Category: news

Call for Registration: Student Conference “Materials Without Borders 2026”

We invite schools from across Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region, and the world to apply for participation in our international student conference “Materials Without Borders 2026.”

For the fifth year in a row, the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, is organizing the student conference –“Materials Without Borders.” As in previous years, the main sponsor is the Ministry for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska, while the implementation of the conference is additionally supported through the Erasmus+ and Horizon programs, specifically by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology fund.

The conference was designed by young researchers from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics as part of the international project RM@Schools, which was implemented at our Faculty from 2019 to 2024. We are proud to continue using this recognizable brand, in accordance with the permission granted by the project coordinator, the ISOF Institute from Bologna.

Previous events have truly been “without borders,” as we have hosted participants from cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as from countries such as Italy, Germany, and Hungary.  Last year’s edition of the conference was particularly important for us because, in cooperation with the international Erasmus+ project ChemTeach, we also hosted high school students from partner countries, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Students aged 13 to 19 may submit presentation topics from STEM fields, primarily chemistry, physics, materials science, or interdisciplinary sciences that also include informatics. On the day of the conference, student teams will have 12 to 15 minutes to present their innovative ideas on the application of various materials from the above-mentioned fields, after which an independent jury will decide on the winning team.

One of the prizes will go to the team with the best poster, which will be exhibited at the Faculty during the conference. Poster printing is provided by the conference organizers.

An abstract of the presentation, including the names of team members and the teacher/mentor, should be sent to the conference coordinator via email: mbg@pmf.unibl.org  Each team should have a mentor, a teacher from their school, and after registration, they will also be assigned a mentor from the University, who will provide additional explanations, guidance, and preparation for participation in the competition.

For a limited number of registrations, we are able to provide financial support for transportation and accommodation costs. Meals, educational materials, and transportation for field educational visits will be provided for all participants throughout the conference.

Application deadline: August 5, 2026.

Conference programme

Day One – August 24, 2026: ARRIVAL

Estimated group arrival time: 14:00–17:00

Guest reception (guides to accommodation provided if needed).

Accommodation will be arranged at the hostels in Banja Luka depending on the number of participants and the registration order.

18:00–21:00 Welcome Dinner

Day Two – August 25, 2026: CONFERENCE

07:00–08:00 Breakfast at accommodation

09:00 Gathering and registration, poster check and preparation, networking and participant meet-and-greet. Coffee and refreshments provided (Location: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dr. Mladena Stojanovića Street 2, 78000 Banja Luka, Ground Floor, Amphitheater)

09:30 Media statements (coordinators, teachers, team leaders)

10:00–10:05 Opening speech (Organizers – PMF, Chemistry Department)

10:05–10:15 Welcome speech (Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education)

10:15–10:30 Short retrospective of previous conferences and future plans

10:30–11:30 Student presentations

11:30–12:00 PHOTO SESSION and coffee break with poster exhibition

12:00–14:00 Student presentations continue

14:00–14:30 Discussion (jury deliberation and evaluation of presentations)

14:30 Awards ceremony

15:00 Lunch at the venue and networking

16:00 Free time and rest at accommodation

Day Three – August 26, 2026: INDUSTRY VISIT

07:00–08:00 Breakfast at accommodation

08:45–09:00 Gathering in the Faculty parking lot

09:00–10:00 Travel to the industrial site

10:00–13:00 Welcome and discussion with engineers. Guided tour of the quality control laboratories

13:30–15:00 Lunch and networking at a local restaurant

15:00–16:00 Return to Banja Luka and farewell to teams

FREE TIME

Read more about past years’ events in our previous posts:

2022

2023

2024

2025

WELCOME!

At the beginning of February 2026, two meetings were held between representatives of the Secondary School of Internal Affairs and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka. The meetings were attended by Assoc. Prof. Dino Hasanagić, Vice Dean for Teaching at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Prof. Dijana Jelić, Head of the Department of Physical Chemistry within the Chemistry Study Program; Aleksandar Milanović, Head of the Police Education Directorate; and Biljana Rokvić, a pedagogue from the Secondary School of Internal Affairs.

The main topic of the meetings was the possibility of enhancing educational and professional cooperation in line with the existing Cooperation Agreement between the two institutions, which was signed in 2024. Special emphasis was placed on the exchange of knowledge and experience, as well as on potential joint activities in the fields of education and professional development.

As part of the visit to the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, a tour of the faculty premises and the laboratories of the Chemistry Study Program was organized, during which the capacities and conditions for teaching and research activities were presented. During the return visit, professors from the Chemistry Study Program had the opportunity to tour the Training Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Srpska in Zalužani, where the Secondary School of Internal Affairs is located.

