The Government of the Republic of Srpska is commencing the implementation of a project to construct a higher education centre in Prijedor, which ranks among its top priorities for this year in terms of infrastructure investment in higher education, according to the Minister of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska, Prof. Draga Mastilović PhD.
Minister Mastilović stated that the centre will accommodate both higher education institutions based in Prijedor – the Faculty of Mining and the Higher Medical School – as well as student accommodation facilities, as Prijedor currently does not have a student residence hall.
"We expect that the implementation of this project will increase student interest, as the future of the Republic of Srpska lies precisely in these fields of study," said Minister Mastilović, reminding attendees that the project is valued at 15 million BAM.
He noted that the completion deadline has not yet been defined, but that a feasibility study has already been prepared. The Ministry also has the support of the City of Prijedor, which will provide the land, and the development of the final project design is expected to follow.
"The most important thing is that we are beginning the implementation of a project which I am confident will be completed within the next few years," said Mastilović, who attended the Open Day organised by the Faculty of Mining.
He emphasised that the Republic of Srpska has invested substantial resources in higher education in recent years.
"Furthermore, the Republic of Srpska may be unique in the region, and perhaps even in the world, in terms of the conditions it offers students – from free tuition and accommodation in student residences, to subsidised meals and scholarships. Scholarships will be increased in the next academic year, meaning that young people from the Republic of Srpska have no reason to study elsewhere, as they can obtain an education here that is comparable to that offered by universities across Europe and the wider world," said Mastilović.
The Dean of the Faculty of Mining at the University of Banja Luka, Svetlana Sredić, said that the institution is marking its anniversary today and has organised an Open Day to highlight the importance of the professions for which students are trained at the faculty.
"Without us there would be no clean water, no stone for road construction, no metals, no energy, and no advanced technologies. All of these resources must first be identified by a geologist so that a mining engineer can exploit them appropriately, while an environmental protection engineer ensures that the three fundamental pillars of sustainable development – economic, environmental and social – are properly balanced," said Sredić.
As part of its traditional celebrations, the Faculty also awarded diplomas today to students who completed either the first or second cycle of studies during the previous academic year.