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Mia Brzaković, the Studenica Foundation scholar, was recently chosen as the International Student of the Year by the Union of Students of Ireland. Mia has been studying biomedical engineering in Ireland for four years, and during her studies, she was a member and held positions on the executive boards of several dozen student organizations, both Serbian and Irish, as well as international. She also worked at Student2Student, an organization that is supporting students who come to attend Trinity as freshmen or as international exchange students, and organized welcoming and socializing events for students. After arriving in Ireland in her first year, in cooperation with the Organization of Serbian Students Abroad, she managed to establish a branch in this country within the first few months and gather distinguished students from all universities throughout the country.  International students often face difficult challenges while attempting to integrate into Ireland, not only because they are far from family and the comforts of home, but also because they encounter significant differences in the new education system. Experience has shown that when they are supported on arrival, they very quickly acquire an important and valued role in activities on and off campus, and it is essential that their activism be supported. Therefore, Mia strove to achieve just that in her environment. "It is a great honour for me to be recognized as the International student of the year. I am glad that through my previous work and activism, I managed to create a change in my environment that will make it easier for future generations to integrate and successfully fit into the new student life abroad. I still sincerely believe that each of us can make an extra effort and make that small change in our environment and that working together will make a positive difference for our future!” Ms Brzaković said.  At the ceremony, along with her colleagues Rachel Murphy and Courtney McGrath, who received the awards for Equality Campaign of the Year and Student Media of the Year, she was delighted to represent Trinity Students' Union as well as her University. Mia was also the student convenor at her faculty and in the past year, regardless of the challenges we faced, she managed to raise the importance of the student's voice in making important decisions at the faculty and university level. This year, as one of the outstanding students of her generation, she got a place at a prestigious university in America in order to expand her knowledge in biomedical sciences and use the exchange so that she could apply those experiences in Europe upon her return. In addition to the aforementioned activities, Mia is also active in organisations in Serbia, where she attempts to bring our students closer to opportunities related to personal and professional development, both domestic and abroad. She is also one of the few students from the region who was chosen by the European Student Union as a student expert for the Accreditation of multi-level programs at universities and works together with accreditation bodies and organizations to improve the quality of education around Europe. In the future, he hopes to be able to combine his expertise in all the mentioned areas and continue her progress, as well as help other students fit in more easily and find their new home in the country where they come to study. 
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Our scholar, Jelena Čolović, stood out in the competition for the best activist story, which was announced by the Institute for Media and Clarity and the Umbrella Organization of the Youth of Serbia. Her story was one of the best in the opinion of the jury, so she got the opportunity to present it publicly at the conference "YOUTH speak, YOUTH listen". Below you can read her work and conclude why she was awarded. Use the potential of the media for the right things I am studying journalism and I would like to dedicate my whole life to the media. I have been working on it intensively for the last few years. As a high school student, I became interested in reporting on current events. I am excited by the dynamism of the journalist's call and the thought that I can help people and contribute to the development of society. The media has great power. They are one of the important subjects of socialization, and journalists are the eyes and ears of the public. When I was in the fourth grade of high school, I edited the school newspaper. Then I connected to the local NMR info portal. I wrote about events, plays, village celebrations and all the events that I could go to. I conducted interviews with interesting residents of our small Banat towns. They are witnesses of a time, but there was no place for their stories in the big media. It bothered me that I noticed that culture, art, education and science were on the sidelines. I think that art ennobles and should be given more space. I started writing for the iSerbia portal and there I went through mentor training and they gave me the chance to write about those topics. I then connected with the portal of the Belgrade Open School. The Mingle portal is aimed at young people. This encouraged me to look for young people who are enthusiastic, hardworking, creative, unusual and inspiring. They are my favorite interlocutors. Every conversation with them is challenging and instructive for me. I was very happy when I interviewed a