The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Tuzla successfully organized the Tuzla Science Camp 2018 from August 16th to 19th, 2018, and the Connect 2.0 Symposium in Neum from August 19th to 25th, 2018. These events were co-organized with the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, and included the participation of the University of Banja Luka, the University of Mostar, the University of Novi Sad, the University of Sarajevo, the University of Zagreb, the Ruđer Bošković Institute from Zagreb, the GSI Institute from Darmstadt, and the Technical University of Dresden.
The symposium was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Science has always been at the forefront of encouraging and enabling international collaboration. Scientists have a tradition of overcoming ethnic and political barriers as pioneers in establishing new forms of cooperation.
The Connect 2.0 Symposium was initiated by scientists from Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia, who are active in the fields of theoretical/mathematical physics and experimental/applied physics.
The focus of the symposium was not the exchange of scientific ideas but rather discussions on promoting science and its impact on civil society in the region. Existing connections in the field of physics were utilized to establish networks among local universities in the region.
The main goal of the symposium was to bring together young researchers and encourage mutual discussions to reach conclusions that would advance the development of civil society.
The Tuzla Science Camp was held in Tuzla from August 16th, 2018, where students, divided into four groups, worked on the following topics under the mentorship of professors from the region:
- Dr. Saša Ceci (Ruđer Bošković) – “Science Slam”
- Dr. Stevan Armaković (Novi Sad) – “Interdisciplinarity as a key factor for efficient scientific collaboration and research”
- Mr. Nemanja Rakić (Banja Luka) – “How to increase interest in natural sciences?”
- Dr. Jadranko Batista (Mostar) – “Comparison of study programs in natural sciences in the region”
The Connect 2.0 Symposium was held in Neum from August 19th to 25th, 2018, where students presented their work on assigned topics and participated in discussions about joint projects, research centers, and joint postgraduate studies in the Western Balkans. Participating professors delivered a series of highly interesting lectures on these topics and agreed on a multitude of future joint projects, both within the region and with German colleagues.
A special highlight was the participation of Dr. Christian Sturm from the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, who presented activities related to the construction of a new particle accelerator in Darmstadt. One student from Tuzla is already participating in the GSI Summer Student Program, which lasts for 8 weeks. In the future, we plan to establish much stronger ties with this exceptional scientific institution, involving both our scientists and students!
