news – Chemistry department

Continuation of cooperation with the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

From March 31 to April 4, 2025, Professor Dr. Ivan Špánik visited the Chemistry Department at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Banja Luka, continuing the long-standing cooperation between the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava and the University of Banja Luka. This visit is part of the Erasmus+ international exchange program, which enables the exchange of knowledge and experiences between students and staff from partner universities.

During his stay, Professor Dr. Ivan Špánik delivered lectures for the third-cycle students of the Chemistry Deparment, focusing on contemporary aspects of analytical chemistry. The lectures covered both theoretical, and practical elements in the field of quality control in analytical laboratories, including sophisticated methods for identifying and minimizing errors in the analytical process. Special emphasis was placed on the implementation of international standards, such as ISO 17025, in modern laboratory practice, with the aim of ensuring high accuracy, precision, and valid results.

In addition to Professor Špánik, PhD student Ismaila Kuburah from Nigeria, who is currently conducting research at the Slovak University of Technology as part of her PhD studies, was also present during the visit to the Chemistry Department. Ismaila shared her experiences about the exchange and her work at the Slovak University of Technology.

After the lectures, attendees had the opportunity to discuss the topics covered in the lectures with Professor Špánik and PhD student Kuburah, as well as explore opportunities for further professional development in the field of analytical chemistry.

Chemistry Students on Exchange through the Erasmus+ Program

As part of the Erasmus+ exchange program, three students from the Chemistry Study Program at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Banja Luka spent one semester at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Utilizing the student exchange opportunity offered by the University of Banja Luka, Dajana Bulatović, Jelena Kuzmanović, and Marijana Radišić had the chance to learn about the operations of other European universities, expand their knowledge in chemistry, and discover different cultures and customs.

Here’s what they said about their experience:

“Going on an exchange is an invaluable experience that has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone, learn, and grow. Many new lessons, travels, learning a new language, and meeting people from various parts of the world have broadened my horizons and shaped my view of the world. This program provided me the opportunity to work in very well-equipped laboratories and adopt new learning methods.” (Jelena Kuzmanović)

“My stay in Spain (Santiago de Compostela) as an Erasmus+ program student was an incredible experience. I had the opportunity to meet people from different cultures, enhance my academic and language skills, and explore the beautiful landscapes of Galicia. Studying in an international environment has expanded my horizons and brought many unforgettable moments.” (Dajana Bulatović)

Within the project ” Improvement the quality of chemistry teaching in VET in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, ChemTeach, a meeting was held at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka on February 11-12, 2025. The meeting was officially opened by Prof. Dr. Milica Balaban, Head of the Chemistry Department at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka, and Prof. Dr. Ivan Španik, Project Coordinator from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. After the opening, all the activities achieved in the first year of the project were presented. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, representatives from five high schools participating in the project, and representatives from the University of Banja Luka.

One of the upcoming activities within the project, planned for June 2025, is the organization of an educational course for chemistry teachers at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka. The goal of this course is to improve teaching methods and the application of innovative approaches in education.

The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will also host the ChemTeach Summer School, which will focus on environmental chemistry and will be held in August 2025. Participants in this summer school will be high school students from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and three high schools from Banja Luka, providing them with an opportunity to gain new knowledge and experience through practical work.

The ChemTeach project is part of the Erasmus+ program, and its main goal is to improve teaching methods in the field of chemistry through international collaboration, experience exchange, and the application of modern educational approaches. One of the most significant outcomes of the project will be the publication of a manual presenting green experiments guide, as well as a multimedia guide that will enable students to engage in interactive and modern learning of the subject.

Representatives of the Department of Chemistry visit JU Gymnasium in Mrkonjić City

Representatives of the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Science and Mathematics in Banja Luka, consisting of prof. dr. Dijana Jelić, assistant professor Dr. Dino Hasanagić, and senior assistant Dejana Savić, ma, visited the Gymnasium in Mrkonjić City on February 13, 2025. The visit was related to the realization of the project “I Am a Citizen” from the subject Democracy and Human Rights, in which the students of the IV2 class chose the topic “Equipping the School Laboratory.”

During the visit, the Chemistry Study Program was presented to the students and their professors, along with the ChemTeach project, which is part of the Erasmus+ program. The main goal of the project is to improve teaching methods in the field of chemistry through international cooperation, exchange of experiences, and the application of modern educational approaches. After the presentation, an experiment was conducted, followed by a Q&A session where the professors of the Chemistry Study Program answered numerous interesting questions from the students. At the end of the visit, the students were presented with a package containing basic laboratory equipment, which will aid them in the successful implementation of the project.