Text authored by: prof. dr Dijana Jelić

IAESTE BiH, an association that enables students to gain outstanding professional experience through paid international internships, invites all interested students to apply for a professional internship in the Czech Republic.

The internship in the fields of inorganic, organic, and analytical chemistry, with a focus on research and development in an academic environment, will take place at the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCT Prague).

The internship offers an opportunity to work on modern research projects focused on coordination compounds and their interactions with DNA, as well as DNA photo-oxidation.

More information can be found in the official internship description here.

Interested students may send their applications to the following address: outgoing.iaestebih@gmail.com

For additional questions, please use email or the Instagram profile:

@iaestebih ili @iaestelcbanjaluka.

Application deadline: February 25, 2026.

(NOTE: Students may still apply within the following three days.)

The Chemistry Study Programme of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, actively participated in the implementation of the Second Winter Camp “Želim više”, which was ceremonially opened on 15 January 2026. The camp brought together more than 200 students and around 70 teachers from primary and secondary schools across the Republic of Srpska.

As part of this year’s camp, the Chemistry Study Programme delivered two scientific and educational workshops, tailored to different age groups and levels of prior knowledge, and designed to introduce chemistry to young participants in an interactive and inquiry-based manner.

The workshop “Chemical Quest” was intended for students of the 5th, 6th and 7th grades of primary school. Through solving scientific challenges using commonly available household materials, students became familiar with basic chemical concepts, which they observed and interpreted within the broader context of natural laws. This structured, age-appropriate workshop served as a form of preparation for chemistry classes in higher grades, while also fostering an investigative spirit, logical thinking, and interest in the natural sciences. The authors of this workshop were Prof. Dr Milica Balaban and Senior Teaching Assistant Dejana Savić.

For students of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades of secondary school, the workshop “Welcome to CIA (Chemical Instrumental Adventure)” was conducted, designed as a simulation of real work in a research laboratory. After receiving the theoretical background necessary to solve a specific research task, students assumed the role of young researchers, independently sampling and preparing samples, performing analyses, and interpreting the obtained results. Sunscreen creams were examined, and the students’ task was to identify UV filters in an unknown sunscreen sample and determine which brand the cream belonged to. In doing so, they had the opportunity to work with a UV/VIS spectrophotometer and learned how to interpret UV spectra of sunscreen products. The author of this workshop was Prof. Dr Dijana Jelić, and its implementation also involved Senior Teaching Assistant Dragana Gajić, as well as fourth-year students of the Chemistry Study Programme Sandra Gašić, Tamara Malešević and Dajana Bulatović, who, through their engagement, provided significant support to the students during practical work and data analysis.

The participation of the Chemistry Study Programme in the Second winter camp “I want more” represents a significant contribution to the popularization of science and the development of functional knowledge among students, as well as to strengthening the connection between university and pre-university education. Through hands-on activities, teamwork, and an inquiry-based approach, students were given the opportunity to experience chemistry as an interesting, dynamic and applicable science, which is one of the key objectives of such educational programmes.

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The cooperation between the Chemistry department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, and the Banja Luka Grammar School has continued during the current academic year. The Chemistry Department enabled Grammar School pupils enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) to carry out the laboratory work required by this programme.

Guided by their research interests, pupils Tanja Knežević, Srna Mrkobrad, Katja Ljubojević, Lazar Arnaut, and Petar Čekić together with IB coordinator professor Katarina Dodik, selected chemistry-related topics they wished to investigate. Faculty members and associates from the Chemistry department: Prof. Dr. Biljana Davidović-Plavšić, Prof. Dr. Dragana Blagojević, and senior teaching assistants Dragana Gajić and Dejana Savić provided mentorship throughout the laboratory work and the execution of experiments. The selected topics, as well as the applied methods, were diverse. Using spectrophotometric methods, the pupils examined the presence of caffeine and tannins in black tea; they applied refractometry, polarimetry, and conductometry for quality control of commercial sugars; investigated the stability of chitosan in different pH environments; determined the buffer capacity of sodium caseinate at various temperatures; and employed potentiometric titration to determine the capacity of a sodium phosphate buffer.

This form of collaboration is of exceptional importance, as it contributes to the early development of pupils’ research competencies. At the same time, these activities strengthen the link between educational institutions and contribute to the improvement of educational quality through the exchange of knowledge and resources.

