At the start of a new academic year 2017/2018, a press conference was held in the UNSA Ceremonial Hall.

At the conference, University of Sarajevo Rector, Prof. Dr. Rifat Skrijelj presented achievements from the first year of the term of office, pointing at the difficulties the University of Sarajevo faces, and to informs about the future activities the University management planned aiming at the University of Sarajevo’s continuous development.
Numerous results were achieved in the first year of the term of office, while Rector Skrijelj only listed some of them like the election of six Vice-Rectors and a student Vice-Rector, the founding of expert and advisory bodies to the Senate, where for the first time at the University there is a Council for Science and Arts chaired by esteemed academician Dr. Dejan Milosevic. He particularly emphasized the importance of adopting the Strategy for development of scientific research at the University of Sarajevo.

Because of the pronounced lack of younger academic staff, a project for employing 200 assistants - the best University of Sarajevo students, was sent to the Sarajevo Canton Government for consideration, stated Rector Škrijelj, adding that he expects the Government to approve this project. Also yesterday, the University of Sarajevo, the Federation Employment Bureau Sarajevo and the Employment Service of SC signed an Agreement on mutual cooperation in the implementation of the Program for co-financing employment at public universities in the Federation which aims to hire assistants/senior assistants/ researchers to strengthen human resources in order to improve the educational process in public HEIs.

Rector Škrijelj reminded that at the start of his term in October 2016, there were 54 accounts in operation in University of Sarajevo Administrative Office and pointed out that in order to rationalize operations and discipline the financial flows, they were reduced to the current 6. In this way, a more precise and clear overview of the funds inflow and outflow can be made, and the direct costs of keeping accounts are reduced. He also emphasized that in 2016 all University member institutions operated positively, and expressed the belief that this would be the case in 2017. As the ultimate goal of the University of Sarajevo in the field of material and financial operations, the trend of continuous material and financial strengthening of the University of Sarajevo as a whole and its members individually was mentioned, transparent operations towards all those entities and institutions, primarily towards the Founder - the Sarajevo Canton Government, with every part of material and financial resources, regardless of whether they have a budgetary or extra budgetary origin.

During the first year, a significant part of the management's activities was devoted to the creation of conditions for projects implementation with the aim of improving the spatial capacities or the construction of facilities for the organizational units. Also the construction of the University of Sarajevo Campus stays one of the priorities for the management.
Rector Škrijelj made an emphasis that the preparations for implementing the UNSA Library Construction and Equipping project are under way, and that by its completion and revision, the conditions for the announcement of tenders for selecting contractors will be met, and at a later stage for the Library equipping procedure. Priority projects are the construction of a new building of the Faculty of Economics, the construction of the Music Academy building, and the construction of a complex where the Faculties of Agriculture and Food Sciences and Pharmacy and the Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology would be located.
Numerous works have been completed regarding the construction of a building for the Academy of Performing Arts, Rector Škrijelj reminded adding that up to now 3.4 million BAM from the Institute for Construction of the CS has been allocated for the construction. The SC Government has allocated 1.5 million out of which 940 thousand has been spent, and another 500 thousand BAM are needed for completion of the facade and isolation, which the Government promised to provide with the budget rebalance. In the previous period, new accommodation for the Institute of History was provided, thanks to the SC Government and the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth SC, and funds in the amount of 1.700.000,00 BAM were provided for the completion of the reconstruction of the swimming pool at the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education.

When addressing difficulties, Rector pointed out that, unfortunately, the extraordinary engagement and efforts of the academic community invested in attempts to improve the proposal of the Law were rejected. The Law on Higher Education of Canton Sarajevo, which entered into force on 1 September was adopted without the consent of the academic community and without reaching agreement with the academic community on the key elements. It was pointed out that the University of Sarajevo started implementing the Law, but that it will record all the shortcomings or parts that are not feasible within the deadlines and, through their representatives in the Commission for monitoring the implementation of the Law on Higher Education, delegate suggestions for improvement or changes to the law as urgent.

