The Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences (BHAAAS) is proud to announce that our esteemed member and one of the founders of the Academy, Prof. Dr. Kenan Arnautović, has been elected President-Elect, and thus the future President, of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) — the largest and most influential international organization of neurosurgical societies.
This decision was made at the World Congress of Neurosurgery in Dubai in 2025, where Prof. Arnautović won a decisive victory in the official WFNS voting, receiving the highest number of votes from delegates worldwide. His election confirms not only his exceptional professional reputation and internationally recognized expertise, but also the high level of trust he enjoys within the global neurosurgical community.
Prof. Arnautović was born in 1960 in Sarajevo. He graduated from the University of Sarajevo School of Medicine as the top student of his class. He began his neurosurgery residency in Sarajevo and continued his training in Hannover, while his second residency was completed in the United States at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, under the mentorship of one of the most renowned neurosurgeons of our time, Dr. Sam Al-Mefty. He moved to the U.S. in 1994, where he continued to build an outstanding career. Since 2002, he has worked at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Memphis and has taught neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee, establishing himself as one of the leading experts in the field of brain and spinal tumor surgery.
Throughout his professional career, Prof. Arnautović has published numerous scientific papers in the world’s most prestigious neurosurgical journals, with several of his articles featured on the covers of leading medical publications. He is a member of eight professional associations in the United States, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and due to his international reputation, he frequently serves on expert committees and organizational bodies of the largest neurosurgical congresses.
From the very founding of BHAAAS, Prof. Arnautović has been one of the key figures in the mission of connecting diaspora experts with scientists and physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He initiated visits of American neurosurgeons to Sarajevo, secured significant equipment donations for hospitals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and organized educational programs and training opportunities for Bosnian physicians at top U.S. medical institutions. His efforts have contributed significantly to raising the standards of neurosurgical practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina and strengthening international collaboration.
The election of Prof. Dr. Kenan Arnautović as President of the WFNS represents the pinnacle of an exceptional professional career and a powerful affirmation that experts of Bosnian-Herzegovinian origin hold an important place on the global scientific stage. For BHAAAS, this recognition further confirms the importance and value of our mission, as well as the significant role our members play in advancing science, medicine, and education in Bosnia and Herzegovina and worldwide.
BHAAAS extends its sincere congratulations to Prof. Arnautović, with great pride that one of the founders of our Academy will lead the global neurosurgical community and continue strengthening Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ties with the highest standards of international medicine.
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