Mirela Hrovatin, PhD

Contact: mirela.hrovatin@inantro.hr, +38515535100

Academic and Scientific Degrees

  • 2019  Assistant Professor in the scientific area of humanities, field of ethnology and anthropology, Croatian Catholic University, Zagreb.
  • 2018 Scientific Associate in the scientific area of humanities, field of ethnology and anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Zagreb.
  • 2015 PhD in scientific area of Humanities, scientific field of Ethnology and Anthropology. Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Zagreb. Doctoral thesis A Cultural Anthropological Approach to Vows in Non-Institutional Personal Religiosity.
  • 2005 MA in Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology and English Language and Literature. Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Zagreb.

Work Experience 

  • 2025 – today Scientific Associate, Institute for Anthropological Research, Zagreb.
  • 2013 – 2025 Senior Expert Advisor-Conservator, Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb.
  • 2006 – 2013 Expert Associate, Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb.

Projects

  • 2025 – today Member of the project team, Multilevel sustainability as a prerequisite for health and wellbeing – SUSTAINWELL, Institute for Anthropological Research, Zagreb (internal project).
  • 2024 – 2027 Member of the project team, Traditional Culture in the Digital Environment: Development of the Reference Center for Intangible Culture – TKuDOR, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb (internal project).
  • 2021 – 2026 Member of the project team, Mariological-Marian Contribution to Christian Humanism and New Evangelization, Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb (internal project).
  • 2020 – 2024 Member of the project team, Adriatic Maritime Pilgrimages in Local, National and Transnational Context – PILGRIMAR, Project Leader: Mario Katić, Associate Professor, University of Zadar, project co-funded by the Croatian Science Foundation.

Organizational Skills and Competences

  • Conference „Sustainability of Cultural Heritage“, 2022, Velika Gorica.
  • National workshop on capacity building for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Croatia, in cooperation with UNESCO category II Center for ICH SEE in Bulgaria, 2016, Zagreb.
  • International seminar of experts on intangible cultural heritage in SE Europe, 2016, Supetar, Brač.
  • International seminar of experts on intangible cultural heritage in SE Europe, 2009, Zagreb.


List of publications – link   https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/32576

Research interests: protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and skills, anthropology of religion

Positions in committees, boards, and working groups

  • 2024 President of the Committee for evaluation of doctoral thesis of Petra Valovičić, University of Zadar.
  • 2024 Member of the Committee for evaluation of doctoral thesis of Adriane Pojatine, University of Zadar.
  • 2024 – today Member of Expert Committee for Evaluation of the Properties of Intangible Cultural Goods, Ministary of Culture and Media, Croatia.
  • 2022 – 2025 Member of the Steering Committee of the European Network of Focal Points for the 2003 Convention (ENFP).
  • 2017 Member of the EDEN Committee for the European Destionation of Excellence Award in Croatia (cultural tourism), European Commission program.
  • 2012 – 2025 Member of Second-instance Appeal Committee, Ministary of Culture and Media, Croatia.
  • 2008 – 2011 representative of the Republic of Croatia in the UNESCO category II Center for ICH SEE in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Trainings (selected)

  • 2023 UNESCO global facilitators capacity building programme for the implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Training of trainers’ workshop, Tirana, Albania.
  • 2019 1st PILNET international workshop Approaching Pilgrimage: Methodological Issues Involved in Researching Routes, Sites and Practices, Zadar.
  • 2008 – 2022 international seminars for experts on intangible cultural heritage of Sout-East Europe, Safranbolu, Turkey; Sofia, Bulgaria; Zagreb, Croatia; Supetar, Croatia.
  • 2007 – 2022 Training programs in the National School of Public Administration: Managing a Project Cyclus, Regional EU Policies, Skill of Negotiating in the EU Institutions and Standards of Financing Programmes of Civil Society Organizations.

Memberships

  • European Network of Focal Points for the 2003 Convention (ENFP)
  • Croatian Ethnological Society (HED)
  • Croatian Mariological Institute of Catholic Faculty of Theology, Zagreb (HMI)
  • International network of anthropologists field of pilgrimage studies EASA Pilgrimage Studies Network
  • Global network of facilitators for the 2003 Convention (UNESCO)
  • Global interdisciplinary network Sacred Journeys (Indiana University, IUPUI)