With over 13.000 alumni worldwide, the IHS Alumni Network gathers international experts in urban development from across the globe. In this series we reconnect with some familiar faces and find out more about their professional path after graduation.
Introducing Vedad
Vedad is a graduate of the Urban Management and Development (UMD) Master's programme at IHS. After completing his studies, he returned to his home country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to contribute to the ongoing efforts addressing Sarajevo’s complex urban challenges.
Reflecting and looking forward
Looking back, Vedad attributes his broad understanding of urban planning issues to his time at IHS. Through the curriculum, which covered everything from urban design to environmental policy, he built a strong theoretical foundation for tackling the challenges he faces in his work today. Moreover, the international environment at IHS allowed him to engage with students and professors from around the world, which broadened his understanding of how different cities tackle urban problems. This global perspective has been invaluable and continues to benefit him as he adapts and implements urban solutions.
While the UMD programme provided a strong theoretical foundation, the true test for Vedad came when he had to adapt these concepts to the specific political, historical, and social context of Sarajevo and tailor his approach to the unique dynamics of the city.
Shaping Sarajevo’s future
Transitioning from impactful academic study to real-world urban planning in Sarajevo offered both excitement and challenges. The city’s urban landscape combines historical richness with modern growth. Although working in such an environment can be demanding, Vedad viewed it as an opportunity to apply his expertise in meaningful ways. The academic foundation and practical skills he acquired through his study, equipped him to address these challenges effectively and contribute to the city’s development.
Vedad now works at the Institute for Planning of Development Canton, where he is tasked with overseeing city's spatial planning. In this role, he helps manage urban growth and ensure balanced development across the city. His team is responsible for creating urban plans that guide the long-term development of Sarajevo. One of their biggest ongoing projects is developing a new city centre. Vedad and his colleagues are striving to create a more balanced distribution of resources, public spaces, and infrastructure to meet the needs of Sarajevo's growing population.
His work focuses on ensuring that the city’s physical growth is not only sustainable but also responsive to the needs of its diverse residents. In a city as complex as Sarajevo, with its varied historical and cultural layers, the challenge is to create a cohesive urban environment that reflects both the past and the future.
We are making progress, but the challenges are still there. It’s a long-term process and we have to think beyond just quick fixes.
Vedad Viteškić
Advice to current students
Through his experiences, he learned that the path to meaningful change in urban planning is rarely linear. For those who will follow in his footsteps as IHS alumni, Vedad advises them to be patient yet persistent in their work, as urban planning is a long-term process. He also encourages graduates to be adaptable and to use their IHS network to collaborate with others across different sectors. The connections made during the programme can serve as a supportive network as graduates embark on their careers in urban development.
