Over one hundred people (including University professors, teachers, students and business people) attended the first “Italian studies meeting in Bosnia and Herzegovina” today at the University of Zenica. It was organised by the Italian embassy in order “to understand together how to use Italian for human and professional growth,” as tweeted by the ambassador, Nicola Minasi.
The platform, in which the local Dante Alighieri Society also took part, was devised to facilitate an exchange of ideas and experiences as well as to make the Italian language an effective instrument, providing extra stimulus to teachers with new ideas and topics.
All universities and schools in the country where Italian is taught were invited to attend, ensuring that the project could start off with well-consolidated practical experience. One area with the potential to give new input into the study of the language was considered to be the corporate sector, since 70 Italian companies operate in Bosnia and Herzegovina and directly employ over 10,000 people. Therefore, in addition to its great cultural potentiality, the Italian language could also be something that facilitates job searches, focusing on the close connection between teaching, learning and work.
Tourism is another area that could offer great opportunities due to the high number of Italian tourists in Mostar and Medjugorje in particular. There was also discussion on how new computer technology can help in teaching languages, which is of topical interest since teaching quality is one of the priorities of the projects organised in the country within the scope of the 2018 Italian chairmanship of the OSCE.
