DNCT Student Network Survey Results

General Information on student academic profiles, time spent in the US, and year when they left Serbia. Equal number of students (8) left Serbia in the period from 2000-2005 and before year 2000. Only 2 students came to the US after 2005. 10 students pursue their MA, and 8 pursue PhD. Most of the students lived between 1-7 years in the US. Student academic interests are dispersed among the range of disciplines, international relations, engineering, and arts and humanities being the most popular.

Most of the DNCT students keep private contact with Serbia: keeping in touch with their friends and families. Some of them also maintain light professional contacts, like keeping in touch with their college professors and giving away books and research materials to their colleagues in Serbia. Two out of 18 students maintain serious professional contact (having private company’s office in Serbia, contributing in journal, and translating materials to Serbian).

All of the survey respondents stated they are interested in having contact with Serbian academic institutions. They are most willing to invest their time and energy in occasional visits to relevant Serbian institutions related to the area of their studies. This is followed by readiness for occasional individual email exchange with students, professors, managers, etc. in Serbia. DNCT students are the least interested in returning / spending a longer period of time in Serbia upon completion of their studies in the US.

As the main obstacles preventing their return to Serbia, DNCT students listed:

1. Lack of opportunities (job, research, professional development opportunities):
(12 students)
Student responses, citations: “few job opportunities”, “lack of jobs in my field of study”, “lack of research facilities, libraries, resources”, “lack of serious publishers”, “lack of research and development in the industry”, “there is no development in my area of study”, “there are no jobs available”, “prospects for research may not be challenging enough”, “possibilities for pursuing science”, “slim chances to apply acquired knowledge”, “difficulty to find relevant job/build my carieer”, “possibilities of pursuing science”

2. Political and economic situation in Serbia: (4 students)
Student responses, citations: “political situation”, “sociopolitical conditions in the country (especially the way ordinary citizens are treated by the state and its agencies, like a mere support for the government)”, “living in a sort of an isolation from the rest of the Europe (where even a simple 3-day visit to any neighboring country is a serious bureaucratic issue)”
“Serbia is not yet the best place for developing artistic ideals and goals – for people are still thinking about the quality of their lives and struggling with the political regimes changing too often”

3. Poor compensation: (4 students)
Student responses, citations: “low salaries in teaching jobs”, “inability to pay off US loans with Serbian salary”, “inability to earn a decent salary”, “salary level”

4. Frustration with work conditions in Serbia: (11 students)
Student responses, citations: “old-fashioned syllabi”, “lack of seriousness and ethical values in work force”, “corruption and poor work conditions”, “distrust in knowledge acquired abroad”, “whole set of problems in the field of science: totally ridiculous system of advancing in the hierarchy, incompetent people in high positions, nepotism(a huge problem), unprofessional conduct in academia (always a lot of personal issues involved in decision making in higher places, vanity, arrogance…)”, “corruption of Serbian Universities/politicization of University”, “impoverished intellectual environment”, “relative lack of expertise”, “distrust in knowledge acquired abroad”, “openness to other academic institutions”, “poor research conditions”

However, if these obstacles get solved, 13 out of 18 students will return to Serbia.

DNCT students perceive their current contribution to knowledge development in Serbia as follows:

1. Knowledge sharing: (12 students)
Student responses, citations: “teaching classes/workshops”, “performing for theater and film / developing new works and projects”, “occasional concerts in Serbia”, “giving lectures in my area of expertise”, “as a visiting professor / lecturer”, “professional involvement in my field”, “giving lectures and establishing regular communication”, “sharing my scholastic experience and helping future students”, “Cooperate with universities, occasionally teach”, “Exchange experience and stimulate more business collaboration with Serbian entities, “scientific collaboration with the other researchers from Serbia in my fields of study”

2. Connecting with their colleagues in Serbia: (3 students)
Student responses, citations: “mentoring students in Serbia”, “Listserv for students of my former Faculty where relevant information would be posted: international internships, institutes, seminars, bibliographies, job postings, etc.”, “exchanging views with prospective students from Serbia and providing some information and insight on the system of higher education in US”

