and didactic standards. Over the course of the past academic years, our program undeqent a transition in order to adapt its own study program to students who whish to learn more about national history. The fundamental feature of our program is the strong connection with other national historical institutions (museums, Croatian Institute of History, etc.). This fact allows students to start modeling their own research interest in the areas of national history that interest them already during their undergraduate studies. At the graduate level, students are provided with thematic specialization through a large number of non-mandatory courses.

Although our program emphasizes Croatian history, it also includes the posibilitiy of profiling in various areas of world history: from ancient civilizations and societies to modern and contemporary history. This kind of profiling is open to students due to the wide topics of courses that are adapted to the various interests of students.

On 25 February 2026, the edited volume East Meets West, or Istok susreće Zapad, was presented at the Library of the Faculty of Croatian Studies. The volume brings together papers dedicated to encounters and interactions between the Croatian and Asian cultural, historical and economic spheres.

The presentation took place at the Library on the Borongaj Scientific and University Campus and was attended by a large number of interested students, faculty members, contributors to the volume and guests interested in topics related to Eurasian connections.

The volume was presented by its editors, Assistant Professor Eva Katarina Glazer, PhD, and Associate Professor Zvonimir Stopić, PhD, as well as one of its reviewers, Dr Goran Đurđević. In their presentations, they discussed the origins of the publication, emphasising that the volume resulted from an international scientific conference held in 2024. They also spoke about the challenges of editorial work, the conceptual design of the book and the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to studying relations between the Republic of Croatia and Asian regions.

The volume contains a total of 16 scholarly papers covering a broad chronological span, from medieval journeys and early cultural contacts to contemporary political, economic and cultural relations. The contributors explore the transmission of knowledge, artistic influences, ideas and identities, showing how encounters between East and West have shaped historical processes and continue to influence social and cultural dynamics today.

Following the editors’ introductory presentations, in which they outlined their vision and the guiding principles that informed the editing of the volume, an engaging discussion took place. Visitors had the opportunity to ask questions and participate in the conversation. The lively and substantive discussion demonstrated that interest in Croatian–Asian relations extends beyond specialist academic circles and opens up opportunities for further research and future projects.

The presentation took place in a pleasant and stimulating atmosphere, confirming the importance of publications of this kind for understanding the complex process of encounters between East and West and for deepening our knowledge of long-standing Eurasian connections.

Text by: Mirta Kostov