Bosnian Academic Divisions Between ANU and BANU

By: Sead Omeragić

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The Bosniak Academy of Sciences and Arts (BANU) was founded less than nine years ago. Its seat is in Sarajevo, with branches in Sarajevo and Novi Pazar. Why, alongside the state academy, was a national Bosniak academy also needed? This move only confirmed the existence of HAZU BiH and SANU in the RS, which was founded as far back as 1993. It took us 27 years to admit defeat and follow the same path of deception and division. What is the essential purpose of BANU? What is the message of such an academy? Should we not, at all costs, strengthen what is a state institution?

We are such a large nation that we have two academies of sciences and arts. One state and one national. We have, for example, two world congresses of the diaspora, both with a Bosniak designation. Many academics from BANU are also members of ANU BiH. However, they have never spoken about what the solution and way out of this parallel existence is. A good part of the academics of BANU deserve to be part of ANU BiH. It is certainly partly humiliating that among the academic gowns is that of Mufti Muamer Zukorlić, who is also the secretary and the practical ideological and spiritual leader of BANU.

The problem is regularly deeper than it appears at first glance. For a full 15 years, from 1999 to 2014, the head of ANU BiH was Božidar Matić. He was also once the head of the state government. During that time, the work and expansion of the Academy were blocked.

Some employees even sued Matić for mobbing. It is best to forget what kind of accusations these were.
Once a highly respected academy in the region, it became completely dormant two decades after the war. At one point, according to the official website, it had fewer than 30 living members. It is tragic that for decades no one dealt with the essence of ANU BiH's work. Need it be mentioned that ANU BiH had more than 240 deceased members. And instead of renewing its membership, the Academy was reduced to a number below thirty living academics.

All eight honorary academics of ANU BiH have been dead for at least twenty years. Only about ten months ago was the membership of ANU BiH somewhat renewed. Finally, 33 highly respected public figures were included in its work. According to the official website of ANU BiH, until about ten months ago, it had no corresponding members at all. Today it has 11, all of whom, therefore, were acquired about ten months ago. For example, HAZU has nearly 200 corresponding members. SANU has even more. Among the members of HAZU there are also Bosniak national names, but they cannot be found on the lists of either ANU BiH or BANU.

It is almost a rule that all academies of the world include scientists and distinguished creators from around the world. ANU BiH has made dozens of omissions. It would take us far to list the names of significant scientists and artists in BiH who should have had their place in ANU BiH but did not get it. The long-term inactivity of the Academy led to a revolt by numerous respected people, which is probably why BANU was created.

The question is why the Bosniak intellectual elite withdrew in the face of the deterioration of their own state academy and went to the other extreme. For example, there is also the American-Bosnian-Herzegovinian Academy, formed by a group of very respected scientists, mostly young people originally from BiH, who are climbing high on the scientific ladder of the USA and Canada. Unfortunately, they are not among the corresponding members of either ANU BiH or BANU. Europe and the Western world in general are full of young and middle-aged people from BiH who are being recognized, covered in glory and decorated by the countries where they live. In BiH, only daily media praises are written about them, but they are still not within ANU BiH or BANU.

And then, out of all this, emerges the President of the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton, Elmedin Konaković, and BANU receives a donation in the amount of 60,000 KM. This has become a subject of public debate. This is budget money, money from Sarajevo taxpayers, and there should be a good justification for it. Why would the government of Sarajevo Canton do this? Although until now BANU has existed in a way outside the state, taxpayer money becomes its official recognition.

Is this not, in a way, giving an alibi to HAZU BiH and SANU RS? Until now, they were para-academic creations. There is a clear closeness between Konaković and Zukorlić, and it is shown in various positions and statements. The High Representative did not respect the Dayton Agreement, which stipulates the financing of all institutions of state importance from the state budget, so ANU BiH is financed from the budget of Sarajevo Canton.

The public does not know at all how much membership in ANU BiH is compensated. At the beginning of last year, it was around 300 KM per academic. So, utterly poverty-level. Any increase was welcome, and the previous government in Sarajevo Canton finally did that. On the other hand, the money for BANU from the Sarajevo Canton budget turned out to be a marketing party move. Namely, the executive secretary of BANU was a candidate of Konaković's party People and Justice (NiP) in the last General Elections. And then Mufti Zukorlić and Elmedin Konaković openly posed for photos with the logo of the People and Justice party.

And these are some facts that must not be connected with budget money. During the reception of 14 new members of BANU, Prof. Dr. Suad Kurtćehajić said that “BANU is needed to form an intellectual elite that will help the people.” Members of both academies, ANU and BANU, should provide answers as to why the intellectual strength that will “help the people” and the state is not united within ANU BiH.

Is it possible that we are again admitting powerlessness in our own state? Is it possible that we are again unable to unite the pro-Bosnian intellectual elite and organize the supreme intellectual institution at the state level? Why do Dodik's and Čović's policies force us to play on their turf, using their deceptions as an alibi for agreeing to further divisions in this country and its institutions?

Will someone draw a line and, in some serious public debate, provide answers starting from how much money is allocated for various associations of neither-here-nor-there, for numerous festivals, round tables and gatherings, comrades and circles?

And it should not be surprising when politicians appear as benefactors to promote themselves and their party under the guise of state-building. 'The state is me' or, for Bosnian circumstances, 'The budget is me'.