About us

The Anthropological Society of Serbia has a long and rich history closely linked to the development of anthropology as a science in Serbia and the Balkans. The founder of anthropological studies in this region was Niko Županić (1876–1961), who established an anthropological department within National and Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade, where he worked a curator in the first decades of the twentieth century. This marked the beginning of the systematic study of anthropology as a multidisciplinary science in Serbia.  Through its activities, the Society continues the work of the former Anthropological Society of Yugoslavia, founded in 1959, which, due to the collapse of the SFRY, was reorganized in 1992 at a congress in Kotor, continuing to operate under the same name until 2007, after which it was renamed the Anthropological Society of Serbia. Throughout its decade-long continuous work, the Society has organized numerous scientific congresses with international participation and engaged in significant publishing activities. It has periodically published the Gazette of the Anthropological Society of Yugoslavia, which was renamed the Gazette of the Anthropological Society of Serbia in 2007, along with Special Editions.

The reputation of the Society and the significance of its work, both for the development of anthropology in the region and worldwide, are evidenced in the fact that its members initiated and actively participated in the establishment of the European Anthropological Society in 1977. A decade later, in 1988, they co-organized the 12th International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences of the World.

Through their work, members of the Society have expanded the field of scientific research, developed broad international cooperation, influenced the advancement of scientific methodology and rigor, and created a solid foundation for the exchange of practical and scientific experiences in all areas of anthropological work. The Society’s activities have led to an increase in the number of anthropology courses at universities in Serbia and the region. Anthropological science has found broader application – both practical and theoretical – in various scientific fields such as medicine, history, and biology. Additionally, new scientific centers have been established, such as the Center for Dental Anthropology in Niš, founded by Prof. Dr. Ljiljana Tijanić and her associates.

Since its foundation to the present day, the activities of the Society have aimed at improving and expanding anthropology as a modern scientific discipline. Following contemporary anthropological thought, improving scientific exchange through international congresses and publishing activities, supporting research in the field of anthropology, connecting the research with the economic and cultural needs of the community and encouraging young researchers are the guiding principles of the Society and represent effective ways of achieving its goals.