The University of Sarajevo (; ; ) is a public university located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
With 20 faculties, three academies and three faculties of theology and with 23,127 enrolled students as of 2021, it ranks among the largest universities in the Balkans in terms of enrollment. Since opening its doors in 1949, a total of 122,000 students have received bachelor's degrees, 3,891 have received master's degrees and 2,284 have received doctorate degrees in 45 different fields. It is now widely regarded as the most prestigious university in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and employs more than one thousand faculty members.
History
Ottoman period, late Medieval-early Modern
Before the establishment of the modern University of Sarajevo, first schools of higher educations in Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina were founded during the 16th century under tutelage of the Ottomans. It was inaugurated in Sarajevo in 1537 by Gazi Husrev Bey, as an Ottoman institute of higher education, a madrasa.
Austria-Hungary period and first Yugoslavia, late Modern-end of WWII
The university in its modern, secular incarnation was developed during the Austro-Hungarian rule, when many of the institutions of higher education and culture such as the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, still active today, were established. The modern history of the University of Sarajevo continued after World War I, and before World War II as well as during the war, successfully widening its development with new schools and institutes, such as the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry in 1940 and the Medical Faculty in 1944. The Medical Faculty was re-established in 1946, while the Faculty of Law, the Teacher Training College were opened and, in 1948, the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry was re-established.
Establishment and post WWII development
1949âÂÂ1955
In 1949, the Engineering Faculty was opened. On 2 December of that year with the appointment of the first rector, the University of Sarajevo was officially established. With the opening of the Faculty of Humanities (1950) and the Faculty of Economics (1952), the initial phase of the establishment of the Sarajevo University was completed.
1955âÂÂ1970
The second phase of development (1955âÂÂ69) was characterized by the affirmation of the university, the opening of new institutions of higher education and the relative satisfaction of the needs for highly educated personnel in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Another significant achievement is the organization and initiation of postgraduate studies at the university.
1970âÂÂ1982
The third phase (1970âÂÂ82) was defined by more institutions of higher education being opened at the university, a scientific promotion of the university and its intensified involvement and promotion on the international academic plane. The university contributed directly and indirectly to the establishment of new universities in Banja Luka, Mostar and Tuzla.
1982âÂÂ1992
The fourth phase (1982âÂÂ92) was characterized by the separation of scientific activities from the university and the formation of favored scientific institutes outside it. This brought considerable damage to the University of Sarajevo, because the coherence of university education and scientific research was endangered. This resulted in a lower quality of education and a technological stagnation of the university. The uncontrolled enrollment of an enormous number of students resulted in a significantly lower efficiency of studies and a hyper-production of personnel in certain areas of education.
1992âÂÂ1995
The fifth phase (1992âÂÂ95) was marked by devastation of the facilities and equipment of the university, caused by the Bosnian War and the siege of Sarajevo. Despite all of these difficulties of life and work during the four-year siege, because of the help and the enthusiasm, professionalism, patriotism and perseverance of university teachers and associates as well as the students, the University of Sarajevo managed to retain its continuity of work and life. This was a specific aspect of intellectual academic resistance against everything that is barbaric and uncivilized. It represented the university's contribution to the affirmation of freedom and democracy, the outcry against the war and aggression and the affirmation of the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
1996âÂÂpresent
The University of Sarajevo entered the phase of post-war physical and academic renewal and reconstruction in 1996. The physical renewal is aimed at the reconstruction and the rebuilding of destroyed facilities (through the realization of the New University Campus Project), the replacement of destroyed educational and scientific equipment and the reconstruction of student dormitories. Significant results have been achieved on this plane and the conditions for higher quality studies have been formed in certain areas. However, despite the numerous reconstruction projects the University of Sarajevo still hasn't reached the full prewar potential. The war caused a rift even among the academics and many who worked at the university before the war didn't continue after. The quality of studies is slowly improving, partly because of the Bologna Process implementation, but there is still hyper-production in some areas of education since Bosnia and Herzegovina doesn't have a unified program of higher education.
The process of renewal and reconstruction of the university is supported by the activities of the European University Association, the European Council, the European Union as well as a whole line of international organizations and institutions involved in the field of higher education.
Partner relations
The University of Sarajevo enjoys partnerships with over 120 universities in Europe, the US, Canada, and the Middle East.
Objective
The main objective of all the university's current activities is to raise the quality of studies, to create a contemporary university of European origins, which will be a respectable representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the international level and a promoter of the traditional, historical, cultural, scientific and artistic values of the country, and Southeastern Europe.
