University of Sarajevo Celebrates 3,633 BA and MA Graduates
The ceremonial promotion of graduates and postgraduates from the University of Sarajevo was held on Saturday, 1 February 2025, at the Bosnian Cultural Center (BKC).
Prof. Dr. Tarik Zaimović, Rector of the University of Sarajevo, alongside the university's vice-rectors and the deans of its faculties and academies, proudly conferred degrees upon a total of 3,633 graduates and postgraduates.
In his address to the assembled guests, graduates, and postgraduates, Rector Zaimović noted that this is a special day celebrating academic achievements and the journey students have undertaken to reach this pivotal moment.
“That journey has not been straightforward. It has been one filled with challenges, sacrifices, and personal growth and development. Yet you have succeeded. You have remained steadfast in your goals, overcome various obstacles, and maintained your motivation to symbolically, yet meaningfully, become academic citizens prepared to contribute to the advancement of our country and society with your knowledge and innovation through your scholarly and professional work. Take pride in being graduates and postgraduates of the University of Sarajevo! You have not walked this path alone. Behind you stand your family and friends, whose love and support have paved the way to this achievement. They shared every hardship, every success, sleepless nights spent studying, moments of doubt, and both small and significant victories with you,” emphasized Rector Zaimović, adding that their professors were also present along the way. “Sometimes strict, at times lenient, but always on your side. I extend my gratitude to all our colleagues at the University of Sarajevo who selflessly shared their knowledge and provided support to their students. Your efforts and dedication are immeasurably significant and merit the deepest respect,” he stated.
He conveyed a special message to all graduates and postgraduates of the University of Sarajevo. “Your role in our society is becoming crucial, and you—young individuals brimming with energy and knowledge—are the bearers of change. You are the ones upon whom our society relies. Your readiness to take responsibility for the common good and progress will be the foundation upon which our homeland is built. This will not be an easy path. There will be many challenges, but it is a path worth taking. On this journey, think critically and make decisions grounded in science. Dare to step outside your comfort zones, take the initiative—and in the most challenging moments, retain your faith in goodness. The University of Sarajevo will always stand by you as a support in your further professional development and academic advancement. This is the place where you acquired knowledge and developed as individuals and global citizens. I urge you to carry the name of your university with pride, to respect it—and to promote the values of knowledge and education through your lives and work,” concluded Zaimović, finishing his address with congratulations and a message to remain courageous.
In his address, the Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, Nihad Uk, remarked that this is a special day that graduates and postgraduates will cherish as an unforgettable memory, and that entering the ranks of academic citizens of the University of Sarajevo comes with great responsibility.
“Today, you are no longer merely students; you are individuals on whom our community, our homeland, places great hopes. The University of Sarajevo, the oldest and most significant institution of higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, proudly welcomes you into its fold. Yet with this recognition comes responsibility—the responsibility to utilize your acquired knowledge and skills to contribute to your community, to be the bearers of positive change, to continue questioning, building, and advancing Bosnia and Herzegovina. You are likely faced with a dilemma you have pondered multiple times—whether to leave or to stay? The decision is not an easy one. Many of you may contemplate significant opportunities and challenges that lie beyond our borders, while many of you also possess a strong desire to contribute to your homeland, to forge a better path for it,” said Prime Minister Uk.
He emphasized that the decision to remain or to embark on new challenges is solely theirs, and it entails both courage and responsibility.
“Although societal circumstances are changing, and while many feel that the future lies elsewhere, we must not forget that the strength of every society resides in its people—in those who believe in their homeland, who do not flee from problems, but rather strive to overcome them. You are the bearers of knowledge, and also bearers of hope. May this day inspire you to become leaders, to not shy away from challenges, but to seek opportunities to contribute,” urged Prime Minister Uk.
The University of Sarajevo has been educating individuals who achieve remarkable success in their fields worldwide for years. This year, a message to students was delivered by Dino Mustafić, an alumnus of the University of Sarajevo, director of the Sarajevo National Theatre, and a professor at the Academy of Performing Arts of the University of Sarajevo. He graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in directing and also completed Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Sarajevo. He has directed over a hundred performances in various theaters across cities such as Paris, Sofia, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Trieste, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Rijeka, and Split. The productions he has helmed have been shown on nearly every continent, performed in various languages, and presented and awarded at international festivals across the globe. He has also directed numerous documentaries and feature films and has led the oldest theater festival in the region, the International MESS Festival.
