Centre for Sociological and Political Sciences Studies – Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

The Independent University of Banja Luka successfully hosted the Fourth International
Scientific Conference entitled Future, Research and Expectations in Science, Knowledge
and Aspirations (FRESKA) on 13 November 2025 at its premises in Banja Luka.

The conference was organized by the Independent University of Banja Luka in cooperation with
the Centre for Sociological and Political Sciences Studies – Institute for African Studies of
the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russian Federation) and the University of the
Free State (Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa).

Opening addresses were delivered by Goran Kalinić, Director of the Independent University of
Banja Luka; Dr. Natalia A. Zherlitsyna, Deputy Director of the Institute for African Studies of
the Russian Academy of Sciences; and Prof. Dr. Husein Solomon, Head of the Centre for
Gender and African Studies at the University of the Free State.
The scientific programme included panel discussions featuring eminent scholars such as Prof.
Dr. Marko Koščak (University of Maribor, Slovenia), Prof. Dr. Dragan Bataveljić (Faculty of
European Legal and Political Studies, Serbia), Ivan Dodig (Vimal Polytechnic, Croatia), and Dr.
Sergej Kosteljanec, Head of the Centre for Sociological and Political Studies at the Institute for
African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The conference brought together members of the academic and professional community from
Russia, the Republic of South Africa, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia
and Herzegovina, providing a platform for international academic exchange and
interdisciplinary cooperation.

In addition to plenary and panel sessions, the conference was structured around four thematic
sections:

• Demographic and Economic Rise of Africa: Local and Global Implications
• Society, Economy and Ecology
• Technology, Biotechnology and Informatics
• Global Approaches to Levels of Equality across Different Social Groups

The conference was chaired by Assist. Prof. Dr. Dragana Popović and MA Vesna Rodić, while

moderation was conducted by Assist. Prof. Dr. Predrag Obrenović, Assoc. Prof. Ljiljana

Čekić, Prof. Vladica Ristić, and the distinguished academician Prof. Dr. Marija Maksin.

Finally, we express our sincere gratitude to the organizer and co-organizers of the conference for
their exceptional dedication and the successful realization of this important scientific event, as
well as to all keynote speakers, panelists, and participants whose expertise and experience
significantly enriched the discussions and facilitated a meaningful exchange of ideas. Special
appreciation is extended to the institutional leadership, conference chairs, moderators, and all
members of the organizing and technical teams for their professionalism and selfless
commitment. The participation of representatives from the academic and professional
communities of multiple countries further underscored the international relevance of the
conference and created opportunities for future cooperation and joint research initiatives.

Pozdravni govor održali su direktor NUBL-a Goran Kalinić, zamjenica direktora Instituta za afričke studije
pri Ruskoj akademiji nauka dr Natalia A. Zherlitsyna i prof. dr Husein Solomon, rukovodilac Centra za
rodne i Afričke studije pri Univerzitetu slobodne zemlje Južne Afrike.

U radu naučne konferencije, u panel izlaganjima između ostalih učestvovali su prof. dr Marko Koščak
(Fakultet za turizam, Univerzitet u Mariboru, Slovenija), prof. dr Dragan Bataveljić (Fakultet evropskih
pravnih i političkih studija, Srbija), Ivan Dodig (Veleučilišta Vimal, Hrvatska) i dr Sergej Kosteljanec,
(rukovodilac Centra za sociološke i političke studije, Institut za afričke studije Ruske akademije nauka).

Konferenciji su prisustvovali predstavnici naučne i stručne zajednice iz Rusije, Južnoafričke Republike,
Slovenije, Srbije, Hrvatske, Crne Gore i Bosne i Hercegovine.

Konferencija pored panel sekcije imala je četiri različite sekcije:
Prvi sekcija: DEMOGRAFSKI I EKONOMSKI USPON AFRIKE: LOKALNE I GLOBALNE IMPLIKACIJE.

Druga sekcija: DRUŠTVO, EKONOMIJA I EKOLOGIJA.

Treća sekcija: TEHNOLOGIJA, BIOTEHNOLOGIJA I INFORMATIKA.

