Education is crucial for the development of society. American professor of Bosnian origin Ismar Volić contributes to the change of education and Bosnia and Herzegovina to be a country with a better life. Interviewed by: Benjamin Redžić This professor of mathematics at Boston's Wellesley College is among the organizers of this year's Days of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-American Academy of Arts and Sciences (BHAAAS), which will be held in Sarajevo's Novotel hotel (formerly Bristol). Ismar Volić: Distinguished professor of mathematics from Boston, back in Bosnia and Herzegovina We spoke with Volić about this event, which will begin on Thursday and last until June 23. A special emphasis of the conversation was on STEM, to which the plenary session of the 11th Day of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-American Academy of Arts and Sciences will be dedicated. He also referred to the importance of international research that analyzes the state of a country's school system. Volić said that the management of BHAAAS is headed by Prof. . Ph.D. Emir Festić tried to organize a scientific event this year, which, as he said, has no equal in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, and which was also supported by the Ministry for Refugees and Human Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He pointed out that numerous European and American experts will hold lectures for nearly a thousand participants at the 16 symposiums, stressing the following: "Also, as always, we tried to attract as many young researchers and students as possible, because one of our main goals is for them to learn about the latest scientific and medical trends and techniques, but also to make contacts with top experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad." He also hinted at the cultural and artistic program, which he claims will be impressive. According to him, on the day of the official opening of the conference in the City Hall, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the concert of BHAAAS member Svjetana Bukvich. In addition, the play Do You Remember Dolly Bell will be performed in the Chamber Theater that day. An exhibition of works by BHAAAS member Adis Fejzić will be opened in the Bosnian Cultural Center. Classical music lovers will have the opportunity to attend a concert by the Sarajevo Philharmonic as, as he said, a long-term collaborator of BHAAAS.
BHAAAS and STEM
In the continuation of the conversation for the Radiosarajevo.ba portal, Professor Volić spoke about STEM as the topic of the plenary session. He believes that this scientific event is an important moment for STEM education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, recalling the following: "What has been common knowledge in developed countries for decades, namely that in today's technology-driven economy, there is no prosperity without a well-designed STEM education, is finally becoming more and more clearly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. BHAAAS wants to join the individuals and organizations that have been fighting for the implementation of STEM curriculum here for a long time." At the session, participants will have the opportunity to present the state of STEM education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said.
He hopes that this scientific event will encourage the implementation of integrated STEM education at all educational levels. The session dedicated to STEM will also be attended by the Minister of Education of Sarajevo Canton Zineta Bogunić, representatives of Save the Children, the Agency for Preschool, Primary, and Secondary Education, high school and university professors, parents, and leaders in the technological and industrial sector, stressed Professor Volić. When asked if he thought he had succeeded in pointing out the importance of STEM for pupils and students to the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he answered for the Radiosarajevo.ba portal: "A voice like mine, especially when it comes from outside, can hardly reach the authorities. The burden of that task rests mostly on the hundreds of people who struggle here every day to bring modern, world-class education... I had the honor of meeting many of these people, and I am impressed by their energy and dedication. I think so. Then it happened through their collective voice." He also reminded me that USAID supports the Enable-BiH project, whose goal is to improve basic education, which includes the introduction of the STEM curriculum in schools. "This program is implemented by Save the Children, which, in partnership with ministries, organizations, educational institutions, and the private sector, has created key documents for STEM and is piloting in 13 schools. This is a huge job and a big step in the right direction, but it must be capitalized on in the sense that its driving force must be used to design a comprehensive national STEM plan," he opined. Given the above, he believes that one of the tasks of BHAAAS is to offer and support such programs because its members live and work in countries where STEM education is the norm.
What is the importance of STEM?
He explained that STEM does not only bring economic development but "it also has wider benefits. It is much more than some new way of learning old things from mathematics or biology. The crucial innovation in STEM education is that it nurtures analytical and creative thinking and is based on learning through projects and applications to the world around us. It is driven by real problem-solving, discovery, exploratory learning, and play, and as such, prepares students for any career. Not only in STEM fields where analytical and critical thinking is required." When asked whether Bosnia and Herzegovina can be competitive in STEM in the regional, European, or even global frameworks alongside countries such as the United States of America, China, or Japan, he said: "Economic progress through education reform is not only in the domain of large and rich countries such as the ones you listed. Today's economy is driven by technological innovation and creativity at the individual level, and this can be nurtured through adequately designed education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is what countries like Estonia and Slovenia did, and we could take over and modify their models." He advised the BiH government on what it should do in terms of STEM development. "First, an overarching, unified vision is needed... by the highest institutions responsible for education. They must establish an advisory body for STEM to guide planning and curriculum and to set educational standards. There must be a comprehensive plan for the development and promotion of STEM, which includes financial incentives for STEM education and research, cooperation with industry and the technological sector, university STEM education at the highest level, and promotion of STEM in society through positive stories," said Professor Volić in an interview with the Radiosarajevo.ba portal. 
While the acronym STEM is new for Bosnia and Herzegovina, it has been used in the United States for 25 years, he pointed out, adding that his children have been studying it since elementary school. "Even the current grotesque American policy that attacks science and reason from all sides does not touch STEM education because it is clear that without it there is no economic viability," he stated. However, he is convinced that STEM education cannot be of high quality if Bosnia and Herzegovina allocates one percent of its GDP for education, while developed countries allocate up to six percent.
TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS as an opportunity for changes in education
At the end of the interview for the Radiosarajevo.ba portal, Professor Volić commented on international research, such as TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS, which show the actual state of a country's education system. He is not optimistic about the results of the PISA survey conducted last year in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the results of which will be published in the fall. "Experts predict that they will not be good. The root of the problem certainly goes deep, and, as in many other aspects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is firmly entrenched due to inertia and resistance to change, and it is perpetuated by the political system to which the status quo corresponds," his attitude. 
However, he sees an opportunity in this and other research. "It can be an opportunity to initiate and achieve meaningful change. For example, Poland and Slovenia implemented significant educational reforms after disappointing PISA results and now rank near the top of the rankings. Germany, Denmark, Japan, Australia, and many other developed countries regularly use PISA results as an indicator and a guide for small and large corrections in education, thus consistently maintaining their status as progressive and prosperous countries and forces that would lead us to economic independence and progress through education," Professor Ismar Volić concluded in an interview with the Radiosarajevo.ba portal. (https://www.radiosarajevo.ba)
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