Particular, not usual biography, is description of my development in science and business.

1. To whom it may concern
# unusual biography
- some of certificates -
Dr. Dubravka Savic
Associate Professor
University of Belgrade, Faculty of
Agriculture
07.December, 2015
Belgrade, Serbia

2. MY STORY
• My first interests in plant physiology began when I was a little girl, living in
a house surrounded by various plants, near Belgrade (Serbia). With a lot of
enthusiasm and sincere interest, I observed all seasonal changes, which
happened to the plants in my garden. I wondered which processes
occurred in my plants.
• Later, in high school, I learnt that plant physiology is the science, which
examines those processes. I attended an excellent grammar school in
Belgrade and had wonderful professors and, especially regarding the
subjects of Plant Physiology and Cytology and Cytogenetic.
• Those were the roots of my great love for plant physiology, and its
implementation in practice of plant growing.

3. Yes, love & passion are important
in studying & work
• That was the reason I decided to do the final exam in the field of plant
physiology, at high school and to continue my education at the Faculty of
Agriculture, University of Belgrade. During my studies, I enjoyed to learn
chemistry, botanic, biochemistry, plant physiology, ecology, genetics and
vegetable production. Those were my favourite subjects, which I explored
with a lot of love and passion.
• As I learnt and prepared the exams with great dedication, I became the
best student of my generation during graduate and postgraduate studies.
In my inner world, I felt honoured and happy because my work was
recognized. It was an additional motive to be more enthusiastic, to
broaden my horizons and to improve my knowledge. My graduation thesis
concerned plant physiology (ABA, stomata, drought resistance, maize).

4. Later…
• After I graduated, I volunteered at the Plant Physiology Department at the
faculty and after two years, I was employed at the Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Belgrade, and became an assistant lecturer at the subject
Vegetable Production, where I have started to connect plant physiology
and vegetable growing, in theory and practice. It still lasts. My MSc and
PhD theses were in plant physiology science applied in vegetable
production.
• The MSc was about activity of enzyme peroxidase in pepper crop infected
by TMV. PhD was about photosynthesis, plant growth, light interception,
mineral nutrition, modelling and plant productivity on leeks.

5. Great mentors, great colleagues
• During my PhD research, I got enormous, unconditional and extremely
valuable 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 of
Belgrade, my research and practical work have been closely related to
various scientific institutions and companies primarily from the
Netherlands, as well as from Greece, Germany and Denmark. My
professional development has gradually grown thanks to much
professional training especially in the Netherlands and Greece.

6. Something more
• At the same time, I participated in organizing and establishing trade
missions to the Netherlands (through the Dutch government), for the
vegetable and soft fruit sectors, and I organized a study tour to the
Netherlands for students from Belgrade (through donations in Serbian
private sector). In addition, I have done market research in vegetable
sector of Serbia (in cooperation with DKG Manage, Greece) and in the soft
fruit sector (in cooperation with the Dutch government through the Dutch
Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia).

7. In the Now
• Nowadays, still, I highly enjoy my work with students and scientific
research / practical work in the fields of plant physiology and vegetable
crop science. My main scientific work still concerns photosynthesis, light
interception, mineral nutrition, plant productivity, plant growth, modelling,
which is broadened, climate control in greenhouses, food safety (linked
with GLOBALG.A.P. : www.globalgap.org/uk_en/Profiles/Savic/).
• The most important aim at my scientific and practical work is to
participate in protecting the environment against pollution from primary
plant production, to get safe products for humans, and then to achieve
good yield and profit.

8. My main scientific research work
is based on relation among:
PLANT (vegetables) – LIGHT –
GROWTH – NUTRITION – CLIMATE
CONTROL IN GREENHOUSES –
PRODUCTIVITY – MODELING.

9. Always
• There is always a space for permanent professional development
(theoretical and practical) and to share it with similar colleagues and all
people who are involved in plant production, and who are eager to grow
professionally all the time.
• It is not easy; there are many different challenges, but love for work is a
great motive power to find out solutions and obtain results.
• Life is a beautiful thing, Tony Bennett said in his song. I would add, Plant
Life is a beautiful secret and enigma, and it is pleasure to explore it.

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

11. Excellent trainings by DKG Group, Greece

12. The first trainings:
EUREPG.A.P. GLOBALG.A.P.
by DKG Group, Greece

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

14. CBI and GLOBALG.A.P. trainings
Serbia Poland

15. Train-the-public-trainer

16. IFS Food,
Version 6 –
translation in
Serbian

17. Communication
skills

18. Training in
Hoogendoorn
Growth
Management, the
Netherlands

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

20. Study tour for
students to the
Netherlands

21. Trade mission to
the Netherlands
(vegetable sector)

22. Trade mission to
the Netherlands
(soft fruit sector)

23. Project in
Oman

24. MedCrave Group
Advances in Plants & Agriculture Research

25. Future - I believe in good things
and work on it
There are more trainings and certificates from the
previous period, and I believe that it will be even
more in the future, as well as scientific international
projects. I am very grateful to all who support me
and, who believe in me, especially to my family.

26. What is your story, your unusual
biography?