creative assistant from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade. He wanted to make teaching easier and more interesting for the students, so he recorded rap songs whose content refers to mathematical formulas and tasks. Later, Stefan Spalević was a guest in other media, and at the end of that year he received the PS Press award for the 50 most creative contents on the Internet. (https://www.iserbia.rs/oni-inspirisu/stefan-spalevic-matematika-i-rep-idu-zajedno-3009) I am studying journalism and I would like to dedicate my whole life to the media. I have been working on it intensively for the last few years. As a high school student, I became interested in reporting on current events. I am excited by the dynamism of the journalist's call and the thought that I can help people and contribute to the development of society. The media has great power. They are one of the important subjects of socialization, and journalists are the eyes and ears of the public. When I was in the fourth grade of high school, I edited the school newspaper. Then I connected to the local NMR info portal. I wrote about events, plays, village celebrations and all the events that I could go to. I conducted interviews with interesting residents of our small Banat towns. They are witnesses of a time, but there was no place for their stories in the big media. A very poignant but interesting story was told to me by Matti Kamberi, a Roma who grew up in orphanages and foster families and who did not know how to read and write until the age of 12. However, that boy rose from the mud and fell in love with the book to write his autobiography "The City of Pain" at the age of 19. When I interviewed him, the book had just gone on sale. It was later reprinted and had several editions. The second followed, and his third book was recently published. Few people knew about Mattie, and his combativeness and mental strength deserve the bow he later received. (http://www.mingl.rs/apdejt/61/2020/06/03/mingl-intervju_-meti-kamberi-i-grad-bola.html ) When I first stumbled upon the lyrics of Kosta Kosovac, I was speechless. A person is born a poet and it is a gift that few people are born with, that was my thought. You don't expect such conciseness and wisdom from a person who is only 20 years old. I wanted to tell people about him, to point out to everyone the talent that delighted me. The media was my ally. After I had prepared well, I contacted him and he agreed to the interview. About a year passed, and Kosta called me to tell me that his first collection of poetry had been published by the Serbian Literary Cooperative. (https://www.mingl.rs/rubrike/mingl-kutak/2/2020/10/30/mingl-intervju_-poeziju-neces-naci-nigde-ako-je-prvo-ne-nades-u-sebi.html ) I singled out these few people for whom I am very happy. I am glad that I met them and passed on the story of them and what they do. Also, once I decided to support a friend who organized an environmental action in his area. The report from that event was also reported by the Danas.rs portal, after which they offered me an internship with them. (https://www.danas.rs/vesti/beograd/mladi-za-tri-sata-ocistili-otpad-koji-se-godinama-talozio-u-visnjickoj-banji-foto/ ) In the student radio show "Slušaonica 6", I hosted experts in the field of psychology, fighters for human and labor rights, artists, people dealing with the fight against corruption... I recently wrote an extensive article on the impact of air pollution on the health of young people. I learned a lot about the subject and I am grateful to everyone who helped me. When the people who follow the analytics informed me that a total of about 100,000 reactions to that text were recorded, I was happy and it encourages me to try even harder. (https://www.mingl.rs/rubrike/mingl-kutak/2/5053/vazduh-koji-oduzima-dah.html ) That's how I use the media. The media has helped me a lot to spread important messages and interesting stories. I'll keep working on it! Themes are all around us. Jelena Colović After a three-year break due to the bad epidemiological situation, the 61st Congress of Students of Biomedical Sciences of Serbia with international participation was held from April 25 to 29 this year. It is the largest student congress of its kind in our country. Every year, the Congress gathers students who present their scientific research papers in the field of biomedicine. With the help and through cooperation with the mentor, they decide on the field and subject from which they want to write the paper and start research. Organized by the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Belgrade, this year's participants were 13 faculties with over 1000 students. For four days, as long as the congress lasted, the central part of the day were sessions in which students exhibited their works. Between them, students had the opportunity to participate in over 15 workshops on various topics every day, where they could hear useful advice and stories from professors and doctors. This year's participants were also our scholarship holders Mladen Hadži Makunčević from the Medical Faculty of the Military Medical Academy of the University of Defense in Belgrade and Aleksandar Milenković from the Medical Faculty of the University of Prishtina with a temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica. Scholars share their experiences with us. Mladen Hadži Makunčević: "My work dealt with the most common symptomatology and the way of dealing with the consequences of acute abuse