Press conference - announcement of the meeting

Sarajevo, 18.10.2010. Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Safet Halilović Press conference: announcement of the meeting "Days of BHAAAS in BIH" Tuzla 2010. Dear ladies and gentlemen, It is my pleasure today to host the members of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-American Academy of Sciences and Arts (BHAAAS), an organization that brings together Bosnians in the United States of America and Herzegovina, according to American and international standards, achieved top results in their professional careers. Allow me to welcome Dr. Kenan Arnautović, vice president and acting president of the Academy, former president Dr. Eldin Karaiković, and members of the Board of Directors Dr. Ognjena Gajića, Ph.D. Emir Festić, and Dr. Gordan Srkalović, Ph.D. Namik Haverić, other members of the Academy, and all the guests present. 130 PhDs and top professionals from various fields. The main goal of this important organization is to establish and maintain connections between Bosnian scientists and artists in the United States and Canada and to develop cooperation with individuals and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The members of the Academy promote the spirit of intellectual diversity and the free exchange of ideas in the Bosnian diaspora and especially emphasize and encourage activities that contribute to the exchange of knowledge and experience with the appropriate institutions in BiH to help the development of their home country. That is why the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees highly appreciates and supports the event "Days of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-American Academy of Sciences and Arts," which will be held from October 20 to 22, 2010 in Tuzla. I remind you that last year this event was held in Sarajevo. I use this opportunity to remind once again that Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the countries with the largest emigration in the world concerning the total number of inhabitants. It is estimated that more than 1,350,000 people of Bosnia and Herzegovina origin currently live in 117 countries of the world, which represents a third of the total population of our country. What kind of potential Bosnia and Herzegovina has outside its borders is shown by the data on 28.6 percent of highly educated Bosnians and Herzegovinans in emigration. Working intensively with organizations in the diaspora and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we at the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees can say that many in our country are not aware of the potential we have in emigration—both intellectual and economic. In the last four years, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees—Department for Emigration has additionally engaged in the printing of several publications, with which we wanted BiH to provide citizens in the diaspora with useful information from various fields but also to present to our public the enormous scientific and cultural potential that our country has beyond its borders. Here I will mention the recently published second part of the publication "Who is Who in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Diasporas: doctors of science and scientific research workers." Namely, the Ministry started promoting the second part of this publication at the end of September, and we printed the first part a year ago. You can still view these publications today. You will find biographies of some members of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-American Academy of Sciences and Arts in these publications. In the end, I would like to invite media representatives and all interested institutions and organizations to pay due attention to the enormous human potential and goodwill of doctors of science, scientific and research workers, and numerous top artists of Bosnia and Herzegovina. of origin who live in all four corners of the world and want to help their country of origin in every possible way. The least we can do is to be grateful and support this kind of engagement and help through the transfer of knowledge and skills in the restoration and establishment of a model for the sustainable development and prosperity of BiH, for the benefit of current and future generations.

MINISTER dr. Safet Halilović