BANJA LUKA FORESTRY FACULTY WINS "CHARTER OF SUCCESS"

BELGRADE, OCTOBER 30 /SRNA/ - The University of Banja Luka's Faculty of Forestry has received the "Charter of Success" award for the publication "Pančić’s Spruce" by Milan Mataruga. The award is traditionally given to the publisher of the most sought-after book at the Republika Srpska stand at the International Belgrade Book Fair.

Marina Nonić, a professor at the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade, who received the award on behalf of the author and publisher, said it was a great honor because Mataruga completed his postgraduate studies in Belgrade and began his scientific work there.

"We have excellent cooperation with Professor Mataruga precisely on the conservation of forest genetic resources, and Pančić+s spruce is one of the most important species. It is a relict species that has survived many challenges, it is endangered today, and it is the task of all of us to preserve it," Nonić said.

She stressed that the monograph is an exceptionally important work which, in addition to its scientific character, has content that is very interesting to the wider public, who can learn more from it about Pančić's spruce, "the lady among conifers".

Nonić added that the monograph required field research and extensive scientific work before the writing could even begin.

Head of the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Serbia Mlađen Cicović, who presented the award as the organizer of Srpska's presentation at the fair, said that Republika Srpska had completed another successful presentation.

Cicović congratulated the Banja Luka Faculty of Forestry as publisher and the author, as well as the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade, because they show in the best possible way how Serbia and Republika Srpska should cooperate.

"Pančić's spruce grows both in Serbia and in Republika Srpska, and this monograph sends us the message that nature itself has made an effort to prove that we are one people, and that the border that exists is temporary and administrative. We must respect it, but we must also work on our identity, show it, and make sure every one of our compatriots knows that we are one people and that this territorial marker does not define us. We are all Serbs, wherever in the world we live," Cicović stressed.

Of the 100 books presented at the Republika Srpska stand since the start of the fair, visitors also showed particular interest in "Sreten Stojanović 1898-1960. The Scent of Home" by Vera B. Grujić, published by the "Ćirilo i Metodije" National Library from Prijedor.

Also in great demand was the photo monograph of the Donja Gradina Memorial Site, by three authors, published by the public institution of the same name.

The top five most sought-after books also included "Yoni’s Last Battle: The Rescue at Entebbe, 1976" by Iddo Netanyahu, published by the Republika Srpska Center for Socio-Political Research, and "Documents on the Genocide against Serbs in BiH in the Second World War", Vol. 1, by Draga Mastilović, published by the Institute of Historical Sciences of the University of Istočno Sarajevo.