All posts by Milana Grbic

If you are a high school graduate or a high school student interested in natural sciences, mathematics, or computer science, come to the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics on March 22, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. On that day, the faculty opens its doors and organizes the event “Get to Know the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Enter the World of Science”.

You will have the opportunity to visit a series of workshops and, together with professors and students of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, carry out various experiments, analyze interesting exhibits, and get acquainted with the beauty of natural, mathematical, and computer sciences. On that day, the aquarium and planetarium of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will be open, and presentations will be organized to showcase what you can study at the faculty.

We invite all interested students to come to the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and learn about the possibility of studying: biology, geography, GIS, tourism, ecology and environmental protection, mathematics, computer science, spatial planning, technical education, physics, and chemistry.

Do you want to explore the depths of the universe, understand the fundamental laws of nature, and create innovations that change the world and contribute to global progress? We invite you to explore the world of physics!

By studying physics, you develop critical thinking, analytical skills, the ability to adapt while solving new problems or creating models/developing existing ones. Through laboratory exercises and theoretical analyses, you gain tools that enable you understanding of complex phenomena, but also the opportunity to apply your knowledge in numerous fields. Physicists are in demand in research institutions, laboratories, educational institutions, industry, medicine, finance, and even in areas dealing with artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

You can study physics at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in the Physics Study Program. After completing your studies, you can become a Bechelor of  Science in Physics (read more here) or a Graduate Teacher of Physics (read more here).

It is the right time to join the community of physicists and the exciting discipline that allows you to develop your potential!

The University of Banja Luka has recently announced two open calls for international student exchange within the Erasmus+ (KA107) program – credit mobility. More details regarding the target recipients of these calls and the required documents for application are available here and here. For assistance in preparing application documents, students can contact the relevant international cooperation coordinator and academic coordinators from their study programs. The list of academic coordinators and their contacts can be found on the International Cooperation page, under the Contacts tab.

Imagine an adventure of learning that takes you through the fascinating world of tourism! Studying tourism gives you the opportunity to explore different cultures, develop skills for exploring tourist destinations, and create unforgettable journeys. This program allows you, as a future student, to embark on a journey of discovering the world and build a career in the dynamic hospitality industry. Become part of the global travel community and open doors to exciting professional opportunities. Your future in tourism awaits for you to explore!

You can study Tourism at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics – Study program of Geography, Tourism specialization. Find out more here.

The kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ project of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics named “Improvement the quality of chemistry teaching in vocational education in Bosnia and Herzegovina – ChemTeach” was held on the 21st and 22nd February 2024 in Bratislava. The coordinator of the project is the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, i.e. the Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology of this university, with which the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has been cooperating for many years. Five secondary schools in which chemistry is an important subject in the teaching process participate in the implementation of the ChemTeach project. These are the Secondary School of Chemistry from Bratislava, the Higher Secondary School of Chemistry from the Czech city of Pardubice, and three schools from Banja Luka – Gymnasium, Medical School, and Technological School.

The goal of the project is to develop experimental methods and digital tools tailored to students, to connect scientific concepts with everyday life, and to create manuals with digital teaching material, which will contribute to the competencies of teachers. These activities will certainly contribute to the modernization of teaching at our Faculty and provide guidelines for curriculum development for future chemistry professors. Special attention will be devoted to communication with representatives of the companies and institutes to ensure relevance in terms of the needs of the economy for appropriate chemical knowledge and skills. At the kick-off meeting, the first project activities that will take place at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the end of March were announced, and our team was represented by Sanja Pržulj, Dragana Gajić, and Dejana Savić, assistants of the Department of Chemistry.

Author of the text: Prof. Milica Balaban

If you’ve always been drawn to the beauty of nature and want to contribute to the preservation of the planet, studying ecology is your path to realizing that dream. Through the exploration of species, ecosystems, sustainable development, and solving environmental challenges, as a future ecology student, you gain the knowledge and skills necessary for preserving the living world. This program is not just a call to activism but also an opportunity to deeply immerse yourself in topics like climate change and biodiversity conservation. By studying ecology, you become a catalyst for positive change, and your dedication becomes the key to protecting our planet. This is your invitation to join the global ecological community and become a guardian of nature shaping the future world. The adventure begins at the FNSM, on your path to preserving and shaping the ecological future.