of non-standard psychoactive substances. Due to the growing presence and abuse, in this way psychoactive substances without standard tests for drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, are negative. I presented the data of my institution, which is also the national center for poison control. " Mladen Hadži Makunčević: "My work dealt with the most common symptomatology and the way of dealing with the consequences of acute abuse of non-standard psychoactive substances. Due to the growing presence and abuse, in this way psychoactive substances without standard tests for drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, are negative. I presented the data of my institution, which is also the national center for poison control. " Aleksandar Milenković: "Due to the devastating statistics that follow the Republic of Serbia in the last few years in the number of cervical cancer patients, my mentor Prof. Vitković and I tried to prove the connection between HPV infection and premalignant and malignant lesions at the cellular level. The main goal was to apply scientific facts for the purpose of prevention, early diagnosis and saving women's lives. I believe that the subject of my work is molecular biomarkers, the future of preventive medicine. The Congress brought me new knowledge, experiences and acquaintances, which is the most valuable part of it. " See also photos from the event below. Erasmus Student Network Serbia is a non-governmental organization, a part of the Erasmus Student Network, the largest student association in Europe, which is present in more than 40 countries. ESN Serbia itself currently unites 3 sections from the largest cities in the country: Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš. ESN Serbia is run by the National Board, which consists of three voluntary positions - President, Vice President, National Representative, whose work is supported by the National Communication Department, Web Project Administrator, HR Coordinator, and Research Coordinator. ESN (Erasmus Student Network Novi Sad) is working to create a more mobile and flexible educational environment through student exchange, as well as providing that intercultural feeling at home. In addition to providing all kinds of assistance to exchange students, ESN Novi Sad provides many opportunities for volunteers. The goals of this organization are: promoting the social and cultural integration of international students; promoting interculturality and diversity; promoting student mobility and accessibility; motivating and preparing domestic students for mobility and studying abroad; providing intercultural experience to those students who do not study abroad, but volunteer in the ESN local organization and promoting voluntary and joint activities. The experiences shared by the exchange students contributed to me gaining a better insight into what student exchanges look like and how to prepare in advance for my future exchange. Communication between exchange students and volunteers is also at a high level. I can truly say that once I visit a country, I will be able to visit some of the friends I have made here, and vice versa ESN encourages students to gain international experience by going on an exchange, but also by volunteering in a local ESN organization and thus gaining insight into different cultures. The activities organized in the local sections are numerous and relate to cultural and social events such as excursions and trips, competitions and games, movie nights, gahterings for getting to know each other, language cafes, Erasmus plus chat, parties and various cultural and artistic festivals and humanitarian events. In half a year of volunteering at ESN, I progressed from an active member to application for event coordinator and planned application for coordinator, ie. ESN Communications Manager. The experience I gained is significant to me in many fields. I developed my communication and organizational skills, as well as other soft skills. I perfected my knowledge of foreign languages and volunteering served as a practice. The role of volunteers is manifold, so I had the opportunity to be a guide, event organizer, lecturer and promoter. Cooperation with volunteers has always been collegial, but also friendly. Working in a team is very important for further career advancement, which is why I think that volunteering in organizations of this type is a great opportunity for students. The experiences shared by the exchange students contributed to me gaining a better insight into what student exchanges look like and how to prepare in advance for my future exchange. Communication between exchange students and volunteers is also at a high level. I can truly say that once I visit a country, I will be able to visit some of the friends I have made here, and vice versa. All the events we had with foreign students gave us a different perspective of Novi Sad. By looking at Novi Sad from another angle, we broke a monotony of everyday life and got closer through various activities, cultural, entertainment and artistic. This intercultural environment is important not only to make exchange students feel accepted, but also to make us all feel united. The acquaintances and friends I gained showed me that there are no boundaries that can separate people if they understand each other enough. Volunteering creates just that sense of connection, regardless of different backgrounds and borders between countries. Like I said, those boundaries are