History of University

University of East Sarajevo, under the name of the University of Sarajevo, Republic of Srpska, was established on 14 September 1992 by the decision of the National Assembly of Republic of Srpska.

This decision confirmed the earlier decision of authorities of Republic of Srpska that the University of East Sarajevo is the successor of the University of Sarajevo (1949 – 1992), which, due to the outbreak of civil war in BiH in 1992, hundreds of teachers and staff, as well as thousands of students of Serbian nationality was forced to leave. A similar situation was in the other universities in BiH, which were located in the territory of the Muslim – Croat Federation (now Federation of BiH), especially at universities in Mostar and Tuzla. Thanks to the enthusiasm and patriotism of Serbian teachers and staff from these three universities, as well as the expressed will of the people and Government of the Republic of Srpska, faculties and academies were established in Pale, Zvornik, Bijeljina, Brcko and in Trebinje and revitalized – teaching, scientific research, spiritual and artistic activity in all major municipalities in the eastern part of the Republic. Today, these faculties and academies are the foundation and pillars of the integrated University of East Sarajevo.

Sarajevo Seminary as the stem of the University

University of East Sarajevo heritages the tradition of the first institutions of higher education established in BiH. This is primarily related to the Sarajevo Seminary, founded in 1882 which, as the first Serbian high school in BiH, it is a kind of stem of the University of East Sarajevo.

After the Second World War, Sarajevo Seminary did not continue its work because its space and facilities were nationalized and seized. Modern history of Sarajevo Seminary begins with 1991, when the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church decided to initiate the process of restitution of Sarajevo Seminary and to establish a theologic academy in Sarajevo. Due to the civil war in BiH the implementation of that decisions was prolonged until 1994, when Theological Academy of Saint Basil of Ostrog was founded in Foca (then Srbinje), which started with teaching process on the same year as a member of the University of East Sarajevo.

The University of East Sarajevo integrated tradition and experience of Agriculture – Forestry faculty, founded in 1940 as a separate faculty of Belgrade University; Faculty of Medicine, founded in 1944; the Faculty of Law and Pedagogy College founded in 1946; Faculty of Engineering, founded in 1949. In that same year 1949, the University of Sarajevo was founded, and Prof. Dr. Vaso Butozan was appointed for the first rector. The University of Sarajevo began its work on December 2 1949.

The establishment and launch of the faculties and academies of the University of East Sarajevo

After making the decision regarding process of establishing higher education in this part of Republic of Srpska, teaching at the University of East Sarajevo was organized in academic 1993/94 at the Faculty of Economics, which restores its work in Pale, the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry in Foca, Faculty of Technology in Zvornik, whose work is renovated from the University of Tuzla, and the Faculty of Pedagogy in Bijeljina. Prof. Dr. Vojislav Maksimovic was elected for the first rector of the University of East Sarajevo, who performed that duty in the period from 1993 to 2000.

In academic 1994/95 the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Faculty of Agriculture started with their work in Lukavica (East New Sarajevo municipality), Faculty of Philosophy in Pale, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Vogosca (now in Lukavica, East New Sarajevo municipality), Faculty of Law in Ilidza (now in Pale), Academy of Music in Ilidza (now in Lukavica, East New Sarajevo municipality), and Theological Academy of Saint Basil of Ostrog started its work in Foca (see above).

In academic 1995/96 the Academy of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Production and Management started their work in Trebinje, and Faculty of Physical Education (now the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport) in Pale.

Faculty of Economics in Brcko, which was restored by separating from higher education institutions of the University of Tuzla, became the part of the University of East Sarajevo in academic 1997/98.

The Faculty of Traffic and Transport Engineering in Doboj, which developed from Technical School, became a member of the University of East Sarajevo in academic 2005/2006. In the same year, by transformation of the College for Foreign Trade in Bijeljina, the Faculty of Foreign Trade (now the Faculty of Business Economics) developed, which started with teaching as a member of the University of East Sarajevo.

Since 2008 the Faculty of Dentistry was transformed into a study program of the Faculty of Medicine in Foca, and now the University of East Sarajevo consists of 17 organizational units, 15 faculties and two academies. At these faculties and academies over 7.000 students, 302 MA and 135 doctorates experts and scientists of all profiles have graduated.

The period of development and modernization

Since its foundation, the University of East Sarajevo led a daily battle to secure the basic conditions for teaching – adequate space, equipment, offices and laboratories, as well as the appropriate number of teachers and staff for teaching.

Over time, owing to the extraordinary commitment of the University leadership and its organizational units, central and local government and all concerned for the survival of higher education institutions, the University has managed to get out of survival phase and to impose the concept of stabilizing and expanding the network of the University in the eastern part of Republic of Srpska. Imposed concept meant that most of the attention was paid to creating and training its own teachers, and monitoring trends in the European higher education. After being admitted to full membership of the European University Association (EUA), University of East Sarajevo adopted and applied modern teaching and research standards in higher education and engaged on projects of great importance for the development of Republic of Srpska.

In the post-war history of the University of East Sarajevo the pariod of the second rector, Prof. Dr. Borisa Starović, who performed that duty from 2000 to 2005 was very important. In that period the University implemented a number of activities to modernize and improve its functioning, including a more active role in European higher education courses.

The age of the European University

In accordance with the Bologna process, whose implementation started in 2006, the University of East Sarajevo, since the academic 2007/08, has been the integrated university, where more than 15 000 full-time students in 38 study programs and more than 1,000 graduate students study in ten University Centers.

Today, this higher education institution is the development generator of the local communities where the organizational units of the University exist. At the same time, applying the basic principles of international cooperation, developed with a large number of institutions in the region, Europe and worldwide, the University of East Sarajevo today is an important strategic factor for the development and guarantee of the future of Republic of Srpska.