Luka Velašević – the Best Student of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences for the Academic Year 2021/22

Homage to acquired knowledge and invested effort, paid through this award of the University of Montenegro, is an indicator of my academic success and productivity, but also further incentive to continue working on myself as the future scientist and researchers ", said the best student of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences for the academic year 2021/22, Luka Velašević (9.83).

"Through this award, Biology too, as an exceptionally marginalized science and profession, reminds us that it is still here and that its time is yet to come. I hope this will encourage the competent institutions to invest funds, which are currently urgently needed, into the development of this study programme, said the Biology student.

Biology studies, he says, are not as easy as, unfortunately, many people think, and if you want to have success, and at the same time engage yourself in various extra-curricular activities, Luka says this requires a lot of organization, and possible giving up of something you deem has less priority in a given moment.

"All this happens mostly during the exam terms when it is crucial to invest a lot of time into quality preparations. All the efforts and time invested for this purpose will pay in the end ".

Of all the plans he has for the future, we singles out those regarding completion of master and doctoral studies abroad.

"Also, I plan to become a researcher, but also to learn to programme better because I think that by applying this skill in my career I will make significant discoveries. Further, I have the position of jury member in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO), and I will dedicate myself to perfecting preparations of our secondary school students for it. I wish and I will try to help Montenegro win gold at this competition and to host it some time in the future ", he adds.

Considering that he is studying natural sciences, and that the study programme Biology, due to lack of material means and laboratory equipment, as he says, is mainly focussed on theory, at the beginning he was quite sceptical regarding the quality of teaching. "However, after becoming familiar with individual professors and academic community, I realized I was not right. Even despite certain deficiencies, they have strived to use the resources they have at disposal to the maximum and in a quality manner and to illustrate in the best way the beauty of Biology, said Luka adding that apart from valuable theoretical knowledge he acquired during studies here, professors also enabled him to gain certain practical skills, both at the faculty and by sending him to various seminars and similar extra-curricular activities.

"What is most important, professors were always ready to direct me to the right address if they think they cannot help me solve a problem, which actually proves how closely the academic community of biologists at the Faculty is connnected   with all other scienfic communities in Montenegro. I would assess all the experience in the end as very important and useful for continuation of my academic community ", explains the student.

To the future generations of the Faculty I would say: "that if they invest sufficient efforts, the studies at this Faculty will pay off, because natural sciences and programming are the professions of the future. Also, I tell them to agree with each other, to have a crucial mind, and to fight for their rights if they think they have been deprived of them. !"