being erased. What we are left with are the people we return to, the encounters we remember, and those memories never fade. I am convinced that the meetings do not happen by chance ... Teodora Šiklošić On this day, 143 years ago, one of the most important Serbian scientists, Milutin Milanković, was born. He was a great scientist, but also a sublime creator whose path through the universe and centuries tends far beyond the destination of scientific thought. It belongs to such scientists who establish the world in thoughts, assemblies and relationships, because it actually dealt with issues that, according to the oldest peoples, are the basis of every culture - the laws of insolation, changing seasons and establishing a reliable calendar. Born between East and West, educated in the West, he returned to the East where he worked and died. And what we can say with certainty is that Milutin Milanković is a person who left an indelible mark that even time will not be able to suppress. Each civilization had its way of coping with the phenomenon of time and the human need to outline and conquer time with myths, calculations, calendars, constantly following everything that moves and turns in space, passes and comes in time. Despite our efforts to explain everything and connect all phenomena, time is always running out, irreversibly. Time and Universe is an exhibition conceived as a journey from darkness to light, from chaos to cosmos, and framed by the story of the great scientist from Novi Sad. This exhibition cover the concept of time through centuries, as well as the relationships between humans, time and science. The author of the visual and artistic part of the exhibition is the multimedia artist Dušan Jovović, while the author of the narrative is Aleksandar Petrović, who has been researching Milanković's life and work for more than 50 years. It is an interactive multimedia exhibition and the authors used sculpture, mapped three-dimensional image, mechanical bodies, holograms, digital sound, but according to Jovović: "none of that as an effect, but as the essence". "This exhibition is a tribute to the time to which the whole universe is dedicated. Humans are masters of everything except themselves because they cannot control time. Therefore, they have a moral obligation to talk about time, because the awareness of it is the drive of life that disappears if the river of change is clouded by illusions or dried up by ignorance. Time is the identity and inversion of eternity, the energy of the universe as a conscious cosmos consciousness cannot encompass. It is consciousness in mind, sight in seeing, memory in feeling", says Petrović. "This exhibition is a tribute to the time to which the whole universe is dedicated. Humans are masters of everything except themselves because they cannot control time. Therefore, they have a moral obligation to talk about time, because the awareness of it is the drive of life that disappears if the river of change is clouded by illusions or dried up by ignorance. Time is the identity and inversion of eternity, the energy of the universe as a conscious cosmos consciousness cannot encompass. It is consciousness in mind, sight in seeing, memory in feeling", says Petrović. The Time and Universe exhibition is not just an artistic interpretation of a certain topic. This exhibition is an evocation of all humanity, an interactive space within space, in which different times, myths of the past and understandings of the present rotate. You can visit this extraordinary exhibition in Studio M, throughtout the year of title of European Capital of Culture, and I strongly recommend that you do it as soon as possible. The experience is unusual, and you will come out with the realization that we are actually time, as silly as it may sound. And as Dante said: "And now, my reader, my miracle understands where things don't even move, and in the picture, change follows it." Author: Katarina Klisura After spending two semesters at Charles University in Prague, on the Erasmus + student exchange program, I wholeheartedly recommend all students to seize the opportunity and spend several months studying abroad. Student exchanges are an unforgettable experience that will broaden your horizons and enable you to learn first-hand what it looks like to live and study outside your country at minimal cost. I will use this text to share my experience of the entire process of going on an exchange abroad. I hope that it will be helpful to those who want to apply for some of the exchange programs, but I also hope to encourage those who have not thought about exchanges to do so. University selection and application process The first step is to research the opportunities for student exchanges at your faculty. In our country, Erasmus+ is currently the most popular exchange program and almost all faculties in Serbia participate in it. Through the Erasmus + program, students can spend a semester or two in one of the countries of the European Union. There is also the CEEPUS program for the countries of the region and Central European countries, as well as some other less popular programs. For the Erasmus+ program, there is a website mobion.bg.ac.rs you can use to research which universities there is an open call for, at least 6 months in advance. At the Faculty of Political Sciences, where I study, we have a coordinator for exchange programs who helped me a lot with preparing the application and choosing the subjects that will be recognized as