The “Branko Radičević” Elementary School in Banja Luka is officially the largest elementary school in the Republika Srpska. The Chemistry Department is pleased that several of our students come from this school. Also, in the activities to promote chemistry to young people, through international projects that we have implemented, students from this school have stood out and presented themselves with creative ideas in Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovenia and Estonia.

This time, we had the honour of being hosted by chemistry teachers Jelena and Marela from this school, in their classroom, where we held a creative workshop supported by the project of the Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education “Knowledge BriefCase 2.0”. Teacher Jelena comes from the second generation of students at our Department, which was an interesting fact for us.

The students were very active in the workshop, where we drew their attention to the importance of water chemistry and the presence of different ions in water, and demonstrated some of the colourful titration methods for proving different ions in water. Many of them took part in the experiment and tried their hand at handling a burette and a magnetic stirrer for the first time.

We are particularly pleased with the excellent media promotion of the workshop through the podcast of this school, for which we send them our sincere compliments.

We hope that we have tickled their imagination for “our” science and that we will not miss the best chemistry talents from this generation of 8^th grade students who have been hanging out with us. We are waiting for them at the entrance exam in the summer of 2031!

 

 

 

 

 

 

From November 12 to 13, 2025, the 9th International Scientific-Professional Symposium “Environmental Potentials, Sustainable Development and Food Production – OPORPH2025” was held in Tuzla.

The symposium gathered a large number of participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Balkan countries, and the European Union. Prof. Dr. Dijana Jelić from the Chemistry Department at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics had an invited lecture titled ”Advancing Food Fortification with Kinetics: Vitamin D₃ Encapsulation on Calcium Carbonate – based vehicles” Together with her team, Prof. Jelić has been conducting research in the field of vitamin D stability for many years. On this occasion, she presented software-based kinetic modeling as a modern approach for kinetic prediction of the stability and shelf life of food and dietary supplements, with a special focus on vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency represents a global challenge among populations worldwide, making this topic highly relevant, and Prof. Jelić’s lecture therefore attracted significant interest from the symposium participants.

As part of international cooperation and student exchange programs, master’s student Rosalinda Dominguez Ramon from Mexico is currently spending time at the Chemistry Department, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka. In collaboration with Prof. Dr. Dijana Jelić, the academic coordinator for international student and staff exchange at the Chemistry Dept., a presentation was organized, giving Rosalinda a great opportunity to introduce herself, present the institution she comes from (Center for Research in Applied Chemistry – CIQA, Mexico), discuss the topic of her master’s thesis, as well as the research she is conducting in the laboratories of the Chemistry Dept. under the supervisor of Prof. Dr. Suzana Gotovac–Atlagić. At the end of the presentation, Rosalinda also reflected on life in Banja Luka, emphasizing how impressed she is with the natural beauty of our city and the Republic of Srpska. She especially highlighted the hospitality of her colleagues, professors, and the entire staff at the Chemistry Dept.

Prof. Pero Dugić, PhD, full professor visited the Chemistry Study Program of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Banja Luka after his retirement. As a long-time professor of the subjects I and II of the study cycle, Industrial Chemistry 2, Analytical quality control of raw materials and finished products of inorganic and organic origin, Standards and standardization, Alternative fuels and lubricants and Surfactants, his knowledge and dedication marked the work of the Chemistry Study Program.

His visit was a wonderful opportunity to talk about different topics. In a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere, memories of joint work and numerous generations of students inspired by the professor were evoked. Professor Dugić also shared his valuable experiences and advice with the audience this time, showing once again his commitment to science and the community, but also the simplicity and approachability that graced him throughout his working life.

Regardless of his retirement, we hope for further cooperation, exchange of experiences and knowledge, as well as nice socializing with a dear and respected professor.

Authors of the text: prof. dr Dijana Jelić and prof. dr Dragana Blagojević

On 1 October 2025 the reception of the new generation of students was held in the amphitheater of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Prof. Goran Trbić, PhD, full professor and Prof. Mira Mandić, PhD, full professor from the Geography Department, as well as the president of the Student Organization of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Valentina Knežević. After that, the students were directed to the enrolled study programs.

Students enrolled in the Chemistry Department visited the chemistry laboratory and the rooms intended for classes. Then there was a reception in the classroom where they were addressed by professors and assistants led by the head of the Chemistry Department Prof. Milica Balaban, PhD, full professor. Students had the opportunity to hear briefly about the subjects and the organization of classes, as well as the possibilities of participating in the student exchange program and improving knowledge.

As a small token of appreciation and welcome, the students were presented with symbolic gifts.

We wish all students successful studies and a happy start to a new period of life!