The Faculty of Ecology (FE) is a scientific and educational unit, which began operating in 2007 based on the decision of the Ministry of Education and Culture, no. 07.4-3664-2-3/07, which confirms that the University has met all conditions needed for administering work and that the Faculty of Ecology can begin operating.
The organizational concept of the Faculty of Ecology at the University of Business Studies Banja Luka is based on the first cycle study programs – a three-year program and, from the academic year 2011/12 due to the decision of the Ministry of Education and Culture, no. O7.023/612-410-3/10, a four-year program as well (240 ECTS), with which the first step, in an effort to encircle the education in the field of ecology at all levels, was achieved. The next step was to obtain the approval from the Ministry of Education and Culture for master studies (4 +1) in the ecology study program.The Commission of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Srpska has conducted an investigation and we are expecting a positive report from the Commission and the decision of the Ministry. Thus, we came closer to achieving our final goal – the organization of the third study cycle. We will achieve our goal of educating personnel at all levels (in the full profile of the profession).
The primary mission of the Faculty of Ecology is to acquire and expand knowledge and skills in the field of environmental protection as well as to educate students in solving numerous and complex environmental problems. Ecology, as a profession and science, promises to solve the growing number of environmental problems that have deeply endangered the capacity of the environment and thus the quality of living. For these reasons quality and comprehensive environmental education of future employees is crucial, because their future scientific and technical knowledge and skills will be a fundamental assumption for protecting the environmental quality of milieu, sustainable development and use of natural resources as well as the development of environmental awareness within environmental ethics.
As far as the vision is concerned, in the long term, it is predominantly focused on strengthening the dignity of the educational process and scientific research, for open environmental problems which will be permanently multiplied with geometrical progression. Thus, the need for strengthening and developing of these types of studies will be more expressive.
In order to ensure the necessary quality of education, teaching at the University is carried out by 15 teachers who are permanently employed by the University of Business Studies and 11 teachers under contract. In order to provide a higher level of scientific research, we have signed scientific-educational agreements on cooperation with several institutions from the Republic of Srpska and other countries from the region, such as: the Institute for Protection, Ecology and Informatics, Institute for Research on Sustainable Eco-systems – Velika Gorica, Zagreb, Agricultural Institute of the RS, Faculty of Applied Ecology – “Futura”, Belgrade. We have organized the first International Congress of Ecologists, “Ekološki spektar” (“Eco Spectrum”) which will be held in April 2012, and signed a contract with the association “Belgrade Ecology Movement” to publish the scientific Ecology Journal, “EKOB”, jointly. The journal is registered at the Serbian Business Registers Agency (APR).
The educational goal of the study of ecology is the development of competencies and skills attained in the field of ecology that are upgraded through the first and second cycle, with harmonious relationship of theoretical, practical and field work, directed towards acquiring knowledge and practical skills that students can use in future engagements in the field of ecology and protection of the environment.
