Assistant Ministers
Marina Soković, PHD
Acting Assistant Minister, Department of Science
Mrs. Soković was born in Vranje, Serbia, in 1970, where she completed elementary and high school.
She obtained her degrees in biology as follows: a bachelor's degree in 1995, a master's degree in 1998, and has defended her doctoral thesis in 2001 at the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade.
She began her research career as a volunteer and professional associate at the Department of Morphology and Systematics of Higher Plants and Fungi at the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade from 1995 to 1999. The research associate title was gained at the Mycology Laboratory, Department of Plant Physiology, IBISS (1999), whereas she was appointed as a research associate in 2001, a senior research associate in 2005, and a research advisor in 2008.
Dr. Marina Soković, a research advisor at the "Siniša Stanković" Institute for Biological Research which is an institute of national significance for the Republic of Serbia, and she serves as the head of the Mycological Laboratory within the Department of Plant Physiology.
She teaches at the Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, in the field of Systematics and Phylogeny of Plants within the doctoral studies program, focusing on the "Antifungal Activity of Secondary Metabolites in Plants".
After completing her doctoral studies, she pursued postdoctoral research at Plant Research International, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, with a scholarship obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Dr. Sokovic has supervised the preparation of 3 master's theses and 7 doctoral dissertations, and she is currently involved in the preparation of 3 doctoral theses.
She has participated in several projects funded by the Ministry of Science, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. Various international projects were also led by Mrs. Soković and she has served as an advisor on the "Innovation Serbia Project From Waste to Taste, financed by the EU Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funds through the World Bank. Since 2018, she has been the head of the Serbian team within the EU Horizon 2020 project in collaboration with 12 European and global institutions.
Dr. Soković serves as a guest editor for several international journals and acts as a reviewer for more than 30 prominent international journals. She has published over 400 papers in international journals indexed in the Science Citation Index (SCI), more than 140 domestic and international conference presentations and has received approximately 8000 citations (H-index of 43).
She has delivered dozens of invited lectures at eminent domestic and international scientific conferences and panels on topics related to food, natural products, biological activities of metabolites, and more.
Dr. Soković is listed among the top 2% most-cited scientists globally, being a ranking published by the Stanford University.
Dr. Marina Soković has extensive experience in the biological activity of natural products researching, particularly their antimicrobial potential. Her main research topics include the biological activity of secondary metabolites from medicinal plants and fungi (micromycetes and mushrooms), the chemical profile of medicinal plants and fungi, and the pathogenic fungi study (phytopathogens, human and animal pathogens, food contaminants).
Mrs. Soković has established numerous international collaborations with prominent scientists worldwide (Greece, Turkey, Romania, Portugal, China, Finland, the Netherlands, etc.), enabling Serbian researchers to have stays and scientific practice within prestigious laboratories.
She initiated research on the natural products biological activity, primarily their antimicrobial potential, thus opening a new and significant scientific chapter in Serbia. Dr. Soković formed a research group that now operates in the Micology Laboratory of IBISS and is being recognized both in Serbia and globally. She served as Deputy President of the Scientific Council of IBISS (2012) and was a member of the University of Belgrade Council for three mandates (2013-2019).
Dr. Soković has also led a working group responsible for collection and processing scientific literature and supporting provision to the Expert Team on the Coronavirus topic within the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development. She is the coordinator of the Vaccelerate scientific project, funded by the Horizon 2020, focusing on data consolidation and establishing unified procedures for coronavirus treatment within the EU, in representation of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development and the Ministry of Health.
She served as Acting Assistant Minister for Science in the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia from 2019 to 2022.
Dr. Soković is currently serving as the Acting Assistant Minister for Science in the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia.
Vladimir Radovanović
Acting Assistant Minister, Department of Innovation, Technology Transfer and Technology Development
He has obtained his diplomas in 2013 and also his master's studies (2014 and 2022-) from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy and his academic and professional background includes Business Performance Management Multidisciplinary Program of the University of Belgrade as well.
He began his work in the field of youth and technological innovation entrepreneurship, as well as support for Micro, Small and Medium-sized companies, all during the course of his studies. Initially, he served as the Vice President for Cooperation with the Economy at the Student Conference of the Serbian Universities (SKONUS). Later on, he has co-founded and became the Program Director of the Young Economic Forum Association.
Mr. Radovanović has been employed at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia since 2016, specifically in the Center for Programs for Economic Support Measures and Support Measurees for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, with a specific focus on technological and innovative companies.
In addition to his work at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Mr. Radovanović has worked at various other organizations, including Roaming Electronics, FOX Electronics, the Center for Digital Transformation as a Development and Communication Manager, the Joberty (a Startup company) as a Community Manager for Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Romania, and as a COO at the HowTo...? Startup company, where he was being a co-founder as well.
He has been engaged as a teaching associate at the Academy of Vocational Studies in Šumadija, on the subjects Enterprise in Tourism and Hospitality and Project Management of Organizations since 2019 and has been lecturing at the Faculty of Sciences in Belgrade since 2022.
The Caravan of Youth Enterprise project he conceptualized and led was declared by the European Commission and the European Commission and the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) in 2017 as the best national project promoting enterprise in the country.
He received a scholarship from the Japanese Government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Developing SME Policy in Japan program in 2018.
Since 2018, he has been a certified trainer for Business Plan writing and business Startup Education Program by the German Organization for International Cooperation (GIZ).
He lives in Belgrade with his wife and two kids.
Ivana Vukašinović
Acting Assistant Minister, Sector for International Cooperation and European Integration
Ivana Vukasinovic holds a degree in International Relations from the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, and a Master’s degree in Financial Management, Accounting, and Budget Control from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences. She has over 17 years of experience in public administration, with expertise in public policy, European integration, international cooperation, and development projects.
She has held positions in the Office for European Integration, the Ministry of Defence – Project Management Directorate, and the Public Policy Secretariat of the Republic of Serbia, where she served as Assistant Director. She led the Sector for Policy Planning, Coordination and Monitoring, playing a key role in the preparation, evaluation, and coordination of strategic documents, reform programmes, and initiatives in public governance.
As a certified trainer, she has delivered training programmes to civil servants, local government employees, and NGOs in public policy analysis, strategic planning, and project cycle management.
In her current role as Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, she is responsible for coordinating international cooperation and the European integration process in the fields of science and innovation. Her portfolio includes bilateral and multilateral relations, regional initiatives, cooperation with the European Commission, and Serbia’s engagement in global science and innovation platforms. She also serves as the National Contact Point for the Horizon Europe programme and other international research and innovation initiatives in which Serbia actively participates.