Almir Badnjević from Bosanska Krupa is the first and the only doctor of sciences who is dealing actively with biomedical engineering in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His work has been recognized by the prominent American Marquis by including him on the list of the most prominent people in the world – the Who is Who in the World list.
For decades now, the Marquis publication has been a standard for universality and reliability of biographical data of the most important people in the world in all areas of life, from politics, economy, science to sports, culture and art.
Dr. Badnjević is the director of the appointed laboratory for verification of medical equipment in BiH, Verlab. Almir also works as a docent at the Faculty of Engineering and IT of the International Burch University and at the Technical Faculty of the University of Bihać. He has also been working as a field expert at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Sarajevo.
How were you actually included in the list Who is Who in the World and how much does that mean to you?
Dr. Badnjević: Some six months ago I received an email with a notice from Marquis Who is Who in the World that my CV is candidate to find itself among 3 percent of the most prominent people in the world. In the same mail, they asked me if they have the permission to publish my CV, in case it is chosen. I responded that it is my honor and that they have my consent. So some six months later, I received a congratulatory email which notified me that my CV has been included in the list of the most prominent people in the world. That represents a certain satisfaction to me because it is a confirmation of my previous work and a proof that I am on a good path.
What does biomedical engineering represent and how it takes care of the health and life of people?
Dr. Badnjević: Biomedical engineering is a field of application of engineering principles and knowledge for the needs of solving the issues in medicine. This engineering discipline combines engineering knowledge of projecting and problem-solving with knowledge from medicine and biology, with the aim of improving health protection of patients and generally increasing the quality of life of people. Hence, it is impossible to speak about modern techniques of diagnostics and therapeutics without joint work of engineers and doctors.
What is the future of biomedical engineering in BiH?
Dr. Badnjević: Since 2014 we started working actively on the field of biomedical engineering in different directions – through academic community, institutional community, private sector and non-governmental sector. In the same year we established the Society for medical and biological engineering in BiH, which later became the representative of BiH in the global umbrella house for biomedical engineering (IFMBE). The society gathers prominent engineers, doctors, pharmacists, genetic engineers, biologists and other experts from related areas. In addition, we activated work on academic level and now at the Department of genetics and bioengineering at Burch University there is a large number of courses from the field. We also operated on other levels. In the region, we are among the best countries when it comes to verification of medical equipment, which directly influences the quality of health. BME as a field has shown great potential in the world and in Europe, and it will certainly be the future of BiH. Since 2014 until today, over 200 young experts have worked on the development of this field in BiH and already started their careers in the field.
Where do you see the future of this country and what would be your message to young people in BiH?
Dr. Badnjević: I see the future of this country in work, work, work. I often love to say one famous thought: every morning, a gazelle wakes up in Africa. She knows that she has to run faster than any lion as soon as she opens her eyes, otherwise she will be killed. Also, one lion wakes up in Africa every morning. He knows he has to run faster than the slowest gazelle, otherwise he will die of hunger. It does not matter whether you are the lion or the gazelle. When the sun rises, you better start running.
