Zhasmina Tacheva

In these times of global crisis marked by environmental destruction, war, and the intensification of oppression, it's tempting to reach for simple solutions or fall into despair. My journey in Comparative Literature at UB helped me discover an alternative path: one that allows for a critical analysis of our collective experiences without oversimplifying their entangled complexity. In particular, it has equipped me with a transdisciplinary lens to examine and compare the narratives that abound all around us—from the inevitability discourses of utopia/dystopia surrounding artificial intelligence to environmental campaigns pledging to "save our planet." I am immensely indebted to my mentors and peers in the Comparative Literature Program for nurturing my ability to engage in literary criticism and helping me to identify paths for social change within the multiplex assemblage of narratives that saturate our reality.