Organization
The University comprises 32 faculties, academies and colleges, further subdivided into 6 academic groups, and an additional number of other programs:
Schools
Join Members
- Faculty of Islamic studies
- Faculty of Catholic Theology
- Faculty of Public Administration
Institutes
Rectors
- Vaso Butozan (1949âÂÂ1950; 1952âÂÂ1956)
- Drago Krndija (1950âÂÂ1952)
- Edhem ÃÂamo (1956âÂÂ1960)
- Aleksandar Trumià(1960âÂÂ1965)
- Fazlija Alikalfià(1965âÂÂ1969)
- Hamdija ÃÂemerlià(1969âÂÂ1972)
- Zdravko Besarovià(1972âÂÂ1977)
- Arif Tanovià(1977âÂÂ1981)
- BoÃ
¾idar Matià(1981âÂÂ1985)
- Ljubomir Berberovià(1985âÂÂ1988)
- Nenad Kecmanovià(1988âÂÂ1991)
- Jusuf Mulià(1991âÂÂ1993)
- Faruk Seleskovià(1993âÂÂ1995)
- NedÃ
¾ad Mulabegovià(1995âÂÂ2000)
- Boris Tihi (2000âÂÂ2004)
- Hasan Muratovià(2004âÂÂ2006)
- Faruk ÃÂaklovica (2006âÂÂ2012)
- Muharem Avdispahià(2012âÂÂ2016)
- Rifat Ã
 krijelj (2016âÂÂ2024)
- Tarik Zaimovià(2024âÂÂpresent)
Notable people
Alumni
- Abdulah NakaÃ
¡, physician and chief surgeon of Sarajevo's State Hospital for 30 years
- Adela JuÃ
¡iÃÂ, Bosnian contemporary visual artist
- Ademir KenoviÃÂ, Bosnian movie director, producer and cinematography professor
- Aleksandar Hemon, Bosnian writer
- Alija Behmen, former mayor of Sarajevo
- Alija IzetbegoviÃÂ, first Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bakir IzetbegoviÃÂ, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Benjamin Djulbegovic, medical academic and expert in evidence-based medicine
- Benjamina KariÃÂ, current mayor of Sarajevo
- Beriz BelkiÃÂ, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bisera TurkoviÃÂ, former foreign minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Boris NemÃ
¡iÃÂ, former chief executive officer of the Russian telecom company VimpelCom, former chief executive officer of Telekom Austria Group
- BoÃ
¾idar MatiÃÂ, former chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Branko ÃÂuriÃÂ, Bosnian actor and musician
- Davor SuÃÂiÃÂ, Bosnian musician
- Dejan MiloÃ
¡eviÃÂ, Bosnian theoretical physicist
- Denis BeÃÂiroviÃÂ, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Denis ZvizdiÃÂ, former Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Dritan AbazoviÃÂ, former Prime Minister of Montenegro
- Edvin Kanka ÃÂudiÃÂ, Bosnian human rights activist
- Elmedin KonakoviÃÂ, foreign minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina and former Premier of Sarajevo Canton
- HatidÃ
¾a HadÃ
¾iosmanoviÃÂ, former president of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Heather McRobie, British-Australian writer
- Ivica Osim, footballer and football coach
- Jasmila Ã
½baniÃÂ, Bosnian film director
- Jasmin Geljo, Bosnian actor
- Jasmin ImamoviÃÂ, former mayor of Tuzla
- Jelena SilajdÃ
¾iÃÂ, Bosnian human rights activist
- Kemal AdemoviÃÂ, Bosnian politician
- Kornelije KovaÃÂ, Serbian composer
- KreÃ
¡imir Zubak, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Mario NenadiÃÂ, former Premier of Sarajevo Canton
- Mato TadiÃÂ, former president of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Maya Sar, Bosnian singer
- Melina BorÃÂak, Bosnian journalist
- Mile AkmadÃ
¾iÃÂ, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Miljenko JergoviÃÂ, Bosnian writer
- Mirko Ã
 undov, Chief of General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces
- Mladen VojiÃÂiÃÂ, Bosnian singer
- Neda Ukraden, folk singer
- Omer HalilhodÃ
¾iÃÂ, automotive designer
- Predrag Finci, philosopher and essayist
- Radmila HrustanoviÃÂ, former mayor of Belgrade
- Radovan KaradÃ
¾iÃÂ, Bosnian Serb former politician
- Radovan ViÃ
¡koviÃÂ, Bosnian Serb politician
- Rasim LjajiÃÂ, former deputy Prime Minister of Serbia
- Rifat HadÃ
¾iselimoviÃÂ, genetist
- Safet IsoviÃÂ, prominent Bosnian sevdalinka singer
- Seada PalavriÃÂ, member of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Selmo CikotiÃÂ, former minister of Security and Defence
- Semiha Borovac, former mayor of Sarajevo
- Senad BaÃ
¡iÃÂ, Bosnian actor
- Senad HadÃ
¾ifejzoviÃÂ, journalist, news anchor and TV host
- Slavo KukiÃÂ, Bosnian sociologist and academic
- Sulejman TihiÃÂ, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Sven Alkalaj, former foreign minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ã
 efik DÃ
¾aferoviÃÂ, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Valerija GaliÃÂ, president of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Vlado PravdiÃÂ, Bosnian organist
- Zdravko ÃÂoliÃÂ, Bosnian pop singer
- Zlatko LagumdÃ
¾ija, former Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Zlatko TopÃÂiÃÂ, Bosnian writer
- Zukan Helez, defence minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ã
½eljka CvijanoviÃÂ, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ã
½eljko KomÃ
¡iÃÂ, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ã
½ivko RadiÃ
¡iÃÂ, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Faculty
- Adil OsmanoviÃÂ, former minister of Civil Affairs
- Alija Behmen, former mayor of Sarajevo and Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- BogiÃÂ BogiÃÂeviÃÂ, former member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia
- Danis TanoviÃÂ, Oscar-winning director
- Dejan MiloÃ
¡eviÃÂ, theoretical physicist
- Denis ZvizdiÃÂ, former chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ejup GaniÃÂ, former prime minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Hamdija Pozderac, president of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1971 to 1974
- Haris SilajdÃ
¾iÃÂ, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Haris PaÃ
¡oviÃÂ, director and founder of East West Theatre Company
- Mirko Ã
 aroviÃÂ, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Muhamed FilipoviÃÂ, academic, writer, essayist, theorist and philosopher
- Nenad KecmanoviÃÂ, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and rector of the University of Sarajevo
- Predrag Finci, philosopher and essayist
- Sifet PodÃ
¾iÃÂ, former minister of Defence and Chief of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Sredoje NoviÃÂ, former minister of Civil Affairs and director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency
- Tomislav Dretar, writer, critic and philosopher
- Vojislav Ã
 eÃ
¡elj, former deputy Prime Minister of Serbia
- Zdravko Grebo, founder of the Open Society Foundation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Zlatko LagumdÃ
¾ija, former Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
See also
References
External links