On December 20, 2024, at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka, an agreement on scientific, professional, and business cooperation was signed between the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka and the Ministry of Trade and Tourism of the Government of the Republic of Srpska. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics by the Dean, Prof. Dr. Radoslav Dekić, and Denis Šulić, the Minister of Trade and Tourism of the Government of the Republic of Srpska.The agreement includes various areas of cooperation:

• Exchange of experiences and achievements in science and expertise;
• Professional collaboration of employees aimed at their advancement and acquisition of new knowledge and experiences for the mutual benefit of the contracting parties;
• Mutual promotion of the signatories of the agreement;
• The possibility of working on joint projects in the field of tourism and applying the results of scientific research for the development of tourism;
• Participation in scientific and professional symposia, conferences, seminars, and promotional and professional activities in areas of mutual activity and interest both domestically and internationally;
• The possibility for students to visit the Ministry of Trade and Tourism for internships, gaining new knowledge, and applying theoretical knowledge acquired at the faculty in practice, as well as engaging in other activities of mutual interest.

After the signing of the agreement, the first working meeting was held between representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Tourism and professors of the Geography Study Program at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, which includes a Tourismology track for educating future professional staff in tourism. The signed agreement is one of many similar agreements that connect natural, mathematical, and informational sciences studied at the Faculty with the needs of societal practice.

Author of the text: Dr. Mira Mandić, Full Professor