The minister and deputy minister of education visited the UNBL Headquarters for assistance coordination

Last night, the minister of education and culture in the Government of the Republic of Srpska, Goran Mutabdžija, and deputy minister Radmila Pejić, visited the University of Banja Luka’s Headquarters for the coordination of assistance to the people affected by the floods. Apart from vice-rector Draško Marinković, president of the Headquarters, and members: vice-rector Milan Mataruga, Milan Skrobić, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Goran Amidžić, head of the Higher School of Internal Affairs, Mladen Amović, chairman of the University Student Parliament and Borivoje Obradović, vice-chairman of the Student Union, the meeting was attended by other representatives from the management of the University and its members, as well as the students who have been providing logistics and support to their colleagues in the field by organizing the trips to the work locations and the transport of food and medical supplies.

Mladen Amović, chairman of the Student Parliament chairman, acquaintd the guests with what the University of Banja Luka has done so far to aid the flooded areas. He noted that as early as Saturday, the second day of the flooding, nearly 500 students, organized with the help of the Student Parliament, set off to help the people affected by the floods, which is a testament to the students’ high level of awareness, social responsibility, humaneness and desire to help those in need. He also stated that in the past days, more than 2000 students were engaged in clearing the terrain and assisting the imperiled population. He explained that in the beginning there had been some problems in providing transport and food for the students in the field, which were overcome with support from the University and the “Nikola Tesla” Student Center, while they were greatly assisted in providing protective and other necessary equipment by their friends from the universities of Mostar, Ljubljana, Split, Podgorica, Prague and some municipalities in the eastern part of the Republic of Srpska.
Amović also informed the Ministry’s delegation of the measures that are being taken on a daily basis to protect the students in the field from injuries and infective diseases, pointing out how the Faculty of Medicine was of great importance in that respect.

Minister Mutabdžija and deputy minister Radmila Pejić commended the students for their responsibility and dedication, and expressed they were greatly satisfied for hearing that the students were so well organized, and especially that all precautions were taken for their safety at work, having in mind the potential sources of injury and disease. “Our fear for their safety was the only reason for our initial hesitation to support the proposition to halt classes and have the students go out into the field. Having heard all this we are much more at ease. We must say that we are proud of you and that we are fortunate to have such students”, concluded Radmila Pejić.
Vice-rector Marinković, president of the HQ for assistance coordination, also took the opportunity to once again commend the students of the University of Banja Luka who have, as he pointed out, aced all their exams in the past several days.
After the meeting with the delegation from the Ministry of Education, the HQ for assistance coordination held their regular conference, summarizing the field activities for the previous day and agreeing on the planned student activities for Friday, May 23rd 2014.
In accordance with those plans, 50 students were sent to Doboj on Friday, 100 to Šamac and 50 to Prijedor, while for Saturday it was agreed that a large number of employees and students of the University of Banja Luka would go to Šamac and provide help in clearing the waste from the floods.