Mašić: They want to demarcate a third entity with the Academy of Sciences in Mostar!

The establishment of the Academy of Sciences and Arts based in Mostar at the University of Mostar has a political background, stated the Federal Minister of Education and Science Damir Mašić to the BiH news agency Patria (NAP). The Government of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton decided a few days ago that the Senate of the University of Mostar should establish the Academy of Sciences and Arts.

- One party, which calls itself the "stožerna" (core/leading) party, wants to demarcate a part of the territory that it desires and is already politically articulating through a third entity – says Mašić. He believes that such an institution is completely unnecessary.

- A mistake was made in the Assembly when the law was passed on the basis of which the decision was made. The second mistake is with the Government because the ministers from HDZ BiH and HDZ 1990 could not make this decision alone; they were helped by the votes of the local SDA. I don't understand why some agreed to this game – Mašić states.

He says he hopes reason will prevail and that this decision of the Government will be annulled and this Law repealed.

- That body has more of a political ambition, but they tried to package it nicely as a scientific-educational institution. This is harmful to the state of BiH as well – Mašić emphasizes.

Precisely such examples show that an urgent reform of the education system, and primarily higher education, is needed.

- Education cannot, and must no longer, remain under cantonal jurisdiction, because you see how jurisdiction is being abused. We are all witnesses to the complete degradation of the education system due to cantonal policies that are, in some cases, tied to national, party, or nationalist concepts, and then we have this situation – says Mašić.

The Federal Minister of Education and Science believes that besides the Academy of Sciences and Arts of BiH and its 55 members of all nationalities from various scientific fields, which already has tradition and quality, there is no need to establish such an Academy.

- We have already had similar examples. The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts did everything to make this country a hell; do we need to go through that again – Mašić emphasizes.