HEAD OFFICE

Prof. Dragana LatkovićDirector

Dr. Dragana S. Latković, Full Professor, was born on 20 January 1967 in Vođenica, Bosanski Petrovac, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Education
• BSc in 1990 – University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Croatia
• MSc in 2002 – Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Field Crop Growing
• PhD in 2010 – Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad

Teaching Career
• University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, 1991, Teaching Assistant – trainee
• Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Faculty of Agriculture Novi Sad, 1992/1996, Technical Associate
• Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad,1996/2002, Teaching Assistant – trainee
• Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, 2002/2010, Teaching Assistant
• Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, 2010/2015, Assistant Professor
• Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, 2015, Associate Professor in Field and Vegetable Crops
• Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, 2021, Full Professor in Field and Vegetable Crops

Professional Training / Specializations
• Completed a number of study trips to Germany, Romania, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Russia, Switzerland, and Poland, participated in national and international conferences and international project meetings in Europe.

Publications
• Authored more than 260 papers published in national or international journals, and in national or international conferences. Authored 27 papers published in SCI journals, co-authored two national monographs, two course books and three handbooks.

Projects
• Dr. Dragana Latković participated in 15 projects: six research projects supported by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of RS and one research project supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of RS; participated in four and coordinated one project supported by the Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development; participated in one project of research and technological cooperation supported by the Provincial Secretariat for Regional Development, Interregional Cooperation and Local Self-Government (coordinated the project as the representative of the Faculty of Agriculture Novi Sad); one international project supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and coordinated one IPA project supported by the EU.

Academic Activity
• Teaching Field and Vegetable Crops to undergraduate (BSc) and postgraduate students (MSc, PhD)
• Mentor of one PhD, five Master’s theses and 13 graduation papers, and a member of many BSc, MSc and PhD evaluation committees.

Membership
• Serbian Plant Physiology Society
• Serbian Society of Soil Science
• ESA – European Society for Agronomy

Other
• Invited lecturer at four international conferences
• Organized eight research and technical conferences
• Head of the Department of Field and Vegetable Crops, Faculty of Agriculture Novi Sad in 2012 – 2021
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Soil Science Belgrade
• President of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, 2021-2024
• Member of the Council of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade as of 2024
• English language – independent user
• Mother of one child

Prof. Jegor MiladinovićAssistant Director for Science

Prof. Jegor Miladinović, Principal Research Fellow, was born in Novi Sad in 1968. His research career began in 1993, when he was employed as a research assistant in soybean breeding at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Department of Soil, Agroecology and Fertilization. He obtained his MSc in 1997, and PhD in Plant Genetics and Breeding in 1999 at the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad. He was appointed Principal Research Fellow in 2007.

He completed the postdoctoral training in soybean breeding at the North Carolina State University, USA in 2000, and at the Changchun University of Agricultural and Animal Sciences, P.R. China in 2001.

He has authored or co-authored more than 200 research papers, and one monograph of national importance. He has authored or co-authored 64 soybean cultivars registered in Serbia and 56 soybean cultivars released abroad, notably Merkur, Galina, NS Vulkan, NS Apolo, NS Maximus, NS Ventis, and NS Kolos, among others.

Dr. Jegor Miladinović reviews articles in SCI indexed journals Scientific Reports, European Journal of Agronomy, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and Euphytica, and is a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Plant Variety Research and Protection. He coordinated three and participated in nine national technology development projects. He has participated on seven Horizon Europe projects (BELIS, CROPINNO, MIDAS, CARINA, AGROSERV, EMPHASIS-GO, ECO-READY), three Horizon 2020 projects (EUCLEG, ECOBREED, Legumes Translated), and one FAO project (TCP/RER/3504). He received Prof. Lazar Stojković Award granted by the Matica Srpska for outstanding scientific achievements in 2000, and is the permanent honorable member of Matica Srpska. European Seed elected him among the 20 most innovative breeders in 2019, and his soybean cultivar NS Blackstar among the 20 most innovative cultivars in 2020.

Dr. Jegor Miladinović has been the Vice President of the Committee for the Release of Varieties at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia since 2008. He was the Head of the Soybean Department in 2005-2011, and a member of the Board of Directors of Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in 2010-2013. He was appointed Acting Director of the Institute in April 2013, and held the position of Institute Director from July 2013 to October 2015. In October 2015 he was appointed Advisor for Plant Breeding and Genetics at the Soybean Department. In the period 2018-2020 he was the Head of the Soybean Department and the President of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, after which he was again appointed as the Institute Director. Furthermore, he was elected coordinator of the European Soybean Breeding Network (ESBN) at the ESBN start-up meeting in November 2018. He served as a member of the Scientific Board of the World Soybean Research Conference 11 (WSRC11) held in Vienna in June 2023.