substitutes. Some faculties have Erasmus+ coordinators, but unfortunately not all of them do. The application consists of motivation letter, “learning agreement,” transcript of grades, certificate of English language proficiency, professor’s recommendation, and some other documents. All that needs to be obtained on time, and something needs to be translated by a court interpreter. The application should be sent via the MobiON site, the instructions on the site are clear and the application is not overly complicated. You will find out if you were accepted a few months before the start of the exchange. I was informed that at the beginning of November, and the semester started in mid February, so you will have enough time to prepare, get a visa and organize the trip. The whole process depends on the university and the country you are going to. In my case, they sent us documents from Charles University in time to get a Czech visa before traveling. Visas are required for stays in the European Union longer than 3 months for citizens of the Republic of Serbia. Accommodation: apartment or dormitory? Before you go on an exchange, you have to decide where you will live. The main question is: apartment or dormitory? When it comes to Prague, the rooms in the apartments were three to four times more expensive than the dormitory, so my friends from faculty and I decided to take the dormitory. This turned out to be a great decision, because the dormitory is irreplaceable when it comes to meeting new people and socializing with students from all over the world. I met a lot of new people in the dorm, some of whom became my closest friends. I am still in contact with most of them, and we are planning a reunion in Prague this summer. Although living in an apartment is more comfortable, it cannot provide such an experience after all, so my recommendation is definitely a dormitory. From preparing breakfast in the morning in the shared kitchen to partying in the rooms in the evening — dormitories are great accommodation when you go on an exchange. The bonus is that at most universities that have their own dormitories, exchange coordinators organize and book accommodation for you, so you don't have to go through the process of looking for accommodation. My friend from college and I were allowed to be in the room together, so there is that option if you go on an exchange with another or a friend. The application consists of motivation letter, “learning agreement,” transcript of grades, certificate of English language proficiency, professor’s recommendation, and some other documents. All that needs to be obtained on time, and something needs to be translated by a court interpreter. The application should be sent via the MobiON site, the instructions on the site are clear and the application is not overly complicated. Studying: recognition of subjects and differences in systems Speaking of studying itselft, it all depends on the faculty. I was very lucky with both faculties, because the FPN did not require the syllabuses of subjects in Prague to match to a large extent in order to recognize my grades and transfer the ECTS. However, some colleges are much stricter in this regard, so you may have to take subjects that you missed once you return from the exchange. The application also includes a document called the Learning Agreement in which you suggest which subjects from the receiving faculty would replace the subjects you are missing that semester at your faculty. However, some subjects may not be available once you arrive there, so you have a deadline to replace them, apply for others, and get approval from your college. The teaching system is different to the one in our country. At the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University, lectures usually lasted an hour and a half, student participation was important and they were held in small groups. I especially liked that difference in relation to the lectures in our country, because it gives the professor more opportunities to communicate with students, and students can more easily get involved in the discussion. There were no practical classes in the sense in which they are organized in our country — lectures and practical classes were one and the same. Some lectures were held in blocks, but in any case, for all the obligations on a weekly basis, it took me less time than at my home faculty. For most of the subjects, I wrote essays or seminar papers, which either carried a large part of the grade or were a substitute for the exam. I didn't spend days studying endless information from hundreds of pages for the exams, like I did for most exams in our country. I prepared for the exams using notes from classes and texts we read before each lecture, so I basically prepared for the exam through continuous work throughout the semester. I must admit that it was difficult for me to get used to the way of working at my faculty again when I returned from the exchange, although there are professors here who implement this "Bologna" principle more than others. On the other hand, although I liked the system at Charles University more, I got the impression that some "difficult" subjects from FPN really provided me with a broad education and knowledge in various fields that I applied in all lectures. That breadth and in-depth study of certain scientific fields is not a feature of the system in which I studied during those two semesters, the subjects are rather conceived as courses. Student life in