The visit was successful and mutually satisfying, as the expressed interest demonstrated that, through dedication and quality work with young people, their desire for knowledge, research, and development can be deepened.

On this occasion, we would like to thank the professors and students of JU Gymnasium Mrkonjić City for their invitation and warm hospitality.

Chemistry Department shows off new TG DCS analyser

With Deep Green Inno project entering final phases of our project review we are reflecting on the lasting impact it will have on the HEIs involved. This EIT HEI Initiative project was very much about setting up new structures at the partners universities where students will be able to work on their thesis under dedicated mentorship of academic staff, but with strong focus on industrial applicability of what they do.

Chemistry Department planned and realised the purchase of the thermogravimetric analyser with differential scanning calorimetry (TG DSC) as the important new structure. After the trial period of few weeks, we can proudly say that the TG DSC is successfully installed and put to work. This excellent piece of equipment, model SETLINE® STA by SETARAM producer, is only second such in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Moreover, it gives a higher sense of purpose to student’s exercises and their work on thesis. We started its full use by master students studying the content of organic matter in Bosnian black clay with this equipment for domestic industry. If the data they found is independently confirmed later, this can open new market for this important raw material and creation of new workplaces in our country.

Study Trip: Chemical Innovations at the ‘Alumina’ Company

At the end of this semester, students of the Chemistry Department visited the ‘Alumina’ company in Zvornik. The Alumina company actively supports our study program and motivates young people, students, and high school students for career development in the field of chemistry and technical sciences.

This time, besides other technologies, a particular focus in education was the topic of finely precipitated hydrate, which is a chemical product from bauxite and is important even for electrical engineering. At Alumina, it is produced to the highest quality standards and serves as a filler in electrical cables that prevent fire hazards (retardant).

Alumina and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Banja Luka have almost a decade of successful cooperation, based on joint work on projects and the exchange of knowledge. The Alumina company is development-oriented and constantly works on improving its processes, creating opportunities for advancement in the field of technical sciences. Visits like this are an important step in motivating young generations to actively engage in technical sciences and recognize the importance of innovations and industry for society.

Through such activities, we want to inspire young people to think about innovations and future challenges in the chemical industry and to recognize the potential of this field for their careers. Students were surprised by the size of this industrial giant, which is the largest exporter from our country and an example of innovative work in chemistry at the European level. From this expert excursion, students understood the importance of the closed-loop chain of raw materials and top chemical technologies, as all the bauxite processed by Alumina comes from 5 domestic mines, and Alumina is currently the only factory in Europe that produces “soft aluminum” (fine chemical, not just metallurgical products).

Prof. Dr. Biljana Davidović-Plavšić was elected to the position of full professor

The Senate of the University of Banja Luka, at its 110th session, held on October 24, 2024, passed the Decision on the election of Prof. Dr. Biljane Davidović-Plavšić to the title of Full Professor.

The field of activity and research of Prof. Dr. Biljane Davidović-Plavšić is aimed at understanding the importance of free radicals in achieving and maintaining the redox homeostasis of the organism, as well as the role that free radicals, formed under the influence of abiotic stress and toxic effects caused by xenobiotics (medicines, pesticides, heavy metals), have in animals and plants. In addition, he deals with the research of possible mechanisms of oxidative damage to cells and the influence of free radicals on the action of cellular antioxidants, as well as the importance of using natural antioxidants (eg. plant extracts containing phenolic compounds) to protect the body when exposed to xenobiotics or in various diseases.

Dedicated and dedicated work on the mentioned research in the previous election period resulted in the publication of 8 scientific papers, seven of which were published in leading scientific journals of international importance, referenced in the citation databases of the Web of Science (WoS) and one paper in a scientific journal of international importance. referenced in the citation database Scopus. The citation rate of works according to the Google Scholar citation database is 197, and the h-index is 5.

In addition to scientific works, since the last election, in the title of associate professor, she has also published one university textbook and one monograph of national importance. She participated in the implementation of four scientific research projects.

The title of Full Professor comes as a kind of acknowledgment of past work and achieved results, but at the same time it is an obligation and responsibility towards further action and contribution to science.

The Chemistry Department congratulates Prof. Dr. Biljani Davidović-Plavšić on her advancement and well-deserved election to the title of Full Professor, having no doubt that her work will be fruitful and important for the entire academic community in the future.

