Reception for Two PhD Candidates and Their Mentors at the University of Banja Luka

Vice-Rector for International and Interuniversity Cooperation of the University of Banja Luka Prof. Biljana Antunović, PhD, talked on 12 April 2021 with two PhD candidates, who are staying at our higher education institution within the Erasmus+ exchange programme. 

During the reception at the Rectorate, which was also attended by the mentors of the candidates, Vice-Rector for International and Interuniversity Cooperation of the University of Banja Luka Prof. Biljana Antunović, PhD, pointed out that the foreign PhD candidates’ coming to the University is in line with the goals set of the internationalization of the University, specifically the internationalization of science. According to her, it is especially interesting that the PhD candidates arrived to our University at the time of the corona virus pandemic.

The PhD candidate Naser Kodor from the University of Santiago de Compostela, will stay here for three months. He decided to come to the University of Banja Luka due to the fact that the study programmes largely coincide with the plan of his research, and that there is a large volume of already conducted scientific research work. His doctoral research is in mechanical engineering; however, he uses nanoparticle-based lubricants in his work.

Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka Suzana Gotovac-Atlagić, PhD, will be Kodor’s mentor and she points out that she is satisfied with the fact that this exchange was carried out. She is particularly pleased with the fact that her candidate will take an active part in the LUBRICAD project. She underlines that it is a project financed by the Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development, Higher Education and Information Society of the Republic of Srpska, which is being implemented at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Evgeny Serebrennikov is a PhD candidate at the University of Granada, and his research work concerns the issue of human trafficking. 

He says that he chose the University of Banja Luka on the recommendation of his colleagues from the countries of the former Yugoslavia, and that a significant part of his dissertation relates to the issue of harmonization of legislation of the candidate countries with relevant legislation of the European Union, so his stay at our higher education institution will help him to a great extent to familiarize himself with the local legislation governing this area. 

Evgeny plans to stay in Banja Luka for five months and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Banja Luka Milijana Buha, PhD, will be his mentor. She expressed satisfaction that she will have the opportunity to mentor a candidate who deals with human trafficking issues in his dissertation. As stated by Assistant Professor Buha, this issue is especially relevant in the light of the current migrant crisis in BH.