Search the Community

The University of Banja Luka, founded on November 7, 1975, and comprises 17 faculties today, is the leading higher education institution in the Republic of Srpska and the second largest one in the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 2007, the University has been integrated, with the faculties functioning as organizational units. It is managed by the Steering Board, Senate, and Rector, who is assisted by the Vice-Rector for education and students' affairs, Vice-Rector for scientific research and development, Vice-Rector for international and inter-university cooperation, and Vice-Rector for staff and material resources. There are 811 fully employed professors and teaching assistants, 342 professors working part-time, and 175 visiting professors, the administration of the University totaling 559 employees. So far, the University has produced 31,500 graduates, 700 specialists, 1,150 MA/MSc, and 600 Ph.D. degree holders, respectively, with 20,000 students currently enrolled in its study programs. Most faculties are situated in two separate campus sites near the River Vrbas banks in the downtown area's vicinity. Each campus site is equipped with dormitories with accompanying canteens, sports courts, students' clubs, and the University Computer Centre. The University of Banja Luka disposes all necessary facilities, from classrooms and amphitheaters, over reading rooms and libraries, to laboratories and computer rooms. The total classroom area is 16,000 m2, while the laboratories take up 10,000 m2. In most classrooms, there are computers and over-head projectors, allowing for digital content in class. As far as the computer rooms, there are 20 of them, all providing 24-hour access to the Internet. Also, the libraries provide their users with 185,000 titles and are subscribed to 75 journals. The University of Banja Luka is a member of the European University Association – EUA and is a signatory of the Magna Charta Universitatum. The University is a member of the International University Network for Academic and Research Cooperation, under the patronage of the La Sapienza University Science Park, Rome, Italy, the General Assembly of Interuniversity Centre for Research and Cooperation with Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (CIRCEOS), with headquarters at the University of Bari, Italy, UniAdrion universities network with headquarters in Ancona, Italy, EMUNI foundation with headquarters in Slovenia and the Agency for Francophone Universities (AUF). University in Banja Luka was founded on November 7, 1975. Its foundation was preceded by the formation of several higher schools and faculties in this area. The first of them was the Faculty of Teacher Training, formed in 1950. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering was founded in 1961, Higher School of Economics in 1969, several satellite departments emerged from Sarajevo's Faculties of Mechanical Engineering, Law and Economics. In just four years, all of those departments became independent faculties. There were five faculties in the university structure at its foundation: Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Economics. The Faculty of Medicine was formed in 1978. Before the formation of the University, 4.952 students attended faculties and schools of higher education in Banja Luka, and during the first year of the University's existence, 2.356 new students were enrolled. In time the number of students increased, and the number of qualified teaching and scientific staff. Improving the resources of laboratories, workshops and libraries were of great importance, and scientific research and practical work and their connection with the economy gradually came to life. In the school year of 1987/88, the curriculums and structure of courses have been innovated and changed to meet the modern standards. Personnel structure has been improved on some faculties and higher schools, and a new legal provision has been introduced that all teachers must hold a Ph.D. University in Banja Luka did not halt their normal operations even during The Bosnian War from 1992 until 1995. On the contrary, new faculties and departments have been formed, i.e., new study programs. In 1992, two new faculties were formed – Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry and in 1994, the Faculty of Philosophy with 11 departments (study programs). In the year 1995, the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering was formed, followed by the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in 1996. Teaching and scientific activities of the faculties were realized through graduate and postgraduate studies. The faculties worked on existing and started new research projects and have successfully realized a few prominent scientific and professional aggregates. In parallel with the teaching and scientific work, a successful international and Inter-University cooperation evolved. Since its inception to this day, the University signed around two hundred contracts on cooperation with academic and scientific institutions from the Republic of Srpska, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as other countries like Bulgaria, Italia, Japan, Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Serbia, Thailand, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, Montenegro, USA, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Turkey, Romania, Spain, and others. Starting with the school year of 2007/08, the University of Banja Luka implemented The Bologna Process in all study programs even though some faculties implemented it sooner. The three-cycle system has been introduced (bachelor/master/doctorate) and the ECTS system of valuation of courses and total workload of students and the principle of yearly student workload of 60 ECTS points. Following the grouping of study fields, the University in Banja Luka made a strategic decision to group all subjects (courses, modules) in more strict fields of studies regardless of the Faculty/Academy where they are being attended. After that, individual science/art studies have been registered within the respective Faculties/Academies. Since January 2008, the University in Banja Luka has been integrated with faculties as its organizational units. Corresponding to the needs of the labor market and the students' interests, in 2009, three new faculties as part of the University were formed: Faculty of Philology, Faculty of Political Sciences, and Faculty of Mining. In 2012, the Higher School of Interior Business became a member of the University. In 2013, University in Banja Luka was accredited and registered into the Register of Institutions of Higher Education led by the Institution for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance of Bosnia and Herzegovina. View full university