On 10 June 2025 he was appointed President of the Committee for the Release of Soybean Varieties at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia.

Ivan Dobrenov, MScAssistant Director for International Commerce

Branko Antić, BScAssistant Director for Commerce

Dr. Velimir RadićAssistant Director for Seed Production

Dr. Velimir Radić was born on 23 May 1973 in Novi Sad. He graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Novi Sad in 1998 and received his master’s degree in 2003. He defended his doctoral dissertation entitled “Production and morphological characteristics of commercial NS sunflower lines (Helianthus annuus L.) in 2009 at the same Faculty. He started working at the DP Institute for the Improvement of Agriculture in Bačka Topola in 1998 as an expert associate in the seed laboratory, controlling and approving the seed production of some cereal grains and forage crops. At the same time, he was trained to control the production of seed corn. During 1998, he spent four months on professional training at the National Seed Testing Laboratory in Novi Sad. The improvement was related to the tasks of determining the germination of seeds, determination of weeds and determination of diseases on seeds. Since 2002, he has been employed at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, in the Department of Oil Crops, as an expert associate in basic sunflower seed production. After familiarizing himself with the scope and types of work in basic sunflower seed production, he was assigned to the position of manager of basic sunflower seed production and processing. Since 2008, he has also been in charge of the basic seed production of rapeseed. On the professional side, he was promoted to manager for placement and sales of NS seeds abroad in 2017, while in 2020 he was promoted to advisor for production technology and commercial affairs. He was promoted to advisor for the commercialization of scientific research results in 2022. He earned the title of research associate in 2010, senior research associate in 2015, and principal research fellow in 2021. As an author or co-author, he published 145 scientific and professional papers. He co-authored 28 hybrids (25 sunflower hybrids and 3 rapeseed hybrids), 20 of which have been released abroad (Ukraine, Russia, Romania and Republika Srpska BiH). He also co-authored the monograph „Semenarstvo” (in Serbian) as a co-author of the chapter on sunflower seed processing. He speaks English, Spanish and Russian. He is married with three children.

Vladimir Mihajlov, MScAssistant Director of Finance and Accounting

Born in Novi Sad in 1978. Graduated at the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad, obtaining his Master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering. He worked in finances in the private trade sector until 2011, and as a consultant at the administration of the City of Novi Sad. He started working at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in 2013, first as Chief of Economic and Financial Affairs, and later as Internal Auditor. He was an appointed member of the board of directors of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, member of the board of directors of AD “Pionir“ Srbobran, member of the Council of the Agricultural Extension Service Novi Sad, and a member of the Committee on Agricultural Statistics in 2012. For skill development purposes, he completed the training program in agriculture counseling organized by USDA and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Serbia, obtained a Diploma in Accounting granted by the Institute of Economics and Finances, and the HACCP Administrator certificate, passed the State Civil Service Exam, and gained the title of a Certified Internal Auditor. Married, has one child.

Zorica Malešev, LLBAssistant Director for Legal Affairs

Zorica Malešev was born in 1973 in Bačka Topola, where she completed elementary and high school education. After graduating from the Faculty of Law of the University of Novi Sad, she was employed at the Novi Sad District Court as a judicial trainee for a period of two years. In 2000, she passed the bar exam at the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia in Belgrade. Since 2001, she has been employed at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in the Service for Legal and General Affairs. She performed the duties of Institute Secretary in 2004 – 2011 and in 2013 – 2017. In 2017, she was appointed the Institute Legal Representative.

Dušan Šikoparija, BEngAssistant Director for Marketing

Born in Novi Sad in 1966. Obtained his BEng at the Faculty of Technical Sciences (Mechanical Engineering), Quality, Effectiveness and Logistics Department, Novi Sad. Completed the postgraduate studies in marketing and obtained his master’s degree in media management at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Novi Sad. He gained broad work experience in international trade and marketing in the private business sector. He established and successfully managed a radio station for more than five years, and has experience in TV production, advertising, TV and radio advertising, media planning, online marketing, and web management. He was involved in consulting, corporate communications and campaign planning, while his area of expertise comprises media management and corporate communications management. He has been appointed Assistant Director for Marketing at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops since 2013.