In addition to UNSA Rector, Vice-Rectors - Prof. Drs. Aida Hodzic, Izet Radjo, Aleksandra Nikolic, Zeljko Sain, Prof. Zijad Mehic, Maida Cohodar Husic, and Mr. Mirza Ibrahimovic, Student Vice-Rector attended the conference. Vice-Rectors presented activities from the domain of their departments and, when it came to the teaching process, it was emphasized that the analyzes of all segments were made, the Rulebook on the Equivalence of previously acquired academic titles, i.e. scientific and expert titles at the University of Sarajevo enacted, and that, with the current over 520, in this academic year, 7 new study programs have been introduced. In the coming period, the focus will be shifted to creating new and innovating existing curricula.
At the September Senate session, the consent was granted for extending the second deadline for enrollment in the first year of the 1st studies cycle, as well as for integrated studies at the University of Sarajevo in 2017/2018. According to preliminary data on the number of enrolled students in the first year of the 1st studies cycle and integrated study, about 60% capacities were filled.

At the press conference it was pointed out that the possible reasons for the reduced number of applicants for enrollment at UNSA Faculties and Academies are objective and cannot be influenced, and that they were created due to the transition from the age of eight to nine years of primary education, migration and unfair competition from a part of private Faculties. It is emphasized that the University of Sarajevo will continue activities to improve the quality of the teaching process, which include continuous innovation in curricula, higher quality teaching, study programs in English, with a stronger promotion of enrollment, and attracting students outside BiH.

The importance of adopting the Development Strategy is especially emphasized, which gave the University of Sarajevo a document which for the first time determined strategic goals and road map for the UNSA in the area of science and research. The implementation of the measures from the Strategy will certainly reflect on the amendments and supplements to other University of Sarajevo documents, such as the Statute, the Rules on the promotion of scientific-educational titles, the criteria for applying and implementing domestic and international projects, and ultimately improving the material and financial ambience for scientific research at the University of Sarajevo. At the moment, the realization of the establishment of the R&D Center, which should integrate scientific research at the University of Sarajevo, is undergoing implementation.

Seven agreements on interuniversity cooperation were signed, within the credit mobility framework. Agreements were signed with 96 higher education institutions, and 9 agreements with Turkish universities through Mevlana exchange program. It was especially emphasized that in the last Erasmus+ Capacity Building Project, 5 projects were approved for Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which the University of Sarajevo participates in 3. Out of this, one project is coordinated and implemented by the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences – “Western Balkans Urban Agriculture Initiative”, which includes the entire region and EU partners.

When it comes to the Vice-Rector for Finance, it has been stated that ways to overcome different approached to accounting recording and harmonization of recording accounting changes both in the income statement and in the balance sheet have been identified. It is especially pointed out that three crucial things have been started for the overall functioning of the University of Sarajevo, namely: determining the cost of studying costs; an integral system of financing higher education at the University of Sarajevo; and the consistent implementation of the Rulebook on the Exercise and Disposal of Extra-Income Income of the University of Sarajevo; and related to the work of the Development Fund of the University of Sarajevo.

In the field of quality assurance and quality management in the past period at the University of Sarajevo, the Action Plan for Quality Improvement at the University of Sarajevo has been adopted, the 5th  internal institutional evaluation of the University of Sarajevo is in progress, activities on increasing the visibility of the University of Sarajevo have been carried out, a series of lectures and seminars on the topic of quality assurance was held.

As pointed out, the most important task of the University of Sarajevo in 2017 and years to come concerns the process of flexible integration of the University, in accordance with the Statute and the Law, the establishment of management and funding models that will encourage the improvement of teaching and research, and lead the training of the University for the full role which the leading universities have in the countries of developed democracy.
Special attention will be paid to the realization of the established dynamics and compliance with the deadlines for the development of by-laws and implementing acts arising from the Law on Higher Education.
The work plan for 2017 was adopted in April and implies continuation of work on research and innovation of curricula, as well as increasing the visibility of the University of the World through research projects with partners around the world, as well as increasing the mobility of teachers and students through international exchange programs. Of course, there is a number of transitional processes adopted by the Law on Higher Education.

The University's commitment is to be an autonomous academic community of teachers and researchers, artists and students, incorporated into an international university and academic community.

On the occasion of the World Teachers Day, UNSA Rector and the Vice-Rectors sent congratulations and wished happy and successful work to all teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond.