New earthquake in academic community due to law amendments: ZNG wants the position of director of the Agency for Development of Higher Education?

Written by: Amra Vrabac

At yesterday's protest gathering of employees of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of UNSA, the rector of UNSA Tarik Zaimović also addressed.

In his address, he expressed hope that 2025 will be a slightly better year regarding the relationship of the Government of the Sarajevo Canton towards UNSA.

Zaimović, along with employees of the University of Sarajevo, faced an unprecedented situation at the beginning of December, namely that the relevant minister Adna Mesihović (ZNG) together with the Minister of Finance Afan Kalamujić (ZNG) blocked the payment of salaries for 2,700 employees. Although it was a delay of several days, all other budget beneficiaries received their salaries. The reason for this was the alleged concern for the legality of the process at UNSA and the minister's attitude towards the elected rector, whose legality she persistently challenged and demanded that the Senate appoint an acting director.

That legal situation was resolved after the Municipal Court registered rector Zaimović in the court register, and an administrative dispute between UNSA and the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth of the Sarajevo Canton is ongoing. The court ordered a temporary measure until the conclusion of the court dispute, and Zaimović can perform the duties of rector.

That this year will also bring challenges regarding the Ministry and the relationship towards the University of Sarajevo is shown by the announcement of the relevant minister, as well as the political organization For New Generations, about amendments to existing legal solutions and the adoption of new laws in the field of higher education.

On January 17, ZNG announced a set of legal solutions that should be before the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton during this year. These are: the Draft Law on Innovation Activity, Amendments to the Law on Scientific Research Activity, Amendments to the Law on Higher Education, and the Draft Law on Student Standard.

The Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth invited all interested parties to actively participate in the public consultations conducted by the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth of the Sarajevo Canton, in accordance with the Decree on the procedure and manner of preparing, drafting and submitting regulations, and to submit their comments on the prescribed form on the Preliminary Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Scientific Research Activity. Comments can be submitted until March 1, 2025, via the protocol of the Government of the Sarajevo Canton.

These amendments have already caused reactions within the academic community in Sarajevo.

“The amendments are made in such a way that even Vučić would envy how they devised that the minister has control over science in the Sarajevo Canton and how to subtly 'attach' private institutions to the budget… The minister adopts the Rulebook on standards and criteria at scientific institutions! Centers of scientific excellence can be established by groups of individuals and, with the blessing of the ministry, nicely get a cushy job… This lobbied proposal for amendments to the law, if passed, will largely harm scientific work at UNSA and we again have a new attempt at privatization/politicization of UNSA!”, states one of the comments from members of the academic community.

On the other hand, the Ministry is criticized for conducting consultations during exam periods and enrollment deadlines when professors have numerous obligations at faculties and cannot dedicate themselves to a thorough analysis of the proposed amendments.

It is expected that the University of Sarajevo will also submit its comments to the Ministry.

What is highlighted in the proposed amendments is the authority that the minister will have regarding the adoption of rulebooks.

A new article is added to the law introducing Centers of Scientific Excellence, and it is suspected that this will legalize some neighboring projects in the Sarajevo Canton, for which budget money of taxpayers in the Sarajevo Canton will be used.

It is obvious that in the period ahead, the academic community will have to be loud and united in the attempt to represent certain private interests in the academic community in the Sarajevo Canton, as well as to strengthen private universities, and stop the weakening of the position of the University of Sarajevo.

ZNG also wants the position of director of HEA?

According to information from Patria, the leader of the Movement For New Generations, Damir Marjanović, is interested in a cadre from his party taking the position of director of the Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The significance of this State Agency is multiple, and just one of its competencies is the accreditation and licensing of higher education institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, maintaining the state register, revocation of accreditation…

The mandate of the director and deputies expires at the end of February. According to unofficial information, there are two applications for the director of the Agency, and among them is that of Ibrahim Obhođaš, a cadre of the ZNG movement.

Obhođaš is the dean of the Faculty of Information Technologies of the University of Vitez, and is engaged as an associate professor at the Pan-European University Apeiron Banja Luka.

Obhođaš completed his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Economics of UNSA, and his master's degree at the International University "Philip Noel-Baker", which was closed in 2011. According to the published biography, he completed his doctoral studies at the Faculty of Business Economics - University "VITEZ".