Mak K. Nurkić is an undergraduate student in Yale College majoring in global affairs. As a Peacebuilding Initiative Fellow at the Jackson School, he is leading the field implementation of a collaborative research study on everyday peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mak is responsible for managing logistics, coordinating local research teams, and facilitating data collection through fuzzy cognitive mapping and focus group discussions across Sarajevo and Istočno Sarajevo. The study will inform a forthcoming policy brief on grassroots strategies for social cohesion and post-conflict resilience, as well as a peer-reviewed academic publication.

In addition to his academic work, Mak serves as a program officer for the Maryland–Bosnia and Herzegovina Exchange Council, where he supports civic diplomacy between U.S. and Balkan partners. He has contributed to high-level bilateral exchanges, developed briefings for state officials, and facilitated engagements with foreign ministries and local stakeholders. Mak is also the founder of the DUXO Project, a youth-led initiative focused on landmine detection and public awareness. He holds a U.S. patent for a drone-based system for underground object detection and has collaborated with mine action organizations in Bosnia, Iraq, and Cambodia.

A varsity swimmer at Yale and former Scholastic All-American, Mak integrates academic rigor, public service, and athletic discipline. He is fluent in English and Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, with advanced proficiency in Spanish.