Prague It is completely different to visit a city for a couple of days as a tourist and live in it. Student exchanges are great because they provide an opportunity to experience life in another city or country for a few months, with the costs covered. The Erasmus+ scholarship I received in Prague was more than enough for all my living expenses. Two years ago, Serbia became a program country in the Erasmus+ framework, which unfortunately means that scholarships are now lower and for the Czech Republic amount to 470 euros per month. However, that is enough if you live in a dormitory and do not overdo it with Uber eats. Information on scholarships for different countries can also be found on the MobiON website. Prague is a great city for students — it has everything students need and a student card offers a lot of different benefits. From discounts on food in many restaurants, all the way to cheaper transportation. Speaking of restaurants, I have to recommend Einstein pizzerias, which are located in several locations in Prague and whose owners, as we have heard, are from our region. Here you can get two meals for the price of one with a student card, and their food is great. We talked to the waiters several times in Serbian, and we also ate excellent ćevapi there. Train and bus tickets with a student discount are very cheap, so you can travel to any place in the Czech Republic for a few euros (100-300 crowns). Of all the places we visited, I liked Češky Krumlov the most, a town in the north of 13,000 inhabitants, 3 hours away from Prague, where you get the impression that you travelled a couple of centuries to the past. Unfortunately, during most of my stay in Prague, there were restrictions due to the corona virus, so I was not able to visit all the places I wanted. When it comes to museums, one you should definitely visit is the National Museum, whose magnificent building is located in the center of Prague. Clementinum is another of my favorite places — the view of the baroque library is like a movie scene, and when you climb the Astronomical tower you will have the whole of Prague at the palm of your hand. Žižkov Tower is one of the symbols of Prague, which can be seen from almost every part of the city. It is located in the neighborhood of the same name and the view from it is breathtaking. When it comes to nightlife, Prague does not lag behind Belgrade. My favorite place to go out was the Lucerna Music Bar, which is located in the palace of the same name, which also contains a cinema and some shops. The whole club looks like a disco from the 80's, and many musicians and DJs often perform here. Of the alternative places, the most interesting is Vzorkovna or as it is popularly called - Dog bar. The districts of Holešovice, Vinohradi and Žižkov are also full of interesting places to go out, as well as to have breakfast and coffee. As everything was closed due to the corona virus for a most of the time I was in Prague, we spent a lot of time walking around the city and visiting different parks. Prague is full of beautiful parks - Letna has a beautiful view of the city, as well as Rieger's Gardens (only from another hill). I would need many more paragraphs to describe all the charms of Prague, so I here I will draw your attention back to the main point of the text — go on a student exchange for at least one semester, it is probably the best decision you can make. Not only will you meet many friends from different countries, but you will also gain an irreplaceable life experience, as well as the academic one. Prague is a great choice for exchange students, but I'm sure you'll have as good a time as I did wherever you go.  I loved drawing ever since I was a kid. I created my first more serious work of art that didn’t consist of randomly sketched concentric circles and made me very proud of myself when I was 5 years old. One summer afternoon, I took a white paper and a pencil and this is how I drew a goat in nature. On her left side, there is a flying butterfly bigger than the sun that smiles from the right corner of the paper. I remember being thrilled with my goat who looked like an amateur mix of Picasso and Dali. My mom was fascinated as well – the drawing is still part of our art collection in our corridor. Little did I know that one of the most important symbols in works of art of March Shagal, the artist who later came to be one of my favorites, is precisely a goat. Two and a half months ago, just a few days after my arrival in Milan, I heard that Chagall's works would be exhibited in the Mudec gallery from the 16th of March onwards. I was anxiously waiting for the first wave of crowds to clear up so that I could enjoy the exhibition in peace (although it is never peaceful in Milan) and get to know Chagall more intimately. Little did I know that one of the most important symbols in works of art of March Shagal, the artist who later came to be one of my favorites, is precisely a goat. The exhibition space was in blue, green, and red – recurring colors in Chagall's work. While you are passing from one room to another, chronologically following his artistic and personal development, the background is filled with silent notes of Nach Aktion, a song from the movie Schindler’s list. Family portraits and scenes, religious elements, Jewish suffering in the Second world war, and his wife Bella who was an inspiration for many of his works are just some of the main themes that make Chagall's work memorable and recognizable. It is useless to describe the whole exhibition and each painting, but what is worth describing is the feeling Chagall left on me – love. Love that doesn’t recognize war, famine, poverty. Love that is above anything else, and flies above the destroyed city, love that floats next to the goat playing violin because only love can do such a thing. Love for human beings and nature as the omnipresent motif and guidance in life. Cliche, you might say, but you cannot escape its truth. Very few artists can actually impart such a pure and ingenuine thought about love and happiness and this is where Shagall’s geniality lies. As Anna Scot (Julia Roberts) says in the movie Notting Hill: It feels like how love should be. Happiness isn’t happiness without a violin-playing goat.
