ŠKRBIĆ: NEW GENERATION OF STAFF ESSENTIAL FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

BANJA LUKA, OCTOBER 12 /SRNA/ - Acting Rector of the University of Banja Luka Ranko Škrbić announced further staff expansion, stressing the need to employ young associates, researchers and scientists to support the development of faculties and improve the quality of teaching.

Speaking today at a ceremonial reception for newly appointed University staff, Škrbić said 34 new employees had been hired, including 21 teaching assistants, three senior teaching assistants, nine assistant professors and one professional associate.

"We have to keep strengthening our staff because that is our future. Without it, there will be no development of either the faculties or the University," Škrbić told reporters in Banja Luka.

He explained that the goal was not only to fill vacant positions, but also to increase staffing levels at the faculties and create a stronger personnel base for their further development.

Škrbić stressed the importance of giving young people opportunities for further professional development and doctoral studies, including education abroad, so they could bring the knowledge and experience they acquire back to their home faculties.

He said he had discussed future hiring needs with faculty deans and offered support for expanding staff, adding that the Faculty of Law would ask at the next Senate session for approval to open a competition for four new associates.

Goran Bokan, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Banja Luka, said that after 28 years of education and professional development, he had been appointed assistant professor at the Department of Internal Medicine.

Bokan, a specialist in internal medicine and gastroenterology, said advancement in teaching, gaining experience at foreign institutions and promoting study programs were important for the development of the faculty and attracting new students.

Radovan Ivanović, a teaching assistant in the accordion program at the University of Banja Luka Academy of Arts, said he was particularly pleased that, after completing his studies and master's degree, he had been given the opportunity to join the academic community at the institution where he himself had studied.

He said he saw his new position as an opportunity to pass on his knowledge and experience to future generations, stressing that dedicated work and continuous professional development should be recognized and valued.

"I think we live in a time when academic titles and diplomas can be obtained in different ways, but this is proof that continuous work and effort pay off and are ultimately recognized," Ivanović said.