Through the Horizon Europe programme, within the framework of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the European Union supported Researchers’ Night in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the thirteenth consecutive year in September 2025 – this time across 13 cities and at the same time as in several other European countries.
“At first you didn’t want to come, and now we can’t get you to leave”, a father told his tearful little boy at the entrance to one of the venues hosting the activities.
In Sarajevo alone, hundreds of children and their parents truly enjoyed themselves – for some youngsters it was their very first experience of the wonders of VR technology, looking through a microscope or observing the sky through a telescope, while participants proudly showcased their inventions.
Among the exhibitors, there was a quiet rivalry over who could attract the most visitors.
Miriel Ligata from the First Grammar School in Sarajevo, together with her friends Naida Hadžialić and Zara Hamzić, and with the support of their mathematics teacher, Adha Arapović Osmanović, created a comic book through which trigonometry can be learned with relative ease.
“We wanted to make a comic about trigonometry so that we could understand and learn this branch of mathematics more easily. For the comic we measured many landmarks such as the statue of King Tvrtko, the cable car, the City Hall, the Clock Tower, while another part of the team built models. On site, using various apps, we measured the distance from buildings or the angle at which we observed them and then applied trigonometric calculations. It really helped me, because I used to be afraid of mathematics, and now I find it very easy”, said Miriel, emphasising that their comic has even been published in other school’s magazines.
Their teacher, Arapović Osmanović, explained that mathematics teaching must change and that this is a good way forward.
“They chose to make a comic – and believe me, trigonometry suddenly became interesting and easy”, she said, noting that all of her pupils had joined in innovative learning in mathematics, each in their own way.
At the neighbouring stand, a cluster of small lightbulbs illuminated plants.
“We built a generator that produces electricity from temperature differences. This matters because we waste – or throw away – a lot of energy, and yet we need it for faster development”, explained Esma Brulić, Fatima Čolan and Lamija Bašić from the Second Grammar School in Sarajevo.
Not far from them, a boy stood in front of a screen, moving his hand without touching anything – and the balls on the screen moved in response.
“I’m catching the balls with my hand – actually, by moving my hand in front of the camera I’m moving the balls on the screen”, he said, without taking his eyes off the monitor. His mentor at the stand, Berina Omerašević from the School In School project, a commercial initiative for additional education, explained that this was all about programming.
“The idea is to show children some basic principles of web programming in an engaging way. Here we used a camera and machine vision. At other stands we had an innovation lab and a science lab with chemistry experiments. The children find this really exciting and are highly engaged”, said Omerašević.
At one long table, a group of boys connected components of different colours and sizes – triggering sounds and setting objects in motion.
“We’re doing experiments with electricity – when we connect the ends of a conductor, we create an electric circuit that sets certain objects on this surface in motion. This is important for our future, because we need to know how things work, and everyone should understand how electricity makes things move”, said one visitor, a Year 8 pupil.
Outside the event was buzzing – with some 50 stands featuring various themes, experiments and equipment.
“Do you know what the night-time economy is? Would you like to give us your idea on how to improve the night-time economy in the city?” When you suggest better lighting, public transport, waste collection and road repairs at night, the stand’s host replies: “That’s what most people ask for”.
This year’s coordinator of Researcher’s Night in Bosnia and Herzegovina was Lejla Čamo from Europe House.
“The most important thing is for children to start learning science from a very early age, and for us all to realise that science is a public good, not a private resource. We are now hearing from people who wish to volunteer or propose projects, who themselves attended the very first Researcher’s Nights as children ten years ago. Since last year we’ve also been going into schools, especially in rural areas, and through the Scientists in Schools initiative we connect secondary school competition winners with senior researchers and younger pupils, because we believe it’s important for children to have role models not only among their peers but also among older scientists”, said Čamo.
The European Researchers’ Night 2025 took place on Friday, 26 September, in 13 cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sarajevo, Tuzla, Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Brčko, Goražde, Mostar, Konjic, Neum, Travnik and Trebinje – almost simultaneously with events in many other European countries. This is a pan-European initiative supported by the European Union through Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation funding programme. Horizon Europe provides scientists and researchers with resources and opportunities for collaboration across Europe, thereby fostering scientific discoveries and strengthening Bosnia and Herzegovina’s position within the global research community.
Researcher’s Night takes place simultaneously in 25 countries and more than 400 cities, and it is not just one night, but a unique opportunity to highlight the key role of science in shaping the future.
