Dr. Dubravka Savic, the most important certificates

To whom it may concern# unusual biography

- some of certificates -

Dr. Dubravka Savic Associate Professor

University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture

07.December, 2015Belgrade, Serbia

MY STORY

• My first interests in plant physiology began when I was a little girl, living ina house surrounded by various plants, near Belgrade (Serbia). With a lot ofenthusiasm and sincere interest, I observed all seasonal changes, whichhappened to the plants in my garden. I wondered which processesoccurred in my plants.

• Later, in high school, I learnt that plant physiology is the science, whichexamines those processes. I attended an excellent grammar school inBelgrade and had wonderful professors and, especially regarding thesubjects of Plant Physiology and Cytology and Cytogenetic.

• Those were the roots of my great love for plant physiology, and itsimplementation in practice of plant growing.

Yes, love & passion are importantin studying & work

• That was the reason I decided to do the final exam in the field of plantphysiology, at high school and to continue my education at the Faculty ofAgriculture, University of Belgrade. During my studies, I enjoyed to learnchemistry, botanic, biochemistry, plant physiology, ecology, genetics andvegetable production. Those were my favourite subjects, which I exploredwith a lot of love and passion.

• As I learnt and prepared the exams with great dedication, I became thebest student of my generation during graduate and postgraduate studies.In my inner world, I felt honoured and happy because my work wasrecognized. It was an additional motive to be more enthusiastic, tobroaden my horizons and to improve my knowledge. My graduation thesisconcerned plant physiology (ABA, stomata, drought resistance, maize).

Later…

• After I graduated, I volunteered at the Plant Physiology Department at thefaculty and after two years, I was employed at the Faculty of Agriculture,University of Belgrade, and became an assistant lecturer at the subjectVegetable Production, where I have started to connect plant physiologyand vegetable growing, in theory and practice. It still lasts. My MSc andPhD theses were in plant physiology science applied in vegetableproduction.

• The MSc was about activity of enzyme peroxidase in pepper crop infectedby TMV. PhD was about photosynthesis, plant growth, light interception,mineral nutrition, modelling and plant productivity on leeks.

Great mentors, great colleagues

• During my PhD research, I got enormous, unconditional and extremelyvaluable help from Dr. Ir. Remmie Booij (PRI, the Netherlands) and Dr.Duncan J. Greenwood (Warwick University, UK).

• I will always remember my great mentors.

• Since I have started to work at the Faculty of Agriculture, University ofBelgrade, my research and practical work have been closely related tovarious scientific institutions and companies primarily from theNetherlands, as well as from Greece, Germany and Denmark. Myprofessional development has gradually grown thanks to muchprofessional training especially in the Netherlands and Greece.

Something more

• At the same time, I participated in organizing and establishing trademissions to the Netherlands (through the Dutch government), for thevegetable and soft fruit sectors, and I organized a study tour to theNetherlands for students from Belgrade (through donations in Serbianprivate sector). In addition, I have done market research in vegetablesector of Serbia (in cooperation with DKG Manage, Greece) and in the softfruit sector (in cooperation with the Dutch government through the DutchEmbassy in Belgrade, Serbia).

In the Now

• Nowadays, still, I highly enjoy my work with students and scientificresearch / practical work in the fields of plant physiology and vegetablecrop science. My main scientific work still concerns photosynthesis, lightinterception, mineral nutrition, plant productivity, plant growth, modelling,which is broadened, climate control in greenhouses, food safety (linkedwith GLOBALG.A.P. : www.globalgap.org/uk_en/Profiles/Savic/).

• The most important aim at my scientific and practical work is toparticipate in protecting the environment against pollution from primaryplant production, to get safe products for humans, and then to achievegood yield and profit.

My main scientific research work is based on relation among:

PLANT (vegetables) – LIGHT –GROWTH – NUTRITION – CLIMATECONTROL IN GREENHOUSES –PRODUCTIVITY – MODELING.

Always

• There is always a space for permanent professional development(theoretical and practical) and to share it with similar colleagues and allpeople who are involved in plant production, and who are eager to growprofessionally all the time.

• It is not easy; there are many different challenges, but love for work is agreat motive power to find out solutions and obtain results.

• Life is a beautiful thing, Tony Bennett said in his song. I would add, PlantLife is a beautiful secret and enigma, and it is pleasure to explore it.

My first specialization in the Netherlands, and the beginning of cooperation with Dutch colleagues

Excellent trainings by DKG Group, Greece

The first trainings:EUREPG.A.P. GLOBALG.A.P.

by DKG Group, Greece

The first GLOBALG.A.P. certificate in vegetable production, in Serbia

CBI and GLOBALG.A.P. trainings

Serbia Poland

Train-the-public-trainer

IFS Food, Version 6 –

translation in Serbian

Communication skills

Training in Hoogendoorn Growth Management, the Netherlands

General Manager at Prime AgroConsult(daughter company of DLV Plant)

Study tour for students to the Netherlands

Trade mission to the Netherlands (vegetable sector)

Trade mission to the Netherlands (soft fruit sector)

Project in Oman

MedCrave GroupAdvances in Plants & Agriculture Research

Future - I believe in good thingsand work on it

There are more trainings and certificates from theprevious period, and I believe that it will be evenmore in the future, as well as scientific internationalprojects. I am very grateful to all who support meand, who believe in me, especially to my family.

What is your story, your unusual biography?