The University of Sarajevo cultivates centuries long tradition of high education in B&H. Institutional beginnings of our high education are quite similar to the Western Europe’s university tradition. In 1531, Gazi Husrev–bey had founded the Hanikah, a Sufi philosophy high school, which was supplemented in 1537 with the institution for Islamic sciences studying. In compliance to the aforementioned fact, three disciplines of classical Catholic universities were cherished: theology, law and philosophy and there was a university library as well.

Until the end of the 19 century, the Hanikah represented the largest educational institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and from its day one it shared the same rank with the Sultan Bayezid’s Madrasah in Istanbul, the very same institution that is the bedrock of the old Istanbul University.
In 1887, precisely during the period of Austrian – Hungarian rule, the Shariah Court School started with its work, operating as a five year high school.
Modern history of the University of Sarajevo begins with the opening of first secular higher education institutions, in the dusk of and during WWII (Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry 1940, Faculty of Medicine, 1944. In the 1946, Faculty of Medicine resumed with its work. Subsequently during the same year, Faculty of Law and Higher Educational School were founded. Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry resumed its work in 1948.

The Technical Faculty was opened in 1949. Along with the election of the first Rector on 2 December of the same year, the University of Sarajevo started with its work. The opening of Faculty of Philosophy in 1950 and Faculty of Economics (now School of Economics and Business) in  1952 ended the first, initial stage of the University’s founding. 
The second stage of development (1955-1969) is marked by affirmation of the University, founding of new higher education institutions and relative satisfying of the need for personnel with university education. A more significant fact from this stage is starting and organizing of post-graduate studies at the University.

The third stage of development (1955-1969) features further founding of higher education institutions at the University, University’s scientific promotion and its intensive participating and being promoted at the international academic level. The University supported directly and indirectly the establishing of new Universities in Banja Luka, Mostar in Tuzla. 

The fourth stage of development (1982-1992) earns distinction for separating the scientific work and activities from the University and founding of favored scientific institutes outside the University. This move caused significant damage for the University of Sarajevo due to its endangering of basic principle of separating the university education and research, resulting in the education quality’s downfall and University’s technological obsoleteness. The decline in study efficiency and personnel   hyper-production in certain educational areas is the result of uncontrolled enrolment of enormous number of students.

The fifth stage (1992-1995) is the stage of atrocious devastation of facilities, and the stage of personnel drain and enormous fall of enrolled student number that caused by the war and Aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, due to the enthusiasm, professional engagement, patriotism and persistency of its professors, associates, and students, the University of Sarajevo succeeded in preservation of continuation of its activities, despite the all war-caused hardships and the three and a half year long Sarajevo siege. This was the intellectual and academic resistance to vandalism and anti-civilization forces; this was the contribution by the University of Sarajevo to affirmation of freedom and democracy, defense from aggression, and affirmation of the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The University of Sarajevo has been, since 1996, in the stage of post-war physical and academic reconstruction. The physical renewal is oriented towards reconstructing of devastated and constructing destroyed facilities (through the implementation of new University Campus project), purchase of new educational and scientific equipment to replace devastated one and rehabilitation of student standards. To the present moment within that scope of activities, tremendous results have been achieved and conditions for more quality studying created.

The undergoing academic reconstruction implies the implementation of a new organizational and functioning concept of the University to be compliant with contemporary standards, curricula updating and education of needed faculty.  

The European University Association, Council of Europe, European Union, many international organizations and institutions directly engaged in the higher education area administer the University’s process of academic renewing and reconstructing. 

The University of Sarajevo has established partnerships with more than 40 Universities from Europe, USA, Canada and Arab countries.
The primary objective of all undertaken activities is to raise the quality of studies and establish a modern University of European orientation that will noteworthy represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the international level and promote traditional, historical, cultural scientific and artistic values of this part of Europe.

Our University is open to anyone who wishes to contribute, with intellectual and moral qualities, to the development of education and science at the University of Sarajevo, within the University autonomy principles which are the key precondition for academic freedom of individual expressing and skills and qualities affirmation.