Historical development of the Faculty
The Faculty of Science and Mathematics is an organizational unit of the University of Sarajevo that makes a huge contribution to the scientific recognition and visibility of the University of Sarajevo, not only in the regional but also in the global world framework.
This is verified by the scientific successes of our alumni who work not only at the Faculty of Science but also at prominent universities and scientific institutions around the world.
Development of modern natural and mathematical science in Bosnia and Herzegovina began with the founding of the National Museum in Sarajevo (1888). The study of natural sciences at university level begins with the establishment of individual faculties such as the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Technology, the Higher Pedagogical School and others.
The first unification of natural and mathematical sciences at the University of Sarajevo took place after the Decree of the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina from February 14, 1950, which established the Faculty of Philosophy with two departments: the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. The Council of registrars at that time made professors: Anto Babić, Mladen Deželić, Husnija Kurt, Aleksandar Sabovljev and Stjepan Urban. The first dean of the Faculty of Philosophy was Ante Babić. At the session held on October 11, 1950, the heads of the newly created departments were elected:
- Department of the History of Yugoslav Literature and the Serbo-Croatian Language,
- Department of Foreign Languages,
- Department of History,
- Department of Geography,
- Department of Mathematics and Physics,
- Department of Chemistry and Physics,
- Department of Oriental Philology
In 1960, by the decision of the competent body of the People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette No. 50/60), the Faculty of Science and Mathematics was separated from the Faculty of Philosophy and became an independent scientific and teaching institution, which combines natural and mathematical sciences, which include scientific teaching departments:
- Department of Biology,
- Department of Physics,
- Department of Geography,
- Department of Chemistry,
- Department of Mathematics.
Each teaching-scientific department represents a rounded teaching and scientific unit, which consists of teaching-scientific chairs, scientific research centers and institutes.
The seat of the faculty was in the building of today's Gazi Husrev-bey madrasa, on the corner of the former Maršala Tito street (no. 114) and Đulagina.
Lectures on organic chemistry, and later biochemistry, were held at the Chemistry Institute of the Faculty of Medicine, and physics at the Institute of Physics of the Faculty of Medicine. Lectures on mathematics were taken with students of the Faculty of Architecture, and technology at the Faculty of Economics. Part of the practicum in chemistry was located in the courtyard annex of the old building.
At the plenary session of the Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1950, the proposal of Prof. Dr. Mladen Deželić on joining the construction of the Institute of Chemistry and Physics. The statutes of the Institute of Chemistry and Physics as well as the investment construction program were submitted to the Rectorate on October 14, 1950.
On January 16, 1959, the People's Committee of the Novo Sarajevo Assembly assigned a location for the construction of the Institute of Chemistry and Physics in Sarajevo, at the then Vojvode Putnika Street 43, (now Zmaja od Bosne 35) according to the project of Professor Juraj Neidhardt. The construction of the Institute of Chemistry and Physics of today's faculty, which houses the departments of physics, chemistry and mathematics, began in 1962.
Two years after the start of construction (1964), a modern architectural building was completed, the building of the Institute of Physics and Chemistry (now the Faculty of Science) with a functional interior layout, with then state-of-the-art laboratories based on Western European faculties. After independence (1960), the development of the Faculty was permanently marked by the positioning of the home of natural and mathematical sciences at the University of Sarajevo and the overall system of education and science in Bosnia and Herzegovina.