BILD is intensively involved in assisting student organizations at TuzlaUniversity giving students the opportunity to organize themselves, invest their own time and energy, and succeed in creating sustainable student-run programs thereby building character, confidence, and leadership skills.
For example, through investing $70,000 in equipment and material in student organizations and by providing consulting starting in 2002 to the present, BILD has helped students establish three student-run computer centers at TuzlaUniversity that currently employ approximately 18 students and generate income for student activities. In addition, BILD has provided funding and consulting for a student-run magazine and assisted in the area of student advocacy.
Building strategic partnerships
In partnership with the Ithaca NY-based organization SEEDS (South East Europe Development Solutions), BILD cultivates relationships between TuzlaUniversity and CornellUniversity. These efforts have resulted in interns from Cornell teaching English and information technology at Tuzla University (1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006), the BiH UN Ambassador Mirza Kusljugic signing a memorandum of understanding with Cornell Professor Robert Thomas in regards to power systems research (2005), SEEDS members hosting two imams from Tuzla attending Cornell’s intensive English program (2002, 2004), and Tuzla University hosting a physics researcher from Cornell University (2006).
In partnership with the Boston-based organization Center for Balkan Development www.balkandevelopment.org , BILD cultivates relationships between TuzlaUniversity and potential international partners. For example, BILD helped create a relationship between TuzlaUniversity and Intersystems Corporation resulting in Intersystems Cache Campus now being part of the curriculum at TuzlaUniversity’s Electrical Engineering Department.