Mila Filipovic is a third-year student at the Faculty of Contemporary Arts. In addition to university, she is active in NGOs dealing with improving social problems and helping young people and women. As she says, out of all her work, the most fulfilling is music. "Music has always been a part of my life. I graduated from high school of music, I play violin and piano. I am currently getting educated for solo singing, and sing in the choir of the Temple of St. Sava. I have also attended the singing workshop at Bilja Krstić," Mila says. The St. Sava Temple Choir was formed in 2018. Since then it has successfully performed in numerous competitions. Performances in Belarus at the beautiful Minsk Philharmonic, Banja Luka and the region, as well as the first prize in Negotin on Mokranjcev's days, are only part of a joint association, work and effort that we can all be proud of. As an integral part of Sunday's liturgy, the St. Sava Temple choir is active at all important events commemorated at the St. Sava Temple. It follows and complements spiritual programs, feasts, promotions of great writers, television broadcasts, and with their melodies makes them more beautiful. "The choir is actively working on the programme and holding rehearsals three times a week so that everything is performed at the highest level and displayed in the best possible light. In addition, there are constant choir obligations and performances of sacred lithium that we all enjoy." The initiative for introducing foreign tourists to the Orthodox faith and church has a programme when visiting the Temple, where the choir conjures the atmosphere through beautiful tunes. In the run-up to one of the most important holidays, Easter, I'd like you to give us a hand and bring us closer to how preparations are going. "The choir is actively working on the programme and holding rehearsals three times a week so that everything is performed at the highest level and displayed in the best possible light. In addition, there are constant choir obligations and performances of sacred lithium that we all enjoy." This year, the choir will perform new compositions at the Easter Concerto, composed only for the Temple St. Sava Choir. With a concert to be held at the Temple, midnight and morning liturgies will be sung to welcome the holiday in a magnificent way. "Preparations are still underway but we are doing really well, alongside singing in rehearsals there is a very nice atmosphere between people, and it contributes a lot to the common sound of the choir itself. The beautiful harmony in people's relationships is great, plus for the whole world well and for us" Mila. After Easter, the choir continues to work. A large number of performances are to follow, and the first in a series of concerts at the Temple will be commemorated on Vidovdan, to which we invite you together and look forward to socialising and singing together. Our scholarship holder Marija Stanković is a member of the Association for Preventive Pediatrics of Serbia (UPPS). She points out that she learned a lot about rare diseases thanks to her engagement in this organization. She had the opportunity to participate in organizing several humanitarian activities. “The first and biggest action was the New Year's humanitarian action ‘We are all Santa Claus ‘. Over 30 entrepreneurs and schools throughout Serbia responded to our action. Well-known clinics and shopping malls responded too. 126 packages were collected, which were distributed to children with disabilities and children in an orphanage. In order to bring a smile to the children's faces in addition to the packages, I also organized animators who handed them over and spent the day with them.” “Over 160 works of art from all over Serbia arrived and over 16,000 dinars was collected for little Dorotea, who has to go to Turkey for surgery. With the art competition, which participation cost 100 dinars, we, as an association, made a small contribution to the treatment of this little girl.“ After that, Marija participated in the realization of the humanitarian art competition “Paint the world with colorful colors, draw a smile to little heroes”. “Over 160 works of art from all over Serbia arrived and over 16,000 dinars was collected for little Dorotea, who has to go to Turkey for surgery. With the art competition, which participation cost 100 dinars, we, as an association, made a small contribution to the treatment of this little girl.