The 19th International Scientific Conference “Contemporary Materials 2026” was held in Banja Luka on 10–11 September 2026, organized by the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of Srpska. For almost two decades, the conference has brought together researchers working in various fields of materials science, and this year’s edition once again gathered scientists and experts from several countries. According to the official data provided by the organizers, a total of 91 contributions were presented at the conference, including 13 plenary lectures and 78 poster presentations, with authors representing 13 countries. This year’s conference comprised four thematic symposia focusing on materials science, condensed matter and solid-state physics; biomaterials and nanomedicine; water; and environmentally sustainable materials. The international character of the conference was further strengthened by plenary speakers from various scientific institutions in Serbia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, and other countries. Doctoral students Dejana Savić, Božidar Ilić, Din Avdispahić, and Srđan Preradović, together with their supervisors Prof. Milica Balaban, Prof. Saša Zeljković, Prof. Dijana Jelić, and Prof. Vesna Antić from the Chemistry Dept. at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, actively participated in the conference. They presented the results of their research through five scientific contributions.
The active participation of doctoral students represents an important contribution to the promotion of young researchers and demonstrates the commitment of the Chemistry Study Programme to their involvement in contemporary scientific research. Particularly noteworthy was the recognition awarded to Božidar Ilić for the Best Poster Presentation. This award represents significant recognition of the quality of his research, as well as the effective and professional presentation of the results to the scientific community. Participation in international scientific conferences provides young researchers with valuable opportunities to exchange experiences and ideas, become acquainted with current research directions, establish new professional contacts, and develop collaborations with colleagues from different scientific institutions. For the Chemistry Study Programme, events such as the “Contemporary Materials” conference represent an important platform for presenting research results, promoting the work of young researchers, and fostering scientific collaboration with researchers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad.
