Series of anticorruption workshops at the University in Banja Luka

Within the project „Introducing anticorruption measures at universities in BiH“, which is being implemented by VESTA Association from Tuzla in partnership with Omladinski komunikativni centar from Banja Luka, during the last month a series of seven workshops was held with students and representatives of students' organisations, on theme of corruption at the University. By the end of April three more workshops are expected to take place, of which one will be with the teaching and administrative staff of the University.

Buying and „arranging“ the passing of exams, expanding of admission lists and admission policy based on relations with family and friends, are the most frequent problems as recognised by students during the said workshops. Working in smaller groups, the future academic citizens looked at corruption from the perspective of authorities, professors, parents and students. Placing themselves in the role of one of the actors of corruption, students proposed a list of measures to prevent corruptive behaviour, to achieve greater transparency and raise citizens' awareness about corruption as a violation of law, and an unacceptable and disgraceful behaviour. One of the proposals that they were most interested in was using information technologies to ensure transparency of exams and study process.

More than 200 participants from almost all of the 16 faculties of Banja Luka University, took part in these workshops, which were logistically facilitated by partner organisation OKC Banja Luka. Differet forms of corruption at the University were identified as well as mechanisms to combat corruption. A large number of students spoke about forms of corruption, various forms of violation of their rights, irregularities at faculties and corruptive behaviour. The project is funded by the European Union through the IPA anticorruption program.