Studying Abroad In Belgrade, Serbia!

Hey there party people! This summer I have had the amazing opportunity to study abroad and study global health in Belgrade, Serbia for four weeks and now Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina for four weeks. The first four weeks in Belgrade have come to an end so I thought I would share my thoughts on this city and my experiences while there. Then in a few weeks when I finish up my time in Sarajevo, I will write a similar report about that. So lets get right into it!

Why I Went On This Trip: First off, lets start with the basics and some background. During these four weeks, I was studying at the University of Belgrade with professors there through a program from my university I attend in America, Northwestern University. This program was started eight summers ago and was a result of a collaboration that one of my Global Health Studies teachers at Northwestern started after conducting research on war trauma in the region. He was interesting in establishing a program to allow students to learn about the trauma as well and study global health abroad. He was also interesting in allowing students to get a comparative perspective on the war as well as the healthcare systems in Belgrade versus in Sarajevo. This program was also established due to one of the goals of the global health program being for students to engage in health work abroad to expand their horizons. Through lectures from local perspectives (that often contain bias) and also site visits, students are able to get a full, mostly accurate image of what went down and then make their own conclusions. The reason I chose to attend this program was two fold. First, I have never been to The Balkans and thought this would be a perfect time to do this in an in depth way. I also was very interesting in learning the health and trauma about the region so that I could bring knowledge back to my own experiences.

Where We Stayed: During the four weeks in Belgrade, we stayed at LOLA Student dorms, about a thirty minute walk (or ten minute bus ride on their free public transit) from the University of Belgrade Rektorat Classroom where most of our classes were held. However, the perks of living in this area of town compared to closer to the university is that it is close to many attractions, restaurants, and shops. In LOLA, we stayed in double rooms that also had a small living room, kitchen, and bathroom. They were very comfortable, had AC, and were easy accommodations. We also had laundry very close by for very cheap which was nice as well. In terms of our meals, breakfast was included at the Hostel and then we were on our own for lunch and dinner. The breakfast did get a bit boring after a while as it consisted of either an omelette or bread done many different ways. Furthermore, coffee cost extra but it was very very cheap. As a result of this, we occasionally ended up buying breakfast out and found a very good local bagel shop, surprisingly run by someone from Chicago. The other perk about being located at LOLA was that there was a local gym about a five minute walk away which was perfect for working out before or after class. Being able to use this gym along with plenty of walking to and from class, as well as around, was amazing.

Work Structure: In terms of how our days were structured, there was a decent amount of variety depending on the day. The first two weeks consisted of class based on language, history, and culture. These classes were based in the Rektorat building for the majority and consisted of lectures from the professors and also guest lectures from local experts. The lectures focused on history during the war (especially the UN bombing of Belgrade), sports impacting culture and basic language phrases we could use to have a more comfortable stay. We also had numerous field visits throughout these two weeks, including a visit to the House of Flowers (which is the burial site for Josip Broz Tito) and the Ethnographic Museum. For assignments during these first two weeks, we had a language test and also a group presentation based on the history of the region. During the presentation, my group talked about the way Western Media Portrayed the war for succession in the Balkans. The second two weeks were classes about public and mental health in the region. These classes were more all over the place as one full week was done at the Institute for Mental Health in Belgrade to learn at a real teaching hospital. We also had site visits to the WHO regional office and a shelter for abused children. In terms of assingments, we were given a video presentation and regular presentation to create. Our video presentation focused on smoking and air pollution in Serbia as this is really serious public health issue in the region. Our group presentation performed during the final week focused on strategies that can be implemented to help kids cope with everyday stresses of their life, specifically focusing on kids who had dealt with adversity.

The assignments for these classes were overall pretty relaxed and the grades mostly focused on participation in class and at the site visits. The majority of the work came from the readings we had to do for each class, weekly written reflections and the presentations. This minimal amount of work allowed for us to get a deep dive into the cultural aspects of each city and to expand our horizons, which I appreciate. With limited outside of class work, it gave us plenty of time to reflect and rest as well which was also important with such a unique experience. It is going to be a shock going back to Northwestern in the fall and not having this same work life balance. But I hope that I will bring my new found knowledge back home with me to help my classes go smoothly.

Ethics Of My Experience: Finally the in class experiences we had, especially during the second class, were a bit strange ethically speaking. Specifically, the visit we had to the Mental Health Institute felt like we were invading a working hospital and taking away precious resources from those who actually need it. We were lectured by doctors at the institute as well as the head of Psychiatry in Serbia but it felt like that could be using their time to help their patients who are begging to get care. Yes, it is important to teach the next generation who is interested at health but when your country already has limited mental health resources, it makes things difficult to justify. Also, our visit to the shelter felt the same way, especially when we were talking to the kids. These are experiences that are very valuable to have but at the same time were not quite done well enough ethically. It is always good to view things from that perspective so that you know the real reason and can learn from your mistakes. I would definitely want to have these experiences again but you also have to always be viewing things from the other side and critically.

Outside Of Class: Outside of class, we were able to visit many of the sites of Belgrade and beyond. First off, either in class or outside of class we were able to go to all the big museums. These museums included: The Medical History Museum, The Museum of Chocolate, The National Museum, The House of Flowers and Museum of Yugoslavia, The Botanical Gardens, the Nikola Tesla Museum, The Ethnographic Museum, and The Belgrade Zoo. We also visited numerous parks throughout the city and even got to partially attend a protest demanding an increase to gun laws after the mass shooting that occurred a few months ago. In terms of day trips, we did one full class visit to nearby Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovski to visit an Ecological Center that has helped with youth engagement with climate issues. This center was partially funded by someone who works closely with Northwestern and it has been visited every year by the group. While in Sremski Karlovski, we also got to a do a wine and honey tasting at a local winery. And while we were in Novi Sad, we got to explore and learn about the history. Finally, one of the best things I did outside of class was make a visit to Gardos Tower which is in New Belgrade (part of Belgrade across the river from the main town and where the majority of people leave) and gives you views of all of Belgrade from across the river. We also got to ride bikes around the lake in New Belgrade as well which was very fun.

Weekend Trips: In terms of weekends that were free from class, we made a couple trips. The first trip was a weekend trip by car to Budapest which was absolutely incredible. Our transportation there was a bit sketchy (our tire blew out an hour away from the city) but once we arrived it was an incredible time. Some highlights include: Fishermans Bastion, the Parliament Building, Buda Castle, viewpoint hike, the Gellert Thermal Baths (AMAZING!), River cruise down the Danube and generally just walking around! The food there is also incredible and the Chimney Cake is a must try (especially with the ice cream) Overall we really enjoyed walking around and exploring the scenery. The Thermal Baths were one of the big highlights as it is incredible architecture meets swimming. 48 hours was a bit too little time to see everything in depth but I feel like we definitely got a good base layer and were able to see many of the big sites. One of the bummers of the trip was that we did not get to go inside the Parliament Building but that will give me a reason to go back.

The second weekend trip we did was just my roommate and I and we went to Vienna. This was booked 48 hours before (Wednesday night before a Friday departure) after we realized how easy it was to go there and it was 10000% worth it. Vienna is such a pretty city and there is incredible architecture as well as art everywhere. The things we did include: The Belvedere Palace (to see The Kiss!), Schönbrunn Palace, Volksgarten, Museum Quarter, The National Library, Saint Stephens Basilica, the Opera House, and The Naschmarkt (a huge outdoor market similar to Pike Place Market In Seattle). It was incredible to see the Kiss in person and the grounds of both these palaces were stunning. By the end of day one, we were so tired that getting to sit in the chairs in the Museum Quarter were a much needed break. We also went to a classical music concert in a gorgeous concert hall. We saw so much in this city and had a jam packed 48 hours but it was so worth it as this has to be one of the prettiest cities I have seen. Oh and of course we also had the famous chocolate cake! I will definitely be coming back to this city as there is so much I did not get a chance to explore.

Food: In terms of food in Belgrade, there were many great spots. Here were just some of our favorites: Richards Gyros (Quick, cheap Gyros filled with fries and near LOLA but has multiple locations), Pizza Bar, New Balkan Cuisine (Michelin Star restaurant and one of our favorite meals), Pomodoro (nice for a quick, easy lunch), Docker Brewery (best beer and Burger in Belgrade), SmashBurger (Second best burger we had in Belgrade), Plato, WW Wangs (Go to staple in our area, incredible soup), Pietra Pizzeria, Soya, Wok Republic, Comunale Caffe e Cucina (very good Italian and right along the river).

My Final Thoughts: Overall, I had an awesome time in Belgrade and by being there for four weeks, I was able to see the majority of the areas. The pros of this city are that it is very walkable, there is a lot cheap good food options, the public transportation is free, and there are a lot of amazing museums and sites. The biggest downside of this city is due to the war and their complicated relationship being between the East and West. Every since the fall of former Yugoslavia, Serbia has been trying to balance connections with the East and West all while still being neutral. Currently, they have really strong connections with China and Russia but also want to have a good relationship with the West to see if they can become apart of the EU (but I doubt this will happen as the public sentiment towards this is pretty negative). This balancing act is present in the way the city is set up too; the city is modern but also stuck in the past and is way behind in terms of modernization compared to other European cities. Also, the anti EU, UN, and United States rhetoric is massive and we were called out many times for being Americans. The reason for this is because they are still recovering from when the UN bombed the city during the war as well as the trauma that comes from that. We also did not see many tourists in Belgrade compared to the other cities we travelled to, showcasing that they are not quite at the level of other European cities in terms of offerings and economics. All in all, I really enjoyed my time in Belgrade and very much appreciate the people who made this trip possible and run smoothly. The classes were super interesting and engaging, making it a super fun time. I think this relationship between Northwestern and the University of Belgrade will last for a long time, thanks to students who want to look at health comparatively. With that being said, I am not sure I would go back to Belgrade in the future with there being so many other cities to see in Europe. But this is also part of the reason I chose these two regions to visit for this program: I felt like I would not get the chance to see this area as in depth as I am right now in the future and decided to just go for it.

Anyways, that is all for now! Thanks for reading this post and be on the lookout for my Sarajevo post in a couple weeks! ChefWalker out! 🫡😁😤