Matea Senkić

Matea Senkić is a PhD researcher and Teaching Assistant (Tutor) at the University of Edinburgh, primarily affiliated with the School of Social and Political Science and secondarily with the School of GeoSciences. She is completing her PhD in Sociology in 2025 under the supervision of Dr. Lisa McCormick and Dr. Stephen Kemp, focusing on urban culture and tourism dynamics in Edinburgh.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD Sociology (2025), School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh
• MA Sociology (2014), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
• BA Sociology (2011), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split

She has also completed professional certifications in cultural diplomacy from the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (Berlin) and arts management through UNICULT2020. Senkić's research critically examines authenticity in tourism through cultural sociology and urban sociology lenses, employing ethnographic methods and performance theory to analyze how local identities negotiate heritage preservation amid tourism development. Her work consistently explores sensory dimensions of tourist experiences and power dynamics in cultural representation.

Her publication record reveals evolving expertise from Croatian tourism case studies (2015-2017) toward EU-level heritage governance frameworks (2019-2024), with recent emphasis on participatory planning and emotional value in cultural tourism. This trajectory demonstrates increasing methodological sophistication and policy relevance in heritage management.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• The Frankopan Fund Scholarship (2019)

As an educator, Senkić has tutored core sociology and geography courses including 'Designing and Doing Social Research' and 'Social and Cultural Geography' since 2020. Her research is sustained through major projects:

• BIHEVTUR (2024-2027): Applying behavioral sciences to sustainable tourism management
• RESTAURA (2016-2019): Heritage building revitalization via public-private partnerships
• CULPOL (2016-2018): EU cultural policy analysis
• ForHeritage (2021): Integrated heritage management in Central Europe

She actively collaborates with international teams across Croatia, Germany, and Spain on heritage tourism initiatives, maintaining strong ties with the Institute for Development and International Relations in Zagreb.