Dijana Simic

Dijana Simic serves as Lecturer for Slavic Literary and Cultural Studies and Gender Studies at the University of Graz, holding dual appointments at the Department of Slavic Studies (since 2019) and Coordination Office for Gender Studies (since 2022). Her academic trajectory at the institution spans over a decade, including previous roles as University Assistant (2013-2019) and Student Assistant (2012-2013).

Her doctoral research at the University of Graz, supported by the 2017 Marietta Blau Scholarship, culminated in the dissertation "Intimate Counterpublics. A gender-oriented analysis of Bosnian-Herzegovinian prose of the New Sensibility," with fieldwork conducted at Central European University in Budapest and multiple locations across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dr. Simic's research program critically examines Migration, Gender, and Memory Studies within post-Yugoslav contexts, with specialized focus on Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian literary production. Her scholarship investigates how marginalized communities construct intimate counterpublics and identity narratives through literary expression. As an Elisabeth List Fellow (2020-2021), she participated in the international "Intimate Readings" affect research group, advancing interdisciplinary methodologies at the intersection of gender theory and literary analysis.

Her publication record reveals consistent engagement with gendered migration narratives and transcultural identity formation in Slavic contexts. The works demonstrate methodological sophistication in connecting literary analysis with sociopolitical frameworks, particularly regarding how displaced communities negotiate belonging through narrative strategies.

Her scholarly recognition includes:

• Elisabeth List Fellowship for Gender Research (2020)
• Marietta Blau Scholarship from the Austrian Federal Ministry (2017)

Additional research support has facilitated academic engagement in Ljubljana, Olomouc, Yerevan, and Moscow.

Professional service includes:

• Member of MESEA - Society for Multi-Ethnic Studies: Europe and the Americas (since 2018)
• Member of Austrian Society for Gender Research (since 2017)
• Member of Young Forum Slavic Literary Studies (since 2014)
• Member of Austrian Society for Slavic Studies (since 2013)

She previously coordinated the international CEEPUS network "Slavic Philology and Its Cultural Contexts" (2014-2019), fostering academic collaboration across five European institutions.

Her research is formally affiliated with the University of Graz's "Heterogeneity and Cohesion" research network, which investigates social integration processes in diverse societies through interdisciplinary approaches.