3. Conferences, fundraising and policy initiatives: (6 students)
Student responses, citations: “Organizing fund raising for bringing medical equipment”, “Organizing training sessions/seminars/research or other cooperation with US universities for improving Serbian healthcare”, “Write articles, organize conferences”, “Initiative to create and/or expand incubators/research units within the Faculties (of Economics), and stirring competition among them”, “working in diplomatic missions”, “helping out with some humanitarian affairs programs”
DNCT students perceive the following benefits of DNCT Network:

4. Professional exchange: (12 students)
Student responses, citations: “Creative power of our bright young professionals”, “Serbian students are connected only informally through personal contacts. The proposed network would enable a wider network and probably more professional level”, “useful exchange of information about different opportunities”, “possible stimulating intellectual exchange”, “spreading knowledge”, “exchange of knowledge and experience”, “information exchange”, “contact”, “networking, information sharing”, “exchange of ideas”, “Career development”, “Interaction with a fellow student involved in a similar field of study would be beneficial for both”

5. Preservation of Serbian culture in the US and strengthening of the Serbian lobby: (7 students) Student responses, citations: “keeping stronger the Serbian student diaspora”, “connecting people with the same heritage and background”, “strengthening our lobby”, “cultural ties”, “Assisting each other within the US and Serbia”, “Friendship”, “Sharing the experience about living and studying here”,

6. Strengthening ties with Serbia: (8 students)
Student responses, citations: “Possible collaborations involving Serbian institutions with network of institutions in the US”, “making an impact on Serbian situation”, “exchange experience and stimulate more business collaboration with Serbian entities”, “it could provide some help for the new Serbian students arriving in the US”, “Saving the connection with our native country, culture wise, and keeping track of changes in Serbia that might persuade us to return”, “Organizing in order to help knowledge in Serbia grow and develop”, “Networking and developing new programs and ideas to aid Serbia and individual growth of participants”, “would help in making available the necessary research material”

DNCT students perceive the following as the long-term benefits of DNCT network for its members:

1. Personal benefits: (8 students)
Student responses, citations: “Increasing the sense of being a part in Serbian Cultural Heritage and growing from there to serve Serbia and humanity”, “Community support”, “Having a network of people that share similar backgrounds can benefit members who can learn from other members’ experiences”, “Friendship and support”, “Connect people who could help each other out”, “Closeness among students”, “friendship”, “some other ‘regular’ blogging: sport, betting, music, arts”

2. Professional benefits: (10 students)
Student responses, citations: “Opportunities to work with people out of their own state”, “Apart from increasing students’ information level, the network makes possible various forms of cooperation among its members”, “Professional collaborative projects”, “Connecting with other young professionals”, “Potential future research and work”, “Career connections”, “It can be a hub for sharing experience and information”, “Career and academic cooperation/support/exchange”, “Information about various job, student, scholarship opportunities”, “more scientific discussions”

3. Strong network can help Serbia (9 students)
Student responses, citations: “Help in development and realization of ideas for developing a more educated and knowledgeable Serbia”, “Stronger network oriented towards exchange projects with Serbia”, “Finding channels through which to more efficiently assist Serbia”, “Brainstorming/creation of project for Serbia”, “Help us grow as a grow as a country, not only economically and politically, but morally”, “Creating possible joint ideas about projects in Serbia”, “Have more people working on opening new jobs and opportunities in Serbia”, “It would be easier to keep in touch with relevant institutions in Serbia if there is will to do that”, “It would help connect the Serbian people in the US”.

They also perceive the following as the long-term benefits for Serbia of DNCT student network:

1. Institutional collaboration with Serbia (14 students)
Student responses, citations: “a network that actively creates collaborations with Sebria and its universities”, “Help in trying to make our educational system more modern and sophisticated”, “Serbia will have a central network of experts in various fields who are more than willing to help Serbia”, “It’s participants can get together and launch beneficial projects”, “It can instigate various groups/activities that can directly impact the quality of life and education in Serbia”, “Improve education systems”, “Enriching the knowledge in Serbia”, “Info on how to do business with Serbia and where to start”, “Maybe relevant institutions in Serbia could contact highly educated people through this network and establish some sort of cooperation”, “Improve education system”, “a network that actively creates collaborations with Sebria and its universities”, “developing the concept of legitimate networking that would be easy to replicate and hard to libel”, “Creating possible joint ideas about future projects in Serbia”

2. Individual collaboration with colleagues in Serbia (6 students)
“Connect young professionals in Serbia and US”, “Possibility to share experience and let future students know about student’s life here”, “Creating networks with scholars from Serbia”, “A voice of young Serbian people from the States – so people in Serbia can learn something about the States and perhaps give up on some prejudices they had”, “Opportunity to study abroad/experience”, “Give an opportunity to more students to come here and learn as much as they can and want in areas of their interest”,

3. Network is beneficial for the Serbs here (6 students)
“Professional benefit”, “one that would promote knowledge, respect, community and joy”, “Having a network of people that share similar backgrounds can benefit members who can learn from other members’ experiences”, “Lobbying, promotion of Serbian culture”, “Sharing the knowledge, ideas, and skills gained in the USA”, “established relations and trust among those who should occupy distinct and important posts in Serbia in the future – fostering cooperation and increasing potential output”

DNCT students mention the following as desired future activities for the DNCT Network:

1. Events
Student responses, citations: “Creative and cultural events/classes/performances”, “Yoga classes, events/workshops”, “Local gatherings in bigger cities”, “Workshops, conferences, info sharing”, “Seminars/get-togethers”, “Organization of live get togethers”, “perhaps an actually physical meeting of the alumni, to kick off some tighter cooperation”

2. More intense contact among network members
Student responses, citations: “More vivid communication for the beginning”, “Closer contact”, “More communication and feedbacks between students”,

3. Professional information exchange among network members
Student responses, citations: “Notifications of conferences, presentations, and other type of public talks that are students involved in”, “Information about opportunities for graduate students and post-docs (collaborations, available positions)”, “Experiences from different universities and, afterwards, about different employers”, “listserv where people would share information, be proactive, offer help, etc.”, “Any kind of relevant information”

4. Serbia-focused network initiatives
Student responses, citations: “Information, based on a member’s personal knowledge or experience, about different ways in which individuals or groups have contributed to the improvement of any aspect of social, cultural, and educational life in Serbia”, “Politics in Serbia”, “Ways to improve education at all levels in Serbia”, “Opportunities and specific connections that would help us to return to Serbia”, “who is involved in what in Serbia”

3 students also had specific suggestions on network activities, expressed in their own words:

“Some sort of a meeting where more concrete goals based on the survey results would be laid out, especially with regards to establishing relations with the existing (relevant) Serbian organizations in the US (such as the various student organizations in places like MIT, Stanford, etc.; or organizations such as Serbian Unity Congress).”

“I would like to see and help create/organize forums for developing:
1. Creativity (through articles/classes/workshops
2. Acting (public speaking) events performances, news/classes
3. Yoga related news/events/classes/workshops and retreats.

All of these topics to help build stronger community and the spirit of union, generosity, and joy.”

“During 6 years of my Ph.D. studies, I offered numerous opportunities for collaboration to my Alma Matter (University of Nis). I held invited talks, brought books and initiated research at Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Nis. This was all in vain, as the academic structure in Serbia is in such a pathetic shape that any attempt at fixing it is, unfortunately, a waste of time. In all this time, not a single professor or assistant at the University put any effort in contacting me back with some serious proposal or work plan (this is my personal experience, other people may have different experiences). Main reason for failure of this kind of approach was that there was no immediate financial benefit/motivation on their part. All I could offer at that time was academic collaboration, and they were too busy with their personal financial problems.

