Asmira Kunić comes from Zvornik and has been a scholarship recipient of the Hastor Foundation for six years. As a fourth grade grammar school student at the Maarif International School in Sarajevo, she had the opportunity to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at one of the most significant world competitions in the field of robotics – the “FIRST Global Challenge”. It is an international Olympiad that brings together teams from almost the entire world and was held in Panama City, in the period from 29 October to 1 November 2025, with the participation of as many as 190 countries.
Preparations for the competition were intensive and demanding, and often took place in Mostar, which represented an additional challenge due to travel. Nevertheless, this did not prevent Asmira from actively contributing to the team, even when she could not be physically present. The specificity of Asmira’s team is reflected in the fact that there are no strictly divided roles, but all members participate in all segments of work, from managing social media to programming, assembling, and operating the robot. The biggest challenge was to design a functional robot design that can complete the task within a limited time without technical disturbances.
As Asmira points out, this was her second participation in such a competition, which is why she was more confident, more relaxed, and more prepared for all the challenges that awaited her. Every year, the competition brings a new challenge, that is, a game in which robots perform tasks on a specially designed platform. Through a series of matches, speed, precision, robot mobility, and team coordination are scored. Robots during the competition are controlled by selected
members, which requires high concentration and team synchronization. Other members, including Asmira, focused on technical support online. Thanks to the pronounced team spirit and quality communication, Asmira’s team deservedly won the “Social Media Award”.
Asmira’s path to the International Olympiad began much earlier. She first encountered robotics in the second grade of secondary school during robotics classes. A turning point occurred when her professor suggested participation in a school science fair. Months of work resulted in first place, but also in a lasting love for this field.
I can say that my love for robotics started there, says Asmira.
She perceives robotics as a combination of logic, innovation, and discipline and believes that dedication, perseverance, and readiness to learn are crucial for success. For Asmira, competitions have special value.
I believe that competitions are life opportunities, she says, emphasising that, besides knowledge, they bring her experiences and acquaintances that last a lifetime.
The greatest support was provided by her parents. Also, the Hastor Foundation played a significant role on her path, providing her with financial, mentoring, and moral support. As part of the Foundation, she gained new knowledge and experiences and emphasises how much belonging to a community in which she can learn and progress together with others means to her: The least I can say to the Hastor Foundation is thank you.