Četvrta sekcija: RAZLIČITI GLOBALNI PRISTUPI NIVOIMA JEDNAKOSTI RAZLIČITIH DRUŠTVENIH
KATEGORIJA

Konferenciju su vodile doc. dr Dragana Popović I MA Vesna Rodić. Moderatori konferencije su bili doc. dr
Predrag Obrenović, vanredni profesor Ljiljana Čekić, prof. Vladica Ristić i uvažena akademkinja prof. dr
Marija Maksin.

Na kraju, izražavamo iskrenu zahvalnost organizatoru i suorganizatorima konferencije na izuzetnoj
posvećenosti i uspješnoj realizaciji ovog značajnog naučnog skupa, kao i svim govornicima, panelistima i
učesnicima koji su svojim znanjem i iskustvom doprinijeli kvalitetu rasprava i razmjeni ideja. Posebnu
zahvalnost upućujemo rukovodstvu institucija, moderatorima, voditeljima konferencije te svim
članovima organizacionog i tehničkog tima na profesionalnosti i nesebičnom angažmanu. Prisustvo
predstavnika naučne i stručne zajednice iz više zemalja dodatno je potvrdilo međunarodni značaj
konferencije i otvorilo prostor za buduću saradnju i zajedničke istraživačke projekte.

Technical University of Cluj Napoca, North University Center of Baia Mare

Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Computers

Independent University Banja Luka

University of Applied Sciences Kempten  

INVITATION LETTER

Dear colleagues and friends, 

Technical University of Cluj Napoca, North University Center of Baia Mare, Independent University Banja Luka and University of Applied Sciences Kempten, have the pleasure and honour to invite you to the International Conference INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN SCIENCE – IIS2025, which will take place in Baia Mare on 25-26th September 2025, Romania.

The conference aims to provide an opportunity for academics, researchers and other participants, to discuss new achievements and concepts, fostering direct contact among professionals. It tries to open and develop new research directions, approaches and innovative practices in a continually evolving world. 

The conference proposes to unite different fields of science under the idea of developing works and future interdisciplinary projects. Our goal is to identify opportunities for creating research consortia to disseminate valuable research results, tackle complex projects, and participate in European research programs. 

Authors from the scientific community, as well as from the industry fields, are invited to submit papers on the following suggested areas: 

INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN SCIENCE 2024

IMPORTANT DATES  

• 08 September 2025 – submission of an abstract 
• 19 September 2025 – notification of acceptance 
• 30 November 2025 – submission of full papers 

PARTICIPATING IN THE CONFERENCE  

• Official languages of the conference: English. 
• The abstracts will be sent via email to the workshop secretariat. The template of the abstract is on the workshop website. 
• Paper submission details and the author kit are available on the conference website iis.cunbm.utcluj.ro
• We will organize a Video-conference session for registered speakers who do not have the possibility to travel to the conference location. 
• Following a review process, the papers accepted and presented in IIS2025 will be published in a BDI Journal. 

Any additional information regarding the conference can be found on the websites iis.cunbm.utcluj.ro

If you have any questions regarding the conference, please contact the email address:  cristian.barz@ieec.utcluj.ro, vesna.rodic@nubl.org, rolf.jung@hs-kempten.de, crbarz@yahoo.com.

We are looking forward to seeing you at our conferences. 

END DATE
30.11.2026

FUNDING
Erasmus+ CBHE (Capacity Building in Higher Education)

LEAD PARTNER
UNIVERZITET ADRIATIK BAR, Crna Gora

PEF UM PARTICIPANTS
Izr. prof. dr. Maja Hmelak, izr. prof. dr. Tomaž Bratina, doc. dr. Nikolaja Golob i asist. dr. Eva Kranjec

In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, STE(A)M education and training practices have gained attention in Higher Education (HE). Given the world is in its fourth industrial revolution, the demand for STEM experts and professionals is expected to grow in the future. Women’s involvement in STEM studies and careers remains remarkably low in most of the Western Balkans despite the fact that 56% of enrolled students in tertiary education were female over the period 2015-18 in the region according to the RCC’s study. Only North Macedonia and Serbia have higher shares of female students in natural sciences, mathematics, and statistics subjects, outperforming all Western Balkan economies. The Global Gender Gap Report 2021 shows that STEM attainment in Montenegro was 15.20% among women compared to 30.01% for men while Bosnia and Herzegovina performed somewhat better with 16.12% attainment for women and 28.43% for men. Men outnumber women by almost double the margin. Intersectional vulnerability is omnipresent with Roma women and girls in education (with a rate of enrolment of 1% and completion of 0,1%) and employment.

