Biotechnical Faculty Day and the 70th Anniversary of the Journal “Agriculture and Forestry” Celebrated
A ceremonial event marking the Day of the Biotechnical Faculty, which this year also celebrated the 70th anniversary of the publication of the journal “Agriculture and Forestry”, was held on April 10 in the Blue Hall of the Rectorate. In addition to faculty staff and students, the ceremony was attended by representatives of the University of Montenegro, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, deans, vice-deans and academic staff from other faculties, industry representatives, and other guests.
In her opening remarks, Dean Božidarka Marković, PhD, welcomed all attendees and highlighted the most important historical milestones in the development and work of the Faculty, as well as key activities carried out in the past five years—especially regarding infrastructure improvement and developments in research and education. Reflecting on the 70th anniversary of the journal Agriculture and Forestry, she emphasized its significance for the profession and science, as well as its role in building the academic and research careers of generations of scholars in Montenegro and beyond.
The Chairman of the Steering Committee of the University of Montenegro, Milivoje Radović, PhD, congratulated the Faculty on its Day and on the 70th anniversary of the scientific journal, stressing the journal’s role in the international positioning of the entire University and highlighting the University’s efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of such initiatives.
Marica Melović, Director General of the Directorate for Scientific Research at the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, underlined that this now traditional celebration at the Biotechnical Faculty significantly contributes to the promotion of scientific research and academic progress. She pointed out that events like this highlight the importance of knowledge, innovation, and especially interdisciplinary collaboration. She also noted that the journal Agriculture and Forestry, which has been published exclusively in English for the past 15 years, plays a strong role in the internationalization of Montenegro’s scientific landscape—an effort the Ministry actively supports through various calls, grants, and initiatives.
Miroslav Cimbaljević, Director of the Directorate for Agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, who is himself a graduate of the Biotechnical Faculty as part of its first generation of students, emphasized the importance of cooperation between academia and the Ministry. He especially addressed current and future students, highlighting the societal and governmental need for such professional profiles in the field of agriculture.
Key highlights from the development of the journal Agriculture and Forestry over its seven-decade existence were presented by Milić Ćurović, PhD, the journal’s Editor-in-Chief. He placed particular emphasis on achievements in increasing the journal’s indexing in various databases, especially SCOPUS. He also spoke about the diverse international authorship, the most cited articles, the international editorial board, and other essential elements that position the journal as the highest-ranked publication in the field of agriculture in Southeast Europe.
A special retrospective—“time capsule”—was given by Academician Gordan Karaman, PhD, who has been publishing in Agriculture and Forestry since 1967. To date, he has published 88 articles in the journal, 80 of which he authored independently.
To mark the occasion, an exhibition was organized featuring architectural concept designs for the renovation of the wine cellar at the "Lješkopolje" Experimental Estate. The projects were prepared as part of the course Architectural Design 3, under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Slavica Stamatović Vučković and her team. During the event, the three best student projects were announced and awarded special recognition.