Associate Professor
Scientific Field: Special Physical Education
Office: 128
Email: darko.paspalj@fbn.unibl.org
Phone: 051/333-618
Courses:
- Sports Skills in Security
- Special Physical Education I
- Special Physical Education II
- Special Physical Education III
Biography:
Darko Paspalj was born on June 6, 1964, in Glina, Socialist Republic of Croatia, where he completed elementary school and the first two years of general secondary education. He completed his third and fourth years of secondary school – majoring in sports gymnasium – at the “Bogdan Ogrizović” Pedagogical Educational Center in Zagreb. He attended the Faculty of Physical Culture in Zagreb from 1984 to 1989. During his studies, alongside the teaching track, he completed a specialization for a judo coach, totaling 450 instructional hours. He graduated in 1989 after defending his graduation thesis entitled “The Influence of Coordination on the Efficiency of Judo Combat in a Standing Position,” thereby earning the professional title of Professor of Physical Culture and Graduate Judo Coach.
He obtained his Master’s degree in 2008 from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports at the University of Banja Luka, defending his master’s thesis entitled “The Influence of Basic Motor Skills on the Efficiency of Executing Throwing Techniques from the Special Physical Education Program,” earning the title of Master of Science in the field of Physical Culture. At the same faculty, he obtained his PhD in 2011, defending his doctoral dissertation entitled “Morphological Characteristics and Psychomotor Abilities of Students of the College of Internal Affairs in the Function of Solving Problem Situations,” and earning the scientific title of Doctor of Science in the field of Physical Culture. In addition to his academic education, he completed the Reserve Officers’ School (ŠRO) in Bileća and intelligence and security training at the Security Center in Pančevo.
From 1990 to 1991, he worked as a physical education teacher at the “Bratstvo i jedinstvo” Elementary School in Vrnograč, municipality of Velika Kladuša. During the Defense-Patriotic War, he worked as an operative worker on combating general crime at the SUP (Secretariat of Internal Affairs) Glina, and as an intelligence and security officer in the 24th Infantry Brigade (PBR) in Glina, Republic of Serbian Krajina. As a reserve military officer, in 1995, he was awarded the rank of Captain First Class of the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina.
From 1996 to 2017, he worked at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Srpska. Within the Personnel Training Center from 1996 to 1999, he served as a Self-Defense teacher and a Special Physical Education teacher at the Secondary School of Internal Affairs. In the period from 1999 to 2008, within the Police Training Administration at the Police Academy, he worked as a Special Physical Education teacher, assistant director for basic training, and practical training coordinator-instructor – class commander. In 2007, within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Srpska, he passed the professional exam for the rank of Independent Inspector. In addition to regular classes with secondary school students and Police Academy trainees, he conducted training courses for general jurisdiction police, judicial police, communal police, members of agencies for the protection of persons and property, and guards in correctional institutions and prisons of the Republic of Srpska.
He worked at the College of Internal Affairs from 2008 to 2017, serving as an associate for Special Physical Education and a teacher of Special Physical Education, holding the titles of Lecturer and College Professor. In 2016, he was elected by the University of Banja Luka to the rank of Assistant Professor (Docent) in the narrow scientific field of Special Physical Education. He has been working at the Faculty of Security Sciences since 2017, where, as a teacher with the rank of Assistant Professor, he taught the courses Special Physical Education I, II, III, and IV (for the segment of students enrolled according to the curriculum of the College of Internal Affairs – VŠUP) and served as the Vice Dean for Teaching. From 2015 to 2020, he was a representative of the College of Internal Affairs and the Faculty of Security Sciences in the Senate of the University of Banja Luka. In addition, he was engaged at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports of the University of Banja Luka as a teacher for the courses Martial Arts and Martial Arts II. Since 2021, he has been working as a teacher with the rank of Associate Professor at the Faculty of Security Sciences, teaching the courses Sports Skills in Security, Special Physical Education I, Special Physical Education II, and Special Physical Education III.
He has published over forty scientific and professional papers, and has authored or co-authored one monograph, two practicums (practical workbooks), and three textbooks in Special Physical Education. As part of his professional development, he completed over 20 seminars in the field of policing and the use of force and coercion measures. He has participated in several round tables, international scientific congresses, and conferences.
Furthermore, he participated in the implementation of several major projects, including: “Peaceful Resolution of Conflict Situations for Police Officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Srpska and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” implemented by the Swedish Development Organization in cooperation with the Swedish Police Academy in 1998 at the Police Academies in Banja Luka and Sarajevo; “Protection and Rescue in Certain Emergency Situations with a Special Focus on the Role and Position of the Police,” implemented at the College of Internal Affairs in Banja Luka in 2013; and the Erasmus+ project within the “Nat Risk” program (“Natural Disaster Risk Management”), which successfully resulted in the introduction of a second-cycle (Master’s) study program at the Faculty of Security Sciences, University of Banja Luka.
He also worked as a coach in the judo clubs “Policajac” and “Krajina” from Banja Luka, as well as swimming clubs “Borac-Incel,” “Banjaluka,” “Vrbas,” and “Mladost” from Banja Luka, winning multiple medals at national and international competitions. He was a member of the expert committee of the Swimming Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He holds master ranks (black belts) in judo and ju-jitsu.
He is married and is the father of one child.
