Škrijelj: I will prevent any attempt at manipulation in the competition for hiring 150 assistants

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Rector of the University of Sarajevo, Rifat Škrijelj, today presented the project for hiring 150 assistants at this university, which was approved by the Sarajevo Canton Government. The project is being implemented through the Sarajevo Canton Employment Service, and on Monday, the University of Sarajevo will submit the application. The value of this project is 2,340,000 KM, and the Service will refund 1,300 KM per newly employed person for 12 months to those faculties/academies covered by this program. The entire process should be completed by the beginning of May this year.

Škrijelj said that as a university, they requested the hiring of 200 assistants, but the Sarajevo Canton Government did not approve it.

- Given that the hiring of 70 doctors who are registered at the employment bureau is also planned, we understand why our request was not accepted in full - said the rector.

Alongside this project, the Sarajevo Canton Government is finalizing the competition for hiring winners of the Golden Badge award, and through the Federal Employment Institute, an additional 36 people will be employed. In total, that is 186 people, but it was pointed out that UNSA will lose a certain number of staff in the coming period due to retirement or transfer to other educational institutions.

The rector emphasized that the Sarajevo Canton Government has supported the University of Sarajevo with 13.2 million KM during its current mandate, and numerous projects are underway.

- The construction of the Academy of Performing Arts, for which the Government allocated 1.5 million KM, and an additional four million KM is needed for completion. For the reconstruction of the pool at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, the Government allocated more than 2 million KM. We hope that the pool will be operational by the next academic year - said the rector.

Škrijelj, responding to journalists' questions, said that the number of assistants being hired at UNSA is not sufficient, but they will do their best. He announced that there will be a reduction in the number of certain study programs, as well as a reduction in the number of subjects, i.e., merging some study programs.

One of the questions concerned the status of assistants after one year, to which Škrijelj said they will start working on finding solutions and resources to retain them at UNSA.

- They represent an urgent need for UNSA because rejuvenating the staff and renewing human resources are imperatives we follow, and we do not want to allow time and events in the era we live in to defeat us.

Škrijelj said that the Assistant Employment Program is not intended for nepotism, and he will strive to prevent any form of manipulation with this idea.

- If it happens that the child of an academic worker or another UNSA employee is the best student, we will not discriminate against them, but since I want this competition to be a model for a transparent way of hiring, we will do everything to prevent that from happening - said the rector.

Incidentally, this is the largest hiring at the University of Sarajevo in 12 years.