Commemoration Held and Wreaths Laid at the Commemorative Plaque Dedicated to the Fallen Students and Employees

In honour of marking 45 years of successful work and development of the University of Banja Luka, commemoration was held on 6 November 2019 and wreaths were laid at the commemorative plaque dedicated to fallen students and employees of the University of Banja Luka who lost their lives in the past defensive and patriotic war as members of the Army of the Republic of Srpska.

„A total of 87 employees and students of the University gave their lives for the freedom of the Republic of Srpska and all of us. I thank them for defending their homeland in one of the most difficult times. It is our permanent duty to keep memory of them alive and never allow their names and courage to be forgotten, because thanks to them, today we have a strong and stable Republic of Srpska and the University’’, the rector of the University of Banja Luka, Prof. Radoslav Gajanin, PhD, said during the commemoration held on the plateau between the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

„I must say that the University of Banja Luka has initiated activities on the construction of a memorial site in honour of the fallen students and employees of the University of Banja Luka, which will be located in the University Campus.”, the rector said.

Minister for Scientific and Technological Development, Higher Education and Information Society of the Republic of Srpska Srđan Rajčević stated that the students and professors of the University of Banja Luka who have lost their lives for their country must never be forgotten.

Rajčević said that their names must be inscribed not only on the commemorative plaque, but also in the hearts of all of us.

„They gave everything they had for the Republic of Srpska and that is why the Government will try to make the country they fought for even better", Rajčević said.

President of the Veterans’ Organization of the Republic of Srpska Milomir Savčić said that the mobilization of youth for the defense of the country reflects the seriousness of the situation back then, and that the Serbian people have had several such difficult situations throughout history that must not be forgotten.

Zora Vuković from Banja Luka, mother of the fallen soldier Boris Vuković, who was the student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Banja Luka, said that time does not heal wounds, but that life cannot stop.

„Boris left behind a daughter, who was not even born when he died. I’m here to help her go through life and that keeps me alive”, she added.

Let us be reminded that at the beginning of the war, a number of students, employees and teaching staff of the University of Banja Luka had been in the units of the Army of the Republic of Srpska. In the second half of 1994, when a state of war was declared in part of the territory of the Republic of Srpska, all students, army conscripts, and some of the teaching staff at the University of Banja Luka were mobilised. By order of the General Staff of the Army of the Republic of Srpska the Student Brigade was formed, comprised of around 2 500 members, which in the autumn of 1994 was on the front lines on the battlefields defending the Republic of Srpska, moving towards Bihać.