The first conference on supporting gifted children and youth

The Conference “From potential to success – creating an inclusive model of support to gifted children and youth” was held on 26 September 2025, at the Student Cultural Center of the University of Banja Luka, and it was the first such event in the Republic of Srpska, dedicated to supporting the gifted children and youth.

The Rector of the University of Banja Luka, Prof. Radoslav Gajanin, PhD, emphasized the significance of the conference as a platform for professional and systematic discussions about the development, education, and inclusion of youth in the social and scientific spheres.

“The University of Banja Luka supports the initiatives that contribute to the advancement of the education system and creating conditions in which the talents will be recognized and developed”, said Prof. Gajanin, adding that the University is open for dialogue and partnership, providing expertise, research support, and infrastructural help where needed.

The Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Željka Cvijanović, emphasized the importance of recognizing the gifted children and the role of capable teachers who work with them in a coordinated and organized fashion. 

“The educators are an enormous systemic resource in helping the development of what exists in a child”, said Cvijanović. 

She pointed out that the institutions of the Republic of Srpska have developed different programs of support for gifted children and that she was satisfied it is possible to interconnect the experts from the region.

The Head of the Center for Talents “NAUM”, Prof. Milica Drobac Pavićević, PhD, emphasized that the conference gathered significant lecturers from the region with decades of experience in working with gifted students, in order to establish cooperation and exchange positive experiences.

,,We hope to be able to help the children, the region, and all those interested in investing in science and education. We have teacher training, as we recognized that “Petnica” should be an addition to the school system, and not something that changes it”, said the Director of the Research Station “Petnica”, Dr Nemanja Martinović, and expressed hope that this conference will mark the beginning of the long-term cooperation with the “NAUM” center.

On the other hand, the Manager of the Scientific-Education Center “Višnjan”, Korado Korlević, pointed out that the chief bearer of education in the future should be the university. 

,,Language and philosophy, which we considered as non-scientific, will be very important in the world that comes”, he said.

The conference was organized by the University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Philosophy, Center for Talents “NAUM”, and Foundation “Kaća”, under the auspices of the Serb member of the BiH Presidency, and it was attended by the Vice-Rectors, Prof. Milica Balaban, PhD, and Prof. Dalibor Kesić, PhD, the Chairman of the Steering Board of the UNIBL, Prof. Biljana Antunović, PhD, and many guests.

Photo: D. Desnica