I realized that the only motivation that will certainly work is financial compensation – when I got an opportunity to hire some developers as outsourcing force at the company where I work last summer, I jumped at it. Over the last year, this grew to an office in Nis with 8 full-time and 2 part-time engineers (plus some non-technical staff). We plan to expand to about 15 people before the end of 2007. I’m just finishing my first business trip to Nis, with 100% positive impressions. Also, the CEO of the company just visited Serbia last week and was very pleased and excited with the quality of people we hired there. We’re paying extremely competitive salaries to our employees (3-8 times national average in Serbia), and have given them stock options in MotionDSP Inc. Everybody is very happy -- MotionDSP is getting some great engineering help, and people in Serbia have a chance to work for a high-tech company in the U.S.., learn a lot, and get paid well. As a result, and we’re getting large number of inquires for job positions in our Serbian branch. Total budget of the Serbian office is couple hundred thousands dollars a year, most of which goes directly to payroll, and stimulates economy of the city of Nis further. I’ll be willing to share my experience with other DNCT alumni if you find it appropriate.”

Mina Zdravkovic

I am completing my Ph.D. in English at Boston University, English department. My work focuses on the twentieth century novel (British, American, and some Continental) and examines the ways in which lateness as an aesthetic, cultural, and linguistic category informs the prose of writers in exile: concepts of pastiche, intertextuality, and self-reflexivity are crucial to it. The title of my dissertation, which I am writing under mentorship of professors Aaron Fogel and Ha Jin, is “On Late Style and Twentieth Century Novel: Textuality, Spectacle, and the Real in the works of Joseph Conrad, Vladimir Nabokov, and W. G. Sebald.” I have been a recipient of several prestigious awards in Serbia and US, among them Boston University’s Albert Gilman Award in 2001, and have published work on contemporary authors, the latest of which is an article on Peter Weiss’s two books of fictional autobiography Exile (Leavetaking and Vanishing Point), forthcoming in Compendium of Twentieth Century Novel, New York: Facts on File, 2007.
My other areas of interest include literary theory, film theory, and creative writing (fiction). At Boston University, I have taught classes on contemporary fiction, drama, film, and writing.
I am currently working on a book of short stories Kafka’s Wall and on a documentary screenplay on literacy in Serbia.

Marija Govedarica

My name is Marija Govedarica. I am from Belgrade, Serbia and I received my BA in International Affairs at John Cabot University in Rome in 2003. Currently I am pursuing master's degree at Columbia University at School of International Affairs. I am at my second semester and expected to graduate in May 2008. My area of concentration is International Security Policy, but I am also interested in studies of human rights and I've been involved in many projects out of school within that subject. My professional interests lie in area of diplomacy and human rights activism.

Tamara Pavasovic

My name is Tamara Pavasovic, and I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. at Harvard University. I received my B.A. in International Studies from Allegheny College in 2002, with the thesis “Ethnicity and Religion in Bosnia: Islamic Influence during the 1992-1995 War.” After college, I worked at the Institute of International Finance in Washington DC, before obtaining my M.A. degree in the Political Science department from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in 2003. At Syracuse, I served as a teaching assistant for American Government and International Relations courses, as well as an instructor for Political Argument and Reasoning. My graduate work deals mostly with issues of ethnicity and religion, ethnic violence and nationalism, collective memory and identity, and political socialization, and focuses on the Balkan area. My M.A. thesis at Syracuse, “Reconstructing Ethnic Identity in Serbia: Ethno-Nationalist Socialization through Textbooks,” examined how history textbooks impacted ethnicity transformation dynamics from 1974 to 2002. I followed up this work with a generational analysis study, where I examined whether the basic attitudes and worldviews Serbian individuals were socialized into during their formative years remained mostly constant throughout their lives and during the turmoil in the 1990s. At Harvard, I’m currently working on my qualifying paper, on the topic of ethnic stereotypes in children.

Vladimir Petrovic

My name is Vladimir Petrovic and I am a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I was born in Novi Sad and I graduated from the University of Belgrade, Department of Molecular Biology and Physiology. Prior to coming to U.S. I also studied at the University of Padova in Italy, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences where I was involved in a project aimed at developing methods for in vivo transfections. Currently I am a student in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics graduate program at UIC. My research is focused on the mechanism regulating expression of the FoxM1 transcription factor, a protein that is critical for proliferation of cancer cells. This project is an integral part of the research program conducted in Dr. Costa's laboratory and will have implications on therapy for treatment of human liver cancer.

Predrag Raosavljevic

My name is Predrag Raosavljević and I was born in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. I graduated from Banja Luka Law School in 2001 and received Dragomir Nikolich Charitable Trust Award in 2004. This led me to continuation of my studies and I obtained Master of Law degree at Columbia University in New York City in 2005. My academic work concentrated on the International and Comparative Criminal Law and research on the Law of Contracts. I am currently employed as an Attache for diplomatic affairs at the International Committee of the Red Cross, in Geneva. My work involves establishing contacts with international organizations and state representatives, creating and attending diplomatic opportunities abroad and providing support for humanitarian operations in the field. Besides my work, I am using my stay in Suisse Romande to improve my French and knowledge of international relations in general. My future career is likely to be focused on legal or political affairs.

Milan Bradonjic

I am a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering Department,
University of California, Los Angeles, GPA 4.00; minor theoretical
computer science. My research interest is: Random Graph Theory and
Game Theory, ie, Auctions Theory, Reputation Management, Mechanism
Design; Analysis of the Web, Large/Complex networks. I graduated at the School of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade, Serbia, and received the Fond Sreten Nedeljkovic Award, given to the best student at the Department. During my high school education, and also primary school as well as university study, I won many competitions in Mathematics and
Physics, especially in Mathematics. I have been fortunate to
attend Mathematics Academy High School, Belgrade, Serbia, the
school for the most gifted people in the natural sciences.

Ana Petrovic

My name is Ana Petrović and I am doing a Ph.D. at the Department of Geosciences, University of Houston, TX. My research is based on combined application of remote sensing (satellite images), GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and geochemistry in solving different geologic problems- more specifically I’m detecting, mapping, and analyzing rock alterations that are caused by hydrocarbon seepages at several different locations in the United States. Apart from research, I also work as a teaching assistant at the University of Houston. I received my B.S. degree from the Faculty of Mining and Geology in Belgrade, Serbia in 2004, and M.S. degree from the University of Houston, TX, in 2006. I was born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, but now I live in Houston, TX.

My name is Vesna Pavlovic, and I am completing my MFA degree in Visual Arts at Columbia University in New York. My concentration is photography. I’ve graduated with a degree in cinematography studies from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. In my photographs and installations, I look into visual representations behind different groups in society, and while doing so, question the representation of the photographic medium itself. Issues of taste, desire and expectation, friction of performance, set in different contexts, are prevailing themes in my work. I have exhibited widely, including solo shows at the Museum of History of Yugoslavia in Belgrade and at Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA. My work has been featured in group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, Photographers’ Gallery in London, Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, Akademie der Bildenen Kunste in Vienna, Center for Contemporary Art in Vilnius, and Palau de la Verreina in Barcelona. I was the award winner at the 40th October Salon in Belgrade, in 2001, for my photographic series Herzlich Willkommen Im Hotel Hyatt Belgrad, April 1999. I have closely cooperated with the peace activist group Women in Black, founded in 1991.

Milica Markovic

My name is Milica Markovic and I am a fourth year MD student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. I will be graduating in May 2007, and am currently interviewing for residency training programs in Anesthesiology. I received my B.S. degree in Psychology at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont. During medical school, my research focus has been primarily related to HIV therapy, and I have also worked on studies in Otolaryngology. My other interests are women’s health, human rights, and domestic violence issues. As a part of International Health Committee, I had an opportunity to invite Dr. Snezana Simic, professor of Public Health at Belgrade University and advisor to Serbian Minister of Health to speak at Vanderbilt’s Medical and Nursing School about Serbian healthcare system in transition. I also worked in Institute of Microbiology at the University of Genoa in Italy and at the Laboratory of Muscle Disease Molecular Biochemistry at Columbia University.

