Senior researcher: dr. sc. Zvonko Kovač
Project assistants: dr. sc. Marijana Bijelić, dr. sc. Ivana Latković, dr. sc. Ivan Majić

Summary: The project entitled Intercultural History of Literature – Eco-cultural identity of South Slavic literature is a continuation of contemporary methodological and empirical research adapted to the needs of understanding the complex eco-cultural identity of South Slavic literature and to a specific biological identity as part of nature. This implies the preservation of historical cultures and the cultural authenticity of diverse traditions and their intercultural (inter-religious, inter-civilization) dialogue that attain a new meaning in the time of globalization. The project has been adapted in parts to the study of South Slavic languages and literature, that is, to the essential education of junior researchers and teaching assistants in fields where there is a deficit of young experts. By drawing attention to the possibilities of intercultural Slavic studies and literary science through the project, we wish to become more actively involved in interpreting the crises of Slavic societies in transition and their integration in European society with Western values. In this way, we would contribute to a general intercultural dialogue and inter-civilizational dialogue. The Croatian and South Slavic area presents a great challenge in this respect due to its war traumas and multi-religious setting. We are convinced that an intercultural approach, intercultural interpretation and even intercultural literary history (for national and world literature) form a valuable step forward to meeting the challenges of the web of communication that makes up Croatia’s contemporary society. This problem is particularly pertinent to literary historians of another/foreign culture, who are often faced with a double challenge: to track historical research in the cultural surrounding of the country they lecture in and to contribute to identifying the values and identities of their national culture. In this respect, the study of South Slavic literature in relation to Croatian culture is put on equal footing with other neo-philological studies in a unique concept of intercultural literary study (which is of direct use to the study of Croatia’s culture, its study at foreign South Slavic Studies, and also at local intercultural and comparative studies of another/foreign literature).