“ Maria emphasizes that she enjoys organizing events that have a noble goal. “Humanitarian actions show how much love there is in us, these are actions that leave a big mark on me, engraved on my heart, and carry a torrent of feelings, both beautiful and less beautiful. As a medical student, I am still not competent to help someone with my knowledge that I have acquired so far, so I try to help as much as I can through humanitarian work.” Our scholarship holder runs an Instagram profile @upps_srbija. A few weeks ago, she started the series of live shows “Diagnosis is not a nightmare – you can learn too”. “The series also aims to make medical students hear more case studies. At a time of pandemic, when everyone lacks that contact with the patient, I think this is one of the better ways to hear something we can't read in a book, and it certainly will mean something to us.” The „Migration“ program is held in Novi Sad from February 1 to March 20 and includes more than 300 events and performances by over 100 artists from 42 countries. This program presents migration of the population as an inspiration in art and shows the positive angle of the consequences of migration and their impact on us and our culture. One of the main events of „Migration of Souls“, a unique pavilion of literature, combines visual and performing arts and represents the impact of migration on the individual. The creation of Novi Sad through migration is the topic of exhibitions in the field of cultural heritage. The concept implies that the past is viewed from the angle of the present so that we can imagine a new future. Prejudices about migration are presented in a humorous way and greet those who have returned to their home town to contribute to society. Famous artists and new hopes of the European art scene through the theme of migration, an inseparable part of European identity, present different types of art e.g. contemporary art. Art and cultural programs will deal with the topic of departures and arrivals, wandering and finding onself, but also existential issues and understanding of migration. Some of the best world and domestic names are performing in Novi Sad, this year's European Capital of Culture. Original Enigma Voices, one of the most famous German music projects, then Anthropoceno, project of members of the French-Argentine band Gotan Project, Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra, Japanese guitarist and singer-songwriter Miyavi, composer and pianist Vasil Hadžimanov, best sevdalinka representative Božo Vrećo, representative of traditional and ethno music scenes Bilja Krstić and Bistrik Orchestra and many other quality performers. All these artists have a common theme - migrations and their positive impact on inspiration, which is reflected in all performances. Watching these inspiring artistic performances, I realized that we are all united and that we and our culture cannot be separated by thousands of kilometers. Migrations help us gain experience and get to know another culture and customs, and that also builds our identity, but the whole identity is also what we carry within us. That is the image that actually represents us. We leave all the values we adopt during migrations to our country when we return permanently or just stay for a while. One has to wander sometimes in order to know oneself and to find oneself in an environment. It is not important where we are, but what we have to offer someone and what we are like as people and as personalities. Anyone who has a desire to move away, or has already moved away, has probably encountered resentment from the environment, and it is this manifestation of "Migration" that gave me hope and support that we should follow our goals and carry the „home“ within us. „Home“ represents everything that makes us ourselves and what we always come back to, without the need to go somewhere physically. A special program that left a strong impression on me is the play „B(j)egunci“ (Fugitives). „B(j)egunci“ is an optimistic theater project which, through examples of migrations of young people, explains the reasons and circumstances of these migrations. „Refugees are a world offered to dive into.“ Characters from the displaced community on the border of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia are mostly returnees from abroad with different backgrounds. Viewers themselves choose whose story to follow. The stage is shown as a village of 7 houses, with the main square, streets and the nearby forest. Viewers are free to change positions, go outside, go home, return, stay in one position and follow the story of one character from start to finish. They can also follow the stories of different characters. What is special and specific about this play is that we can identify with real stories of young people and hear how they coped with problems during migration. These stories offered me answers to questions and dilemmas when I needed it most. In periods of nostalgia and identity crisis, when we find it difficult to cope in a new environment, we just need to hear that there is always a solution. The most important thing is to accept our personality and strive to be the best possible version of ourselves and always consistent with ourselves, wherever we are. Being a „citizen of the world“ is what I want to achieve when I move away and when I return to contribute to the society that raised me ... to show that everything was worth the effort. Novi Sad is the European Capital of Culture in 2022, and various cultural and educational events and exhibitions are held throughout the year. You can find out more about all the events on the novisad2022.rs website Teodora Šiklošić |
AuthorFellows of Studenicca Foundation Archives
August 2023
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