United World College in Mostar (UWCiM)

"United World College in Mostar occupies a unique and deeply purposeful place within the global landscape of international education."

Founded in September 2006 as a joint initiative between the United World College movement and the International Baccalaureate Organization, the school was established with an explicit mission to support the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the broader Western Balkans region. It was co-founded by Elisabeth Rehn, who served as UN Special Rapporteur and led the UN Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1995 to 1999, and Lamija Tanović, Chair of Humanity in Action Bosnia and Herzegovina — two figures whose work in post-conflict reconciliation shaped the school's founding vision from the very beginning. The college was officially opened by Queen Noor of Jordan, a long-standing champion of the UWC movement, and stands today as the twelfth member of the United World Colleges global family and the fourth UWC campus in Europe. What sets UWC Mostar apart from virtually every other international school in the world is its deliberate embedding within a post-conflict society. It is the first United World College founded with the explicit aim of contributing to the reconstruction of such a society, and it is also the first UWC to be housed within an existing public school — a remarkable structural choice that reflects the institution's commitment to integration rather than separation. Rather than existing as an insular international enclave, UWC Mostar is woven into the fabric of local educational life in a city that remains one of the most symbolically significant sites of the 1990s Balkan conflict. Academically, the school delivers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, the rigorous two-year curriculum taken by students typically between the ages of 16 and 19. The IB Diploma is globally recognized by universities across the world and is known for its breadth, intellectual challenge, and emphasis on international-mindedness — values that align naturally with the UWC mission. As with all United World Colleges, the academic program at UWC Mostar is inseparable from its wider educational philosophy, which holds that education can be a force for peace, sustainability, and human understanding. The school is located in Mostar, a city in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mostar is perhaps best known internationally for the Stari Most, the iconic Ottoman-era bridge whose reconstruction after its wartime destruction has become a symbol of reconciliation — a fitting backdrop for a school whose purpose is itself built around bridging divides. Students who study here do so in a community shaped by that history, giving the UWC Mostar experience a depth and contextual richness that few schools anywhere in the world can offer. For families considering UWC Mostar, it is worth understanding that this is not a conventional international school oriented primarily around expatriate convenience. It is a mission-driven institution that attracts students from across the globe who are selected for both academic ability and personal commitment to the values of peace, service, and cross-cultural understanding. For the right student and family, it offers an education that is genuinely transformative.