In order to address the current (STEM-related) gender and intersectional imbalances in the Western Balkans HE and career pursuit, the GEAR project proposes a framework for change of the present situation through:

1. Co-designed development and implementation of gender equality plans at WB HEIs
2. Strengthening women’s and girls’ participation in STE(A)M studies and careers
3. Fostering support and participation of women and girls with fewer opportunities in HE
4. Implementation of national and local gender aspects in strategic developmental frameworks, e.g. specialization strategies, inclusion, and gender strategies
5. Catering for the needs of the most vulnerable (female) students, i.e. Roma.

MOOC Library

UTZ

Critical Thinking 1: https://tinyurl.com/22nqxf85

Critical Thinking 2: https://tinyurl.com/2yzjgasj

Critical Thinking 3: https://tinyurl.com/2d58ewrc

Critical Thinking 4: https://tinyurl.com/2dkgb2ls

CT Skills for Students Interactive Education Presentation: https://tinyurl.com/2yejxnjr

NUBL

Critical Thinking 1: https://tinyurl.com/23zas9hz

Critical Thinking 2: https://tinyurl.com/2am3zxvj

Critical Thinking 3: https://tinyurl.com/265nnxex

CT Moocs documentation: https://tinyurl.com/26kbosmo

UA

Critical thinking : https://tinyurl.com/23shblcb

Critical thinking : https://tinyurl.com/22urdda8

CT MOOC Documentation: https://tinyurl.com/2bx2jryb

UoM

Critical thinking : https://tinyurl.com/27hv3bv3

All participants should download the full paper template found below.

У оквиру Ерасмус+ пројекта GEAR (Gender Equality in Academia and Research, број 101129408), на Филозофском факултету Универзитета у Литванији, у периоду 19. и 20. јуна 2025. године, одржана је радионица фокусирана на унапређење родне равноправности у СТЕМ образовању и каријерама.

Независни универзитет Бања Лука, Институт за научно-истраживачки рад, представљале су доц. др. Драгана Поповић и виши асистент Весна Родић, које су, заједно са стручњацима за образовање из још пет партнерских институција, учествовале у низу радионица с циљем продубљивања знања и развијања компетенција у области родно инклузивног образовања:

• Радионица о развоју планова родне равноправности (Gender Equality Plans – GEPs),
• Радионица за креирање универзитетских алата за родну равноправност и равнотежу између пословног и приватног живота, укључујући инструменте за мониторинг и евалуацију
• Радионица за израду алата за критичко мишљење и родно оснаживање (женских) наставника и истраживача.

Посебну захвалност упућујемо нашим партнерима на сарадњи и посвећености:
Vilniaus Universitetas, University Adriatic, Јавна установа Универзитет Црне Горе, Независни универзитет Бања Лука и Јавна установа Универзитет у Тузли.

Заједно градимо инклузивније академске заједнице.

Workshop on Gender-Inclusive STEM Education & Careers – GEAR Project

As part of the Erasmus+ project GEAR (Gender Equality in Academia and Research, No. 101129408), a workshop focused on promoting gender equality in STEM education and careers was held at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Lithuania, on June 19 and 20, 2025.

Independent University Banja Luka, Institute for Scientific Research, was represented by Assoc. Prof. Dragana Popović and Senior Teaching Assistant Vesna Rodić, who, together with education experts from five other partner institutions, participated in a series of workshops aimed at deepening knowledge and developing competencies in the field of gender-inclusive education:

• Workshop on the Development of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs)
• Workshop on Development of Gender Equality and Work-Life Balance University Toolkits with M&E Instruments
• Workshop on Development of Critical thinking and gender empowerment toolkit for (female) teachers and researchers.

We extend our sincere thanks to our partners for their collaboration and commitment:
Vilniaus Universitetas, University Adriatic, Public Institution University of Montenegro, Independent University Banja Luka, and Public Institution University of Tuzla.

Together, we are building more inclusive academic communities.

All participants should download the full paper template found below.

All participants should download the full paper template found below.