Minister Husić-Mehmedović and Rector Škrijelj visited the Faculties of Health Studies, Agriculture and Food Sciences and the Faculty of Transport and Communications

Visits to the University of Sarajevo organizational units of in order to assess the circumstances, in which the faculties operate, and the priorities and problems that need to be addressed through joint action of the University and the Ministry, continued on 23 February 2021. On that occasion, the Minister of Science, Higher Education and Youth of Sarajevo Canton, Prof. Dr. Melika Husić-Mehmedović and University of Sarajevo Rector, Prof. Dr. Rifat Škrijelj visited the Faculty of Health Studies, the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences and the Faculty of Transport and Communications. The visits were also attended by Prof. Dr. Enita Nakaš, UNSA Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Prof. Dr. Samir Dolarević, President of the Council of the Group of Technical Sciences and Prof. Dr. Naris Pojskić, President of the Council of the Group of Natural, Mathematical and Biotechnical Sciences.

In her introductory speeches during the visit, Minister Husić-Mehmedović presented the progress made in establishing a new Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth KS, the current status of preparation of the new Law on Higher Education, and informed the audience about current processes at the Ministry level referring to various support activities in the field of higher education, and the realization of budget funds intended for scientific research. In the conversation with the representatives of the faculties, the Minister emphasized the need to use the possibilities for the realization of practical classes that exist within the valid measures of epidemiological protection, as well as the need to prepare the highest quality projects in the field of scientific research infrastructure that will be supported by budget funds for science. 

In the presentation of the Faculty of Health Studies (FZS), Prof. Dr. Arzija Pašalić, Dean presented the team which, in relation to other faculties and academies of the University of Sarajevo, is somewhat smaller, but therefore extremely efficient if we keep in mind the still inadequate accommodation of the Faculty. In that regard, Dean Pašalić pointed out the progress in closing the multi-million financial construction by which the Faculty will solve the issue of accommodation within the facilities of Pavilion VIII and Pavilion IX of the Public Institution “Student Center” Sarajevo. FZS implements seven study programs for more than 1,100 students and trains health professionals in mostly deficient occupations of a wide range of health professions, and is very popular in domestic and regional settings. In her presentation, Dean especially emphasized the reference of the “Journal of Health Sciences” published by the Faculty and which is present in the scientific base SCOPUS. From the multitude of other successes achieved at the level of the Faculty, the issue of registration of the Institute for Health Development stands out, which will generate additional revenues to the Faculty and the University with its services.

In his address, Rector Škrijelj emphasized the domestic business of the Faculty of Health Studies, the great support provided by the FZS to the reform processes at the University, the great contribution of the Faculty to the UNSA Medical Sciences Group, and an example that clearly shows how committed and strategically committed management can extremely unfavorable circumstances, make a significant step forward in relation to all the challenges facing the higher education system in Sarajevo and BiH.

During the visit to the Faculty of Agriculture and Food (PPF), Dean, Prof. Dr. Muhamed Brka and Vice-Deans introduced the attendees to the key aspects of the work of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, study programs, scientific research, international cooperation, as well as the current activities of the Faculty. In his presentation, Dean Brka emphasized the need to create a better legal environment at all levels of government that would allow PPF to better market its services and products and thus enable the generation of additional revenues that could be invested in development projects of the Faculty. The new PPF building on the Campus of the University of Sarajevo is one of the priority capital projects of the Faculty in the coming period.

With gratitude for the welcome at the PPF, Rector Škrijelj pointed out that, starting from the fact that the field of agriculture is of strategic interest to FBiH, the Faculty itself is an institution of strategic interest which as such requires specific support from the Ministry and the University.

The visit to the Faculty of Transport and Communications (FSK) passed in a similar tone, where Dean, Prof. Dr. Amel Kosovac and his associates presented the FSK as an institution that has been educating personnel in the field of transport and communications for five decades, through six areas: road, rail and air transport, and in the departments of communication, computer and information and postal technologies.

During the visit, the ceremonial opening of the Simulation Laboratory was organized in logistics and ITS. The laboratory was opened by Minister Husić Mehmedović in the presence of the Rector of the University of Sarajevo Prof. Dr. Rifat Škrijelj, and Faculty of Transport and Communications Dean, Prof. Dr. Amel Kosovac with associates.

The Laboratory for Simulations in Logistics and ITS is intended for the education of more than 800 students of the first, second and third cycle of studies at the Faculty of Transport and Communications, University of Sarajevo. In this laboratory, classes will be taught from courses that include the use of specialized computer programs for modeling and testing the logistics system, as well as simulations of ITS operations required for learning and thorough understanding of the logistics system as a whole.