Young Scientist, Entrepreneur, IBU Student and Future Genetic Counsellor Nermin Đuzić

During his high school education, Nermin Đuzić developed a special love for the natural sciences such as biology and chemistry, mathematical operations, calculations, and writing literary works, and in these fields actively participated in competitions and won many awards. It is this passion and love for these areas that brought him to Sarajevo in 2015 where he enrolled in the Department of Genetics and Bioengineering at International Burch University.

“From a very early age, I was interested in genetics and hereditary diseases, and I wanted to explore how one can „handleË® their own genetics. Burch University was my first and only choice because even back then I heard that students at this University were given great support they needed to realize their ideas and projects, which was an additional attraction for me, Ë® Nermin said at the beginning of the interview.

During his undergraduate studies, Nermin was engaged as an executive editor of BurchGene Magazine, the only magazine on genetics and bioengineering in our country, as well as an assistant in the editorial board of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering. He has several published scientific papers, abstracts in the collection of papers related to bioengineering, microbiology, pharmacogenetics, several of which have been published in journals and conferences.

Of all the works, Nermin particularly emphasizes the paper he worked on with his colleague Dalibor Đumić, a master student in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IBU. The paper which deals with the automatic watering system of plants with the help of appropriate electronics and its application for anthropological and medical purposes has over 20 thousand views on the Research Gate platform and is one of the most read papers from Burch University.

Last September, Nermin attended a professional internship at the Institute of Virology in Freiburg, Germany. He is a member of the BH Futures Foundation, where he and other colleagues participated in the preparation of content for the Foundation's website as part of the marketing team.

Nermin’s membership in the BH Futures Foundation encourages him to go one step further and actively participate in the implementation of the BH Engineering Weeks project, which was organized in Živinice, Gračanica, Gradačac, Novi Grad, GradiÅ¡ka, Bihać, Sarajevo, Lukavac and Tuzla in mid-November last year. Nermin had the honor of organizing a mini-conference in his Lukavac, at which some students of our University took part as lecturers, and was a member of the organizing committee in organizing the central and largest event of this type in the region, which was held in Tuzla.

The main goal of this conference on engineering and natural sciences is to bring together organizers and speakers of innovation, enthusiasm, various scientific achievements in the fields of engineering, medicine, bioengineering, information technology, and related scientific fields, all for the purpose of educating young people and instilling a love for science. 

“During my studies, I have participated in many local and international conferences, and as someone who grew up in Lukavac, I wanted to organize a similar event in order to at least partially pass on the experience he gained to others, primarily young people and give them the opportunity to educate themselves, and gain new insights into popular topics in science today, but also to get to know other people, most notably students who are successful in their fields of science”, Nermin proudly and
happily points out.

In addition to his participation in the organization at the conference, Nermin successfully organized Meetup and Chat with the esteemed Assist. Prof. Dr. Almir Badnjević, Professor at the Department of Genetics and Bioengineering at Burch University. In that way, Nermin provided an opportunity for his colleagues and friends to meet one of the most recognizable scholars in BiH and beyond. Meeting Professor Badnjević and Nermin Đuzić, young people were given the recipe for success that they should
follow, and that is work, work, and work.

From the very beginning of his studies, during the period of adaptation to the new environment, work habits, and obligations, Nermin found a great understanding and support of the entire teaching staff and colleagues from the Department, who helped him overcome difficulties and quickly adapt. “I am immensely grateful for the support that I got in the form of mentoring, advice and instruction that I gladly accepted in the process of writing scientific papers and projects, and the realization of ideas”, Nermin concludes.

Nermin is currently completing a master’s degree in genetics and bioengineering and is among the best students in his generation. Nermin’s plan for the future is to pursue a doctorate in his profession after completing his master’s degree. “I have a great desire to specialize in genetic counselling because it is one of the most interesting areas in genetics for me, which is unfortunately not much represented or noticeably developed in our country and region, but has potential for further development and progress”, he points out.

At the end, Nermin recommended to all high school students, our future students, that our University should be the first option to continue their studies, because as he said: “Burch is a unique and exceptional opportunity to acquire not only theoretical but also practical knowledge, which is also very important for acquiring the necessary experience and skills that are of great help in later employment. Be part of the best Private and First Entrepreneurial University that gives you the opportunity and support to realize and transform your own ideas and innovations into successful start-up projects and start your own company within the university incubator. ˮ