Assistant Prof. Dr. Mustafa Krupalija and Associate Prof. Dr. Aliaksandr Novikau from the IUS Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) study program, together with Assistant Prof. Dr. İbrahim Fevzi Güven from Karabük University (Türkiye), have successfully completed a research project supported by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) under the Human and Social Development Research Support Program.
The project, titled “The Return of Forcibly Displaced Persons to Their Homes after the Bosnian War: Experiences of Bosniaks Returning to the Republika Srpska Entity,” was conducted between August 20 and December 10, 2025. The research examined the experiences of Bosniaks who returned to their pre-war homes in the Republika Srpska entity following the Bosnian War, with a particular focus on the social, cultural, political, and psychological dimensions of post-war return and reintegration. By documenting personal narratives and exploring the long-term consequences of forced displacement, the project aimed to contribute to a deeper understanding of post-conflict recovery processes and minority return in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As an important academic outcome of the project, an article titled “Rebuilding Home on ‘Hot Ground’: Spiritual Obligation and the Decision to Return to Srebrenica” has been published in the Journal of Refugee Studies, a leading peer-reviewed academic journal published by Oxford University Press.
The study explores the lived experiences of Bosniak returnees and non-returnees from the Srebrenica area, focusing on the complex motivations behind the decision to return to places marked by trauma, displacement, and post-war hardship. Based on qualitative interviews, the research highlights that return is not shaped only by material conditions, but also by moral, spiritual, familial, and political obligations connected to memory, identity, and belonging.
The publication of this article represents a significant contribution to the field of refugee and forced migration studies, particularly in relation to post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina, minority return, and the long-term consequences of forced displacement.
IUS congratulates Dr. Mustafa Krupalija, Dr. Aliaksandr Novikau, and Dr. İbrahim Fevzi Güven on the successful completion of the YTB-supported project and the publication of their research in an internationally recognized academic journal.
The article is available through the Journal of Refugee Studies website at: Rebuilding home on “hot ground”: spiritual obligation and the decision to return to Srebrenica