You can study ecology and environmental protection at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics through the Study program of Ecology and Environmental Protection, either in the general direction where you become a Bachelor of Science in Ecology (more information is available here) or in the teaching direction where you become a Bachelor of Education in Ecology (more information is available here).

On February 26, 2024, Branka Mihajlović, a representative of the Tourist Organization of Republika Srpska, Senior Marketing and Publishing Specialist, held a training session for students of the Geography Study Program, Tourism specialization, at the premises of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The training was focused on preparing students for participation in the International Tourism Fair, which will take place from March 1st to 3rd in Banja Luka.

The training covered familiarizing students with the basic elements of preparing and implementing activities at the tourism fair, as well as post-fair activities. Students were provided with essential information for their participation as informants at the upcoming ‘4th International Tourism Fair Banja Luka 2024.’

The engagement of students in these events provides them with marketing experience, an opportunity to stand out to future employers, and to build valuable contacts for further professional development.

Text author: Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Petrašević

On Friday, February 23, 2024, Prof. Yuri Panebrattsev from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia, gave a lecture entitled “Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna) – Science and Education”. This top scientist has a huge scientific contribution in the scientific field of nuclear physics and is the head of the Departments: Laboratory for High Energy Physics, JINR, Dubna, Russia; JINR University Center, JINR, Dubna, Russia.

Prof. Panebrattsev divided his lecture into two parts. In the first part, he presented his institute and presented his laboratories and research centers, which are not exclusively related to the field of nuclear physics, but develop many other fields, including research into new materials, nanotechnology, astrobiology and others.

The second part of the lecture was related to the development of new teaching methods, especially the use of online learning resources as well as the use of virtual laboratories, which this institute develops for all levels of teaching (more details here).

Professor Panebrattsev invited all those interested to use their available resources, as well as to apply for scientific cooperation with their institute, both for students and for teaching staff of our university.

Text author: Prof. Dr. Siniša Vučenović

Attend preparatory classes and get ready for the entrance exam in the best possible way. Preparatory classes will be organized in chemistry for all candidates who need to take the chemistry entrance exam, and in mathematics for all future Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics students taking the mathematics entrance exam.

The dates for preparatory classes in chemistry are:

• May 11, 2024, from 10:00 AM
• May 18, 2024, from 10:00 AM
• May 25, 2024, from 10:00 AM
• June 01, 2024, from 10:00 AM

The dates for preparatory classes in mathematics are:

• May 11, from 9:00 AM
• May 18, from 10:00 AM
• May 24, from 9:00 AM
• May 31, from 9:00 AM
• June 08, from 9:00 AM
• June 15, from 10:00 AM

Preparatory classes are free of charge. Follow the information on the website and Instagram page of the faculty.

During the winter semester, fourth-year students of the Computer Science program had the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience through various activities as part of the Professional Practice course.

A workshop with the human resources team of m:tel company was held on November 8, 2023, in the computer room of the FNSM. Through this workshop, students gained insight into the candidate selection process when applying for a job, from the initial steps of writing a CV and application to the interview, thus familiarizing themselves with this important aspect of modern business. More details about the workshop can be found on the web-page of Study program Mathematics and Computer Science, as well as in m:tel’s announcement.

Another obligation of the students was an internship at m:tel company, from November 20 to December 1, on weekdays. The focus of the internship was on the topic “Data Life Cycle,” providing students with the opportunity to gain practical experience in data management in all phases of the data life cycle. More details about the internship at m:tel can be found here.

A lecture on “Banking in the Digitalization Era” was held on December 27, 2023, when colleagues from Addiko Bank – Slađan Stanić, a member of the Bank’s Management Board, and Vladimir Telebak, Director of the Household Risk Management Department, were hosted in the computer room of the FNSM. Interesting lectures allowed students to gain insight into the banking industry and the importance of the role of mathematicians and computer scientists in banking digitalization.

The mentioned activities provided students with concrete insights into the practical applications of computer skills in real business environments, contributing to their professional development and preparation for future challenges in the industry.

On this occasion, we would like to thank our partners – m:tel company and Addiko Bank, for their support in the realization of the mentioned activities, and we congratulate our students on the successful completion of their professional internships!

Text author: Dr. Milana Grbić, Assistant Professor
Pictures: m:tel and Addiko Bank