University of Sarajevo Meeting-CERN Cooperation Projects

On 15 September 2025, the University of Sarajevo held a meeting dedicated to cooperation projects between the University of Sarajevo and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The meeting took place at the Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo and brought together representatives of the University and its member institutions, CERN, the Tri Physicists Foundation, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH, the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, and the private sector.

At the beginning, the attendees were addressed by Prof. Dr. Kemal Durić, Vice Rector for International Cooperation at the University of Sarajevo; Dr. Edmond Offermann on behalf of the Tri Physicists Foundation; and Prof. Dr. Elvedin Hasović, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Head of the SARAI project.

During the meeting, two significant projects in which the University of Sarajevo is actively involved were presented:

• SARAI Project – Sarajevo Ion Accelerator, a result of cooperation between the University, the Tri Physicists Foundation, and CERN. The project envisages establishing a unique laboratory/facility with an ion source at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Sarajevo, which will open new opportunities for scientific research.
• IFIGENEIA Project (Horizon Europe) – Innovative Facility for Isotope Generation with Efficient Ion Accelerator. This project is a response from the international community to the need for more economical and environmentally sustainable particle accelerators for medical applications, with a particular emphasis on the Southeast Europe region.

A lecture on the continuity of capacity development for accelerator technologies at the University of Sarajevo was delivered by Dr. Yiota Foka (CERN/GSI), while detailed project plans and activities were presented by Prof. Dr. Azra Gazibegović-Busuladžić and Dr. Amer Ajanović.

The meeting was an opportunity for the members of the University of Sarajevo to gain a deeper understanding of the potentials of these projects and to discuss modalities for actively involving other university members and their students in project activities. Particular emphasis was placed on the opportunities these projects offer in strengthening research infrastructure and international cooperation, as well as their contribution to the development of science and education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.