Tonina Dumic

I completed an undergraduate degree in economics and statistics at the University of Toronto, concentrating mostly in the area of development economics. Upon graduation, I received a stipend from the Centre for Russian and Eastern European Studies for an internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Sofia, Bulgaria. Following completion of my internship, I embarked on the voluntary practice in International Council of Voluntary Agencies, assisting the refugees and internally displaced persons in Kosovo. Consequently, I worked as an auditor with Deloitte&Touche Serbia, focusing on providing financial services to large and medium size companies.
Currently, I am pursuing my Masters in Public Administration at Columbia University, concentrating my studies in Economic and Political Development, and Environmental Policy. I am interested in exploring more real "development" challenges that remain in the Eastern Europe, particularly Serbia, as well as the other parts of the world.

Isidora Jovanovic

My name is Isidora Jovanovich. I\'m currently at my first year of MM studies at Northwestern University School of Music, Evanston, Illinois. My major is piano performance. I study in the studio of Dr James Giles. My major current project is my solo recital which will take place in May in Lutkin Hall at Northwestern University. I will perform music of Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy and Tchaikovsky. My professional goals are solo performance, chamber music, vocal accompanying and teaching. I\'m especially interested in music of the twentieth century and the music of Serbian composers which I have successfully performed during my undergraduate studies.

I\'ve gained my Bachelor of Arts degree in Novi Sad, Serbia – in the studio of Dr Dorian Leljak. Throughout my formal education I\'ve performed throughout Serbia and won several prizes at domestic and international competitions. I\'ve attended master classes of internationally recognized pianists such as Paul Gould, Ian Jones, Orazio Maione, Eugen Indjic and Ratimir Martinovic.

Aleksandra Vranic

I completed a third year of High school (eleventh grade) back in Belgrade, and the final year in Boston, thus graduating. A year after I started my Bachelors studies at Wheelock College in Boston and have completed double majors in psychology and theatre earning both BS and BA. At the same school I am currently completing my Masters degree in Language and Literacy Studies. Since I was very much involved in the art world all around, I was cast or have directed and produced many plays in mine and/or other colleges and schools, both in the professional and amateur theatre. My field of study and interest being creativity, I achieved my personal best outside of the theatre world by publishing one story while in High School and a poem recently in a Noble House collection in category “Songs of Honor”, New York. Other than attending college, I do occasional interpreting work, since am a certified translator. This is done in a local refugee organization and an Eye and Ear infirmary of Boston for parents with blind children from different areas of former Yugoslavia. Since my field of study is language, my future career might be focused on the ESL and ELL community, whether teaching or working within the organizations in some other way.

Djordje Nikolic

My name is Djordje Nikolic and I received my BS degree in Accounting (minor in finance) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I also attended graduate UTK MACC program and received two job offers in the USA - one from Deloitte and another one from KPMG (2 of Big 4 firms). However, due to some important family reasons, I decided to come back to Serbia. Since September 2004, I worked for BDO office in Belgrade. I participated in numerous audit engagements and creation of various financial due diligence projects for the sake of privatization and M&A of companies (from versatile industries) and banks throughout the region. In the next 8 months, I will be working at the University of Belgrade, since I am fulfilling my civil military service obligation.

Dejan Stojakovic

My name is Dejan Stojakovic and I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. My professional and academic interests are in the field of physical and mechanical metallurgy. My area of research is in the physics of microstructure evolution during thermo-mechanical processing of metallic materials. Apart from doing research, I am also involved in teaching. Last year I received the award for The Best Teaching Assistant at Drexel thanks to my students who nominated me for the award. Besides research and teaching I am actively involved in the Graduate Students Network at our department as the chairperson for the sports committee.
Prior to coming to Drexel, I had received a B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering at University of Novi Sad, Serbia. After receiving my B.Sc. degree I was offered a position of a teaching and research assistant in the Laboratory of Materials in the Department of Manufacturing. During the two years that I spent at The College of Engineering in Novi Sad, I participated in several conferences in Serbia as well as in Romania and Germany.