The story of Munib Mesinovic from the town of Travnik, the first Bosnian to win the Student Nobel Prize in 120 years, proves that no matter where someone might come from or what their financial situation might be like, they can achieve great things.

Mesinovic studied in Abu Dhabi, Oman, London, and now a prestigious Rhodes scholarship has opened the doors of Oxford University for him. Mesinovic is currently working on a doctorate in health informatics that is specific to cardiovascular diseases and heart disease.

“When I went abroad to study, in the first year I thought I would be working on renewable energy sources because I graduated in electrical engineering. However, I discovered while working with children with special needs that I wanted to use electrical engineering and informatics in the field of health. In my first year, I did a project to utilise virtual reality so that children with autism could do 3D math. That awakened the passion for biology and health,” Mesinovic told N1.

Mesinovic graduated from a public high school in Travnik that is not recognized in the United States.

“Already in the second grade, I was preparing to take the entrance exams, where they had to recognize that I could be ready for them. My recommendation to all people in BiH is to get information online because there are now many more resources for exams. And to be informed when they need to pass those exams, and where to get them. Some will accept you regardless of your financial situation, and they will provide you with the funds to take the exam,” he explained.

People from 76 different countries studied with him, he said.

“The most important thing I learned is that no matter who might be coming, you should not have prejudices until you meet them. That is important for us in BiH, where we say that we are a multicultural society,” he stressed.