Dr. Dzemila Sero, a young professor at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, is the recipient of the prestigious L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science award for the year 2025.
Prof. Dr. Dzemila Sero is one of many people of Bosnian and Herzegovinian (BiH) origin who achieve great success around the world in various fields, from science, technology, and sports to the arts.
She was awarded for her innovative work in the field of biometric cultural heritage. Her research combines art history, forensic science, and imaging technology to analyze fingerprints on terracotta sculptures.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced image processing, this successful scientist investigates traces left by artists hundreds of years ago, opening an entirely new dimension in the study and preservation of cultural heritage.
Dr. Sero, born in Sarajevo in 1989, spoke in an interview about her first steps in the world of science, the projects she is currently working on, and the importance of cooperation with scientists from BiH.
Her parents moved to Bergamo before the war, so she grew up and was educated in Italy, and then continued her education in other European countries, where she achieved numerous scientific successes.
“I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano), and my PhD in engineering sciences at KU Leuven in Belgium. I’ve always loved forensics and computer image processing. In fact, I earned my PhD on facial recognition from DNA using 3D image processing and biometric methods. At the same time, growing up in Italy, I also developed a love for art history. At the Mathematical Gymnasium, for example, the final exam in art history has the same importance as the one in physics,” said Dr. Sero, adding:
“Already during my postdoc at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (Center for Mathematics and Computer Science) in Amsterdam in 2019, I began researching 3D fingerprints, which I continued later at the Rijksmuseum, the National Museum of Dutch Art and History. Cooperation with the Museum enabled me to combine science and art conservation in my work. It was truly a transformative experience for me, as I worked side by side with art historians and conservators,” emphasized this scientist.
“I established my own research line, which I call ‘Heritage Biometrics’ because it merges two worlds: the world of art and conservation, focusing on works of art, and biometrics, a discipline that studies the identification of individuals based on phenotypic traits and behavioral characteristics, that is, traits that arise from behavior. My research line identifies the artist based on human traces left on the surface of the object they create. In sculpture, fingerprints found on terracotta sculptures in museum collections are rarely studied and in an unsystematic way,” she explained.
Her effort, work, and scientific contribution were recently recognized in the form of the prestigious L’Oreal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” award in the Netherlands for the year 2025.
“The motto of the organization that awards this prize is ‘The world needs science, and science needs women.’ Although women today conduct revolutionary research around the world and make remarkable discoveries, women represent only 33 percent of the total number of scientists. Even when they achieve great results, they rarely receive the recognition they deserve. That is why UNESCO and the L’Oreal Foundation have been working together for over 20 years to enable women to participate equally in scientific work. Aside from the prestige and publicity for my research, this award will allow me to work for five months at NIAS, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences, and focus exclusively on my scientific and research work, which is not possible in my everyday job as a lecturer. It will be a major stimulus for my work in the future, as I wish to continue with scientific projects.”
She also notes that all over the world, many people of BiH origin represent their homeland in the best possible way.
“More and more young people from BiH are taking high positions in global institutions and academia, and it is an honor for me that, thanks to the award I received, our country can be mentioned in such a prestigious context. It is difficult to establish oneself in any field, but when that recognition is achieved through one’s own merit and work, origin should never be a handicap,” said the young scientist.
Although she grew up in Italy, she has remained in constant contact with her homeland, BiH.
“My parents always regularly visited their parents and relatives, so I spent every school break in the homeland. I will certainly continue to visit BiH with my family whenever we can so that they, too, can get to know our country, its traditions, and customs better. My academic and life path has led me to live and work in various European countries and to collaborate with experts from all over the world, but I know well where my roots are and I proudly say that I’m from Sarajevo and from BiH. Some of my friends have already visited our country because my stories sparked their curiosity and desire to visit BiH,” said Sero.
She believes that young people, especially in science, sports, and business, are the best ambassadors of the state of BiH in the world.
“The successes of our people in various fields contribute to our country being viewed with respect and growing interest. This is true not only for well-known names in sports, science, or art, but also in everyday life, where I have had the opportunity to see how much our young people are appreciated for their education and expertise,” she emphasized.
Knowledge of language and tradition, as she says, is a great treasure, and it is not always easy to preserve it today “when we young people live, work, and build families around the world and feel like an integral part of the communities in which we live.”
“A great help in this regard comes from direct contact with our country, family ties, or, as in my case, reading our writers – just to name a few: Bekim Sejranovic, Faruk Sehic, Dario Dzamonja, Lejla Kalamijuc, Aleksandar Hemon, Semezdin Mehmedinovic.”
She also particularly emphasizes the importance of scientists and other professionals in the diaspora cooperating with colleagues in BiH.
“From my own experience, I’ve learned that results are not achieved individually. It is very important to build an entire network of cooperation within which information and opinions can be exchanged, not only with people who work in the exact same field as I do, but much more broadly. That is why any cooperation among colleagues who are in the country or abroad is always welcome,” this scientist believes.
In the end, she sent a message, especially to young people, that learning, work, and perseverance definitely bring results.
“Scientific work requires a lot of sacrifice, but it brings enormous satisfaction. Modern technology has made information accessible to everyone. I personally got every position – whether for my PhD, postdoc, or employment – through public competitions posted online. You shouldn’t be discouraged when rejections come, because they are a natural part of the process. But if your desire is to continue your studies and pursue scientific work, don’t give up. I must admit that a bit of luck is always needed – to find yourself in a good group of people with whom you can collaborate, and to meet people along the way who believe in your project and support you. I especially want to tell girls not to avoid mathematics and engineering sciences, not to doubt their own abilities, to fight against prejudice, and to confidently follow their intuition,” said Dr. Sero.
