Category novosti-en

If you have an adventurous spirit and a curiosity to better understand nature and the world around you, immersing yourself in the fascinating realm of chemistry is the perfect choice. The knowledge and skills acquired through both theory and experiments will pave the way for you, leading to an endless field of research. This journey involves discovering the composition and structure of various materials, ensuring the quality of finished products, and even creating innovative solutions.

The challenges faced by modern society, such as reducing pollution, preserving a healthy environment, and addressing the need for synthesizing new compounds, present chemists with the significant task of continual improvement and finding novel solutions. Through collaborative teamwork, we will equip you with the skills to analyze data, solve problems, develop critical thinking, and generate innovative ideas.

If your dream involves sharing your acquired knowledge with students in primary and secondary schools, you’re in the right place. We emphasize nurturing the teaching profession, recognizing the vital role of chemistry professors in education. Therefore, we will guide you in acquiring the necessary skills and teaching methods for the classroom.

Chemistry is omnipresent in your surroundings! Take a bold step into a new chapter of life!

You can pursue your chemistry studies at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, specifically in the Chemistry Study Program. Whether you aspire to become a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (learn more here) or a Graduate Teacher of Chemistry (discover more here), FNSM offers a platform for your academic and professional growth.

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

Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, Prof. Dr. Radoslav Dekić, and Dean of the Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Prof. Dr. Velimir Šećerov, signed the Agreement on Cooperation between these two educational institutions on February 23, 2024.

As outlined in the Agreement, these two educational institutions will collaborate on exchanging information regarding the overall curriculum and educational programs. The cooperation also entails the exchange of personnel, scientific publications, specialized literature, and circulars, which will provide continuous updates on the institutions’ achievements. Additionally, they will collaborate on implementing scientific research projects, jointly organizing conferences and symposiums, as well as exploring other forms of cooperation.

Text author: Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Petrašević

The coordinator of cooperation from the Republic of Srpska, Professor Dr. Tanja Mišlicki-Tomić from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, met with the coordinator from the Republic of Slovenia, Associate Professor Dr. Lazar Pavić from the Faculty of Logistics, University of Maribor. The occasion of the meeting was the initiation of activities on the two-year project “Agrotourism as Logistic Support to the Sustainability of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Srpska”.

Source: RTRS

Joint fieldwork and exchange of knowledge and information will help assess the sustainable agrotourism offer of the Republic of Srpska, and based on examples of good practice from Slovenia, provide guidelines for improvement. Also present at the meeting was the coordinator for academic exchange in the CEEPUS III „Tourism and Agriculture Sustainable Alliances – #TASA network“, Professor Dr. Irena Medar Tanjga from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Banja Luka. Exchanges of students and teaching staff and other forms of academic cooperation were agreed upon.

Text author: Prof. Dr. Tanja Mišlicki Tomić

Dr. Draško Marinković, a full professor in the Department of Geography, delivered a lecture titled “Demographic Profile of Republika Srpska – Status and Perspectives” on February 21, 2024, at the Faculty of Philosophy as part of the “Wednesday at the Faculty of Philosophy” series.

During the lecture, the professor provided a comprehensive analysis of Republika Srpska’s demographic situation over the past twenty years, focusing on natural depopulation, rapid aging, and continuous emigration of the working-age and fertile population. He also presented projections for demographic development until 2050 and suggested a series of strategic measures to improve the demographic outlook.

In addition to university faculty, staff, and students from the University of Banja Luka, the lecture attracted a significant number of journalists, underscoring the importance of the topic.

The news about Professor Marinković’s lecture, which was published on the website of the Faculty of Philosophy, can be read here.

Text author: Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Petrašević