“The only guarantee of freedom lies in spiritual values such as truth, justice, beauty, empathy, and love. These are the only forces that can truly liberate us and draw out the best within human nature, overcoming the basest impulses we have felt firsthand, such as aggression, cruelty, and hatred,” remarked Dino Mustafić, particularly highlighting the importance of preserving enthusiasm after completing one’s studies: “Once you finish your studies, hold onto the significance of enthusiasm. The excitement of learning, the idea that you must never remain superficial or allow habits to transform your life into some form of numbing routine. Enthusiasm for life enables you to experience the immense spiritual and emotional wealth of what life offers you, especially the experience of invincibility and strength of spirit. For power and all material things can vanish completely; then, what remains? Awareness, reason, and spirit. I have mentioned three words that come from the Renaissance—values that I hope and believe your generation can bring to life. Today it signifies a rebirth of the element of time. Let us devote more than just a fleeting moment to the things around us.”
During the ceremony, 195 recipients of special awards from the University of Sarajevo were recognized, including the Golden Badge of the University of Sarajevo, the Silver Badge of the University of Sarajevo, and the University of Sarajevo Charter, as well as the best students of both the first and second cycles of study and the integrated studies program in 2024.
Based on the decision of the Senate of the University of Sarajevo, the most successful students of the first and second cycles were awarded special recognitions.
In the first cycle of studies, 40 graduates were awarded the Golden Badge, the highest recognition of the University of Sarajevo, while 65 graduates received the Silver Badge.
Among the second cycle students, 11 postgraduates received the Golden Badge, 49 were honored with the Silver Badge, and 5 students received the Charter of the University of Sarajevo.
In the integrated studies program at both the first and second cycles, 2 students were awarded the Golden Badge, and 23 students received the Silver Badge.
This year, 195 students were distinguished with one of the University’s honors.
The best student of the first cycle in 2024, with an average of 10.00, is Nejra Rovčanin from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Sarajevo. The best student of the second cycle in 2024, with an average of 9.98, is Abela Rastoder from the Faculty of Law. The best student of the integrated studies program at both the first and second cycles, with an average of 9.58, is Arman Hodžić from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
The Rector of the University of Sarajevo presented the honors to the top students.
On behalf of the graduating class, Nejra Rovčanin addressed the audience.
“It is my honor and privilege to speak on behalf of all my peers who are receiving awards and recognition today for their effort, dedication, and achievements. This is a moment of pride, but also of gratitude to all those who supported us, encouraged us, and believed in us throughout these years. When we first stepped onto our campuses, we were filled with enthusiasm but also a hint of uncertainty. We did not know what awaited us, but we were determined to give our best. Today, as we stand here with our diplomas in hand, we can confidently say that we have accomplished something significant. We have made a substantial leap in our academic and professional development, and it is essential to remember all those moments that have led us to this day. Our journey has not been easy. There were nights spent over textbooks, exam periods that challenged us in numerous ways, and moments of self-doubt we all faced. There were sacrifices—studying instead of socializing, forgoing rest to complete assignments, balancing work and study, and sacrificing free time to achieve our goals. There were moments when time always seemed insufficient, when obligations piled up, but despite all that, we never gave up,” emphasized Rovčanin.
As part of the musical program, the academic anthem “Gaudeamus” was performed by baritone Tomislav Perić, a fifth-year student of the Department of Solo Singing at the Music Academy of the University of Sarajevo, under the guidance of Professor Adema Pljevljak Krehić, accompanied by fifth-year student Zerina Šabotić from the Department of Piano, Percussion, Harp, and Related Instruments, under Prof. Dragan Opančić. We also enjoyed a performance by Jovana Pavlović, a third-year student of the Department of Solo Singing at the Music Academy, under Professor Vedrana Šimić, who sang an aria from Faust, accompanied by Zerina Šabotić. A duet from Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro was performed by fifth-year students Idna Muminović and Tomislav Perić, both distinguished with silver badges for the first cycle of studies, under Professor Adema Pljevljak Krehić, and accompanied by Zerina Šabotić. The fourth movement from Astor Piazzolla’s composition “History of Tango” was performed by the Vozdra Sax Quartet, an alumni saxophone quartet of the University of Sarajevo’s Music Academy. Two saxophonists from this quartet—Rijad Šarić and Mirza Sijerčić—received silver and gold badges, respectively.
The awarding of diplomas will be organized at the faculties and academies of the University of Sarajevo.
The ceremonial promotion of graduates and postgraduates was organized with the support of media partner—Television Sarajevo.
Photographs: Vanja Čerimagić
*The photo gallery has been published on the Facebook page of the University of Sarajevo: https://www.facebook.com/univerzitet.unsa
