Edi Jurkovic, S-CAR M.S. Student

Edi Jurkovic, an S-CAR Master's student and John Burton Librarian, brings a new perspective to his classes after spending his career serving in the military in former Yugoslavia, the Army of the Republic of Srpska, and finally in the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina - when the armies merged after the war. Edi grew up in Bosnia, but has lived and traveled all over the Balkans and much of Europe during his military tenure. Due to his previous experience and background in conflict situations, Edi is interested in understanding conflict and how to prevent it.

Edi is particularly interested in improving civilian-military cooperation. He has trained civilians, senior military staff, as well as young officers who will be deployed in peacekeeping missions all over the world. One of the difficulties Jurkovic has found in his work is that civilians are reluctant to work with the military, but he believes it is necessary to find common ground on ways to cooperate, such that neither group loses their integrity, or compromises the goal of the military missions.

Edi was a teenager during the Yugoslav Wars, and could not understand how the war could become so violent in such a short period of time, and how parties could become so polarized almost overnight. He wants to better understand the process behind this kind of polarization, especially as related to what he refers to as the 'artificial' changing of history by conflict parties.

Edi can often be found in the John Burton library between classes, piecing together computers, and sharing his delicious home-made meals with colleagues. He met his wife Melissa on a ski trip in the Balkans, and the happy couple were married last November in Virginia where they currently reside. Included in the wedding for guests were cookbooks of their favorite recipes. As Edi has demonstrated in the library, the love of food brings people together.