Visit of Researchers from the Chemical Institute in LjubljanaVisit of Researchers from the Chemical Institute in Ljubljana

As part of the bilateral project “Circular Economy: Application of Waste Raw Materials in Zeolite Synthesis” a team from the Chemical Institute in Ljubljana, led by Dr. Alenka Ristić, visited the Chemistry Study Program at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, from August 17th to 19th. On this occasion, young researchers, Janez Volovšek and Jan Marčec, presented the results of zeolite synthesis based on raw materials from the Republic of Srpska. These syntheses continue the research work of the team from the Republic of Srpska on the application of microsilica in the preparation of new materials.

This meeting provided an excellent opportunity for bilateral discussions and the analysis of the XRD experiments. The guests also actively participated in the “XV Conference of Chemists, Technologists, and Ecologists of the Republic of Srpska.”

The bilateral project is supported by the program of joint scientific research projects, within the scientific and technological cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Slovenia for 2024 and 2025 (contract number: 19/6-020/966-13-1/23).

Author of the text: Prof. Dr. Saša Zeljković

The first summer school of the ChemTeach Erasmus+ project was held

The first ChemTeach summer school for secondary school students was held in the period from August 26 to 30, 2024 at the Secondary Vocational Chemistry School (Stredná odborná škola chemická) in Bratislava.

Chemistry students and teachers from three secondary schools from Banja Luka, the Gymnasium, Medical School, and Technological School, and two secondary chemistry schools from Slovakia and the Czech Republic had the opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills in the field of chemistry, as well as social and language skills through joint work and exchange of experiences with colleagues from other countries. This is the first of three summer schools to be implemented in the ChemTeach project.

In this year’s summer school, the participants were engaged in cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical chemistry, combining classic laboratory exercises and innovative learning methods, to acquire practical and theoretical knowledge that will be useful to them in further education. Activities for teachers included various workshops aimed at improving chemistry teaching and educational methods in secondary schools and increasing international cooperation between educational institutions through various projects. One of the workshops was dedicated to the inclusion and proper use of artificial intelligence in the teaching of chemistry, as a tool for improving learning activities.

The summer school was attended by Prof. Dr. Milica Balaban and Dejana Savić, teaching assistant, as representatives of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka. In addition to representatives from the University of Banja Luka, the summer school was also attended by representatives of the Slovak Technical University from Bratislava, which is also the project coordinator. The next ChemTeach summer school is planned for August 2025, where the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka will be the host.

Conference “Materials without borders” brought new winners

Both this year and the new, third edition of the conference, which started through the program RM@Schools and is now becoming traditional, brought new surprising topics and gave a lot of work to the expert jury.

This year in the conference finals, we gathered 6 teams. Last year’s winner, “Đura Jakšić” Elementary School from Banja Luka, was there, with a new theme. Then we also hosted the primary school “Jovan Dučić” from Lamovita, who are this year’s winners. Next, a combined team of students from Banja Luka Gymnasium and “Nikola Tesla” Electrical Technical School, from Banja Luka, followed by Gradiška Gymnasium, Catholic School Center “Blessed Ivan Merc” from Banja Luka and Elementary School “Mladen Stojanović” from Laktaši competed. All topics were equally important and original, and the Chemistry Study Program would like to thank the mentors, teachers and their students who participated.

Students aged from 13 to 17 spoke about the valorization of raw materials such as zinc in nanotechnologies, mica in the cosmetics industry, potential new applications of domestic bentonite in solving chemical pollution in the environment, problems of microplastic water pollution and even space mining that may await us in the future if it runs out raw material on planet earth. In the opinion of the jury, the winning team is the best among equals, but the jury was touched by their commitment, together with teacher Lena Banjac, to bring novelty to the teaching of chemistry by enriching it with material science topics. They succeeded in this and even came up with a draft of a new manual, which we want them to become widely read and popular.

On the second day of the conference, all participants learned together about materials in the field in domestic successful materials factories and at the same time strengthened new friendships. They learned more about polymer recycling at the “Omorika reciklaža” factory in Doboj, then also about the use of wood composite materials at the “Standard” company in Prnjavor, and during the break they got to “talk” with the Lipizzaners from the “Vučjak” stud.

We are grateful for the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology Development and Higher Education (“Minerals in Schools for Chemistry Classrooms of the Future” project), as well as the European Institute of Science and Technology (“RIS BRIEFCASE” project).

See you next year at “MWB 2025”