Connecting food with literature – Nora Miškulin’s Honors Program project

Nora Miškulin, a sophomore New Media Design student at the Zagreb campus, has a passion for design but also explores a diverse range of subjects, from generative AI models to literature. Her curiosity and drive for deeper learning led her to participate in the Honors Program for the second time in December 2024, where she had the chance to merge her academic interests with personal exploration.

The Honors Program offers academically driven students (GPA 3.5+) the opportunity to expand their knowledge and develop research skills through specialized coursework and close faculty collaboration. “The Honors Program is an incredible opportunity for students to take ownership of their education,” Nora explains. Fascinated by how people engage with literature, she drew an unexpected parallel: the way readers consume books is much like how people experience food. “Some works are fast and easy, others are rich and complex, and some are acquired tastes,” she says. What inspired her to explore this further was her boyfriend’s enthusiasm for trying new foods. “Watching him approach food with such curiosity made me see that, like food, literature offers a range of experiences, from quick reads to more challenging, layered ones, and we choose what of that we need in a given moment”.

Grounding stories in culture and context

Food is one of the most fundamental aspects of culture – it’s tied to tradition, memory, and daily life. In literature, it often serves as a symbol of belonging, transformation, or even conflict. Nora explains that writers use food to “ground stories in specific cultural contexts, evoke nostalgia, or highlight the contrast between characters and societies”. As a fan of existentialist literature, she associates classics by Camus, Dazai, and Kafka with cheese or coffee: “There’s the simplicity to them on the surface, but the deeper you go, the more layered they become”.

Through this project, Nora sharpened her ability to connect disciplines like literature, philosophy, and food studies and present ideas in a way that is both engaging and accessible. To bring her research to life, she created a website as part of her presentation. “Creating the website forced me to distill my ideas into a format that's clear, engaging, and accessible”, she explained. The site incorporated visual elements, images, categorized examples, and links to related videos—features that made the research more immersive than a traditional paper. “It made me more aware of how digital platforms shape the way we present and consume information”.

Invest yourself in research

Having the right mentor is crucial in a research project, and for Nora, Senior Lecturer Zrinka Friganović Sain played a key role in guiding her through the process. Professor Friganović Sain helped Nora stay within the scope of her research and provided valuable feedback on how to think critically. “Most importantly, she let me have the creative freedom I required with my project, while still giving criticism and keeping me in check”, she says.

For students who want to enhance their education through research, Nora’s advice is simple: start with something that fascinates you. “Don’t be afraid to invest yourself in research and share your work!” she encourages. One of the program’s goals is for students to present their research—an opportunity not just to showcase their findings, but to gain feedback and new perspectives. “Putting your research out there helps you refine your ideas and get valuable insights,” she says.

If you are interested, you can check out Nora’s website here!