PhD in anthropology of everyday life, Research Associate
nejra.nuna-cengic@zrc-sazu.si
Nejra Nuna Čengić is a social anthropologist whose research concerns gender, social memory, peace building and transformations of work (precarious work, care work, labour migration). She studied philosophy and sociology at the University of Sarajevo and obtained a PhD in the Anthropology of Everyday Life from the Ljubljana Postgraduate School in Humanities (ISH) in 2016. Her doctoral thesis dealt with the relationship between war violence and speech, exploring narrative strategies that citizens of Sarajevo employ in their war accounts.
In a broader sense, Dr Čengić is interested in strategies of social reproduction, which she examines through the prism of social memory and the prism of work practices, with a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has published a single-authored book, a co-authored book, several scholarly journal articles and book chapters, and book reviews in the fields of the anthropology of work, of post-socialism and of violence, as well as in memory studies and gender studies.
Dr Čengić is a research associate at the Institute of Culture and Memory Studies ZRC SAZU since the Summer of 2025. Prior to that, she held post-doc positions at the New Europe College, Institute for advanced studies in Bucharest (2017–2018), at the Center for Southeast European Studies of the University of Graz (2018–2019, and 2021–2024 as an MSCA fellow), and at the Department for Social Anthropology of the University of Manchester (2020–2021).
“While it lasts”: strategizing with precarity in internationally funded project labor in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Focaal – Journal of Global and Historical Anthropology. June. 2023, iss. 96, pp. 88–101. DOI: 10.3167/fcl.2022.081804.
Lest we forget?: speech and non-speech in post-war Sarajevo. V: GRŽINIĆ, Marina (ed.), PRISTOVŠEK, Jovita (ed.), UITZ, Sophie (ed.). Opposing colonialism, antisemitism, and turbo-nationalism: rethinking the past for new conviviality.Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020, pp. 276–292.
Desilo se to što se desilo: govor, život i vrijeme nakon opsade u Sarajevu. Beograd: Orion Art, 2017.
Integrating “during the war” in “after the war”: narrative positionings in post-war Sarajevo. In: JANSEN, Stef (ed.), BRKOVIĆ, Čarna (ed.), ČELEBIČIĆ, Vanja (ed.). Negotiating social relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina: semiperipheral entanglements. London; New York: Routledge, 2017, pp. 60–73. Southeast European Studies.
Noise, silence, voice: life stories of two female peace activists from BiH. In: JAMBREŠIĆ KIRIN, Renata (ed.), PRLENDA, Sandra (ed.). Women narrating their lives and actions. Zagreb: Centar za ženske studije: = Centre for Women's Studies: Institut za etnologiju i folkloristiku: = Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, 2013, pp. 69–87. Biblioteka Feminizmi u transnacionalnoj perspektivi, 4.
Kultura sjećanja u lokalnim zajednicama u Bosni i Hercegovini. (co-editor). Sarajevo: Fondacija Mirovna akademija, 2017.
Current post
Research associate at Institute of Cultural and Memory Studies, Scientific Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Education
PhD, 2016, AMEU-ISH, Ljubljana Postgraduate School of Humanities. Integrated doctoral program. Study program: Anthropology of Everyday Life. Thesis Title “Narrative Recreation of Life in Post-War Sarajevo: Life with War Experience”
MA, 2001, MA European Regional Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democracy in SEE, University of Sarajevo/University of Bologna. Thesis Title: “The Role of Political Myths in Post-Communist BiH and their Consequences”
BA, 1995, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo
Languages
Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian (mother tongue), English (fluent), German (very good)
Teaching experience (selected)
Political Economy of Southeast Europe. Introduction, Co-lecturer and Co-convener of a MA course (with Ana Podvršič, PhD), Interdisciplinary Joint Master’s Programme in Southeast European Studies, University of Graz, Oct 2022 – Jan 2023
Feminist political economy approach, guest lecturer, Interdisciplinary Joint Master’s Programme in Southeast European Studies, University of Graz, May 2022
Memory Work: Perspectives from Below, lecturer, European Regional Master in Human Rights and Democracy in South-East Europe, University of Sarajevo, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, 2022 – present
Life Stories and Dialogues, Lecturer and Convener of an optional MA course, European Regional Master in Human Rights and Democracy in South-East Europe, University of Sarajevo, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, 2006 – 2021.
Gender, Witnessing and Politics, Lecturer and Convener of an elective MA course, Master’s Program in Gender Studies, University of Sarajevo, Center for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies, 2011–2012.
International scholarships (selected)
Female paid domestic care work: a node of social reproduction (CareWork), (European Commission, HORIZON-MSCA-2020, Individual MSCA), University of Graz, October 2021–June 2024.
Precarious Labour, Gender and Care in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Development Assistance (ODA), UK, GCRF Postdoc Visiting fellowship), University of Manchester, May 2020–May 2021.
Project-Based Temporalities: International Intervention and Reconfiguration of Work in BiH (Austrian Academy of Sciences, JESH-Joint Excellence in Science and Humanities Programme, Fellowship), University of Graz, Oct 2018–Jan 2019.
‘Salariat’ vs. ‘Projectariat’: Reconfigurations of Work and International Intervention (Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, Postdoctoral fellowship, NEC, Oct 2017–Jul 2018.
Russell Trust Research Fellowship, Research Project: Life Stories and Dialogues, Research Fellowship, University of St. Andrews, 2007–2008.
Koerber Stiftung, Hamburg, Germany, Storytelling in Conflict Training (3-yr programme, 2006–2008).
Other projects
Female paid domestic care work: a node of social reproduction (CareWork), 4 Oct 2021–4 June 2024
‘Salariat’ vs. ‘Projectariat’: Reconfigurations of Work and International Intervention, 1 October 2017–31 July 2018
Genealogy of Amnesia: Rethinking the Past for a New Future of Conviviality, 2018 - 2020
Culture of Remembering in four local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, April 2015–May 2016
Dvije škole pod jednim krovom, 2012–2013
Life stories and Dialogues, Nov 2007 – Feb 2008
Research interests
social reproduction, memory, gender, speech, violence, care work, labour transformations, labour mobilities, post-socialism, Yugoslav and socialist legacies in post-Yugoslav societies, political economy, peacebuilding