On April 26, 2024, the "Petar Mandic" Endowment celebrated its third anniversary. On this occasion, we are publishing

Regular Annual Report

for the period 26. 4. 2023 – 26. 4. 2024.

Parenting Seminars

In the domain of achieving goals in the field of affirming parenthood, the "Petar Mandic" Endowment organized a three-day seminar for young parents in Zlatar in the summer, in co-organization with the "Pasa i Natasa" kindergarten, the Novo Varos High School and the "Jovan Tomic" City Library. The lecturer on marital relationships and parenting was our famous clinical psychologist, Vlajko Panovic, who held a series of six very well-attended lectures.

Professor Borivoje Jelic Award

Regarding popularizing parenting among young people, the "Petar Mandic" Endowment once again presented the Professor Borivoje Jelic Award winners this year. Cash prizes on the topic of "Healthy Family - the Foundation of a Healthy Society" were awarded to students Amela Ramcevic, Iva Randjelovic and Dunja Kovacevic, and the founder of the Foundation presented his book Digital Rubicon to the authors of the commended works.

Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence

In the domain of achieving goals in the field of public dialogue between science and religion, in cooperation with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Matica Srpska, the "Petar Mandic" Endowment co-organized several lectures on the topic of artificial intelligence and its social implications, which were held at Matica Srpska in the second half of the year.

The actors of the lectures were (in chronological order) Prof. Dr Branislav Kisancanin, Presbyter Dr Oliver Subotic, Dr Ivan Tanasijevic, Proto-Vice-Chancellor Dragan Popovic, Academician Vladan Devedzic, Stanko Stojiljkovic, Prof. Dr Vlado Delic, Prof. Dr Dragan Novkovic, Dr Ivana Krtolica and Prof. Dr Aleksandar Petrovic. The final session, which was held in the form of a dialogue panel, was attended by academician Vladan Devedzic, Prof. Dr Dragan Novkovic, presbyter Dr Oliver Subotic and Dr. Branislav Kisacanin. At the same time, the discussion was moderated by Prof. Dr Andreja Tepavcevic.

On the same topic, presbyter Dr Oliver Subotic lectured at the St. Sava Seminary in Belgrade and offered answers from a Christian perspective. The promotion of the book Digital Rubicon was held on the premises of the Novo Varos Library "Jovan Tomic," at which the author spoke with the book's chief reviewer, Prof. Dr. Branislav Kisacanin.

Awarding of two scholarships

To achieve the statutory goal of awarding scholarships, the Endowment last year awarded two scholarships worth 100,000 Serbian dinars each. The scholarship winners were Milos Todorovic and Anja Trtovic. In addition, all other students who applied for the scholarship competition received one-time financial aid of 10,000 Serbian dinars from the Endowment.

Conceptual architectural solution for the Ethno-museum complex

In the scope of achieving the main operational goal of the Endowment, which concerns the construction of an Ethno-museum complex in honour of God and in honour of Tesla's priestly ancestors, in the centre of which will be a large Holy Cross, a conceptual architectural solution was developed in the past period. The Endowment's bodies submitted an official letter to the Planning Commission of the Municipality of Nova Varos requesting an opinion regarding the conceptual solution of the project. A positive response was received to this request, and consent was given to develop a PDR plan of detailed construction regulations. Contact was made with the design bureau to develop the PDR in cooperation and with the help of architect Dusan Kovacevic, the author of the conceptual solution, which he donated as a donation.

Other activities

In the domain of other activities complementary to the statutory goals, in co-organization with the Novo Varos kindergarten "Pasa i Natasa", a musical and poetic program was held in honour of Laza Kostic and William Shakespeare. Our famous pianist, Marina Milic Radovic, director of the "Laza Kostic" Foundation, performed on this occasion.

In the same domain, the Foundation, together with the Novo Varos Library "Jovan Tomic", was a co-organizer of the promotion of the book When Dead Souls March by the celebrated director Emir Kusturica. Branimir Nesic, director of the publishing house Catena Mundi, and Emir Kusturica were hosted by representatives of the Foundation in Nova Varosa, led by Nikola Puric, president of the Foundation's Board of Directors.

Just before its third anniversary, the Endowment also formed a Friends' Club, led by actress Vjera Mujovic, who is descended from Tesla's mother, Georgina, on her mother's side.

The "Petar Mandic" Endowment rounded off its third anniversary by signing a Cooperation Agreement with the Belgrade Saint Sava Theological Seminary to lecture theological students, primarily on the dialogue between science and religion.

Income from funds

The "Petar Mandic" Endowment continued to receive funds from various sources last year, mainly from selling a book about Tesla and voluntary contributions from individuals and legal entities, about which there is a precise and fully transparent financial report on the website of the Business Registers Agency.

Royalties from new book editions

Over the past year, the Endowment has also received royalties from new book editions. The Endowment’s founder donated all of the royalties from the third edition of the book About the Rejected Stone, the first edition of the book Digital Rubicon, and the third expanded edition of the book Digital Challenge. Professor Dr. Olivera Djokic, a member of the Endowment’s Expert Council, donated part of the royalties from her book, Theories of Mathematical Education I – A Supplement to the Methodology of Teaching Mathematics in Primary Schools, and in each of its subsequent editions.

The "Petar Mandic" Endowment has, however, remained consistent in its decision not to accept donations from casinos, bookmakers, the tobacco industry, and all institutions whose activities do not comply with the ethical principles that the Endowment advocates in its social activities.