Independent University Banja Luka was founded in 2005 as a higher education institution named Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, and in 2007 it is expanded and registered in the University. There are six organizational units within the University: Faculty of Political Science Faculty of Education Faculty of Economics Faculty of Informatics Faculty of Ecology Faculty of Security and Protection Faculty of Fine Arts The aims and principles of education at NUBL are the realization, improvement, and development of knowledge, science and culture, and international cooperation in acquiring and improving scientific knowledge. The superior quality of the modern concept of undergraduate education at NUBL is based on mandatory principles on establishing a single European Higher Education Area established in the declarations from Bologna and Lisbon. The structure of the three-year program leading to a university degree is entirely consistent with the trend of reforms in acquiring higher education titles in Europe within the Bologna Process. This structure should allow our students to compare their qualifications with similar higher education institutions. Knowledge has become an essential resource in economic life. Primat in business success does not allow either natural resources, modern machines, even financial capital. The role of NUBL is to develop students' creativity and educate them in experts capable of solving specific problems because, in our system, the values of people are in the first place, primarily our students. Because of them and their future, we are here. The knowledge they need to transfer requires top professors, lecturers, and associates. The University takes care of the selection, professional development, and improvement of each employee. Teaching is supported by state-of-the-art information and audio-visual technology, making it easier for students to accept new knowledge and teach lecturers. Our business partners from the environment play an essential role in developing future employees – practitioners are the most successful experts and permanent guest lecturers at our University. Students have the opportunity to acquire and verify their knowledge through practical examples. Therefore, if one word is necessary to show the essence of our work, then it is developing knowledge, relationships, and people. By linking science and research work, artistic creativity, education, science, profession, and art, through the realization of existing and new study programs, students should be trained to do business in a globally and technologically highly developed environment, requiring constant acquisition and development of new knowledge, initiative, and innovation, entrepreneurial ability, ability to make decisions in a lack of time, ability to work in conditions of diversity, in order to achieve individual, University and social interests. The strategic goal of scientific and research work is to strengthen the role of the University at the national and international level by raising the quality of research, participating in significant national and international scientific research and research and development projects, and achieving scientific excellence, recognition, and recognition of the University and its faculties. Since no country is rich enough to develop all research areas with the same intensity, it is natural to stimulate those researchers and research groups that have already shown excellence in their work, as well as areas of interest for the Republic of Srpska and BiH, but also to especially encouraged and stimulated by young researchers and scientists. It implies that everyone should be provided with initial support to create the necessary prerequisites for further development. The total number of students who studied or are currently studying is around 2000, first at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, and then at the University. So far, around 1200 students graduated from all faculties at the University. In addition to graduate students of the undergraduate study, about 50 students received their master's degree in the second cycle of studies. About 70% of them are employed, and part of them continued their studies at the master's degree in domestic and foreign faculties. About 400 graduates found the first job after completing one of our faculties. Transition per faculty ranges from 80% to 94%. The Independent University is a signatory to the cooperation agreement with numerous higher education institutions with the fundamental goal of ensuring the dissemination and exchange of educational and scientific experience, with the emphasis on further development and improvement of knowledge and acquisition of skills of students and teaching staff in order to enable the successful management of the process of higher education reforms and the integration of these higher education institutions into the European education system. The Independent University of Banja Luka has confirmed the quality standard of work by the Decision on Accreditation, issued by the Agency for Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions of the RS. View full university