On April 26, 2025, four years had passed since the founding of the "Petar Mandic" Endowment. Traditionally, the Endowment publishes its annual report at the end of April each year.

Regular Annual Report

for the period 26. 4. 2024 – 26. 4. 2025.

Between April 26, 2024, and April 26, 2025, the "Petar Mandic" Endowment continued to fulfill its mission in the fields of education, culture, and the promotion of the endowment spirit within Serbian society. As in previous years, our activities were particularly focused on supporting the local community of Nova Varos.

The following programs and events were organized during this period:

МАY 2024

Literary and Poetic Evening with Academician Matija Beckovic

In cooperation with the “Jovan Tomic” Library and the "Jovan Tomic" Cultural Center, the "Petar Mandic" Endowment organized a literary and poetic evening with one of the most prominent Serbian poets, Academician Matija Beckovic, on May 14, 2024. The event gathered a large number of residents of Nova Varos, as well as guests from neighboring towns – Priboj, Prijepolje, and Sjenica.

Following the opening speeches by Milana Jelic, Director of the Library, and Nikola Puric, Chairman of the Board of the Endowment, the evening was marked by emotions, poetry, and reflections on the cultural heritage of Nova Varos.

Lecture by Dr. Branislav Jovanovic

On May 20, 2024, Dr. Branislav Jovanovic lectured on Nikola Tesla: Character and Work, as part of the Days of the Saint Sava Theological Seminary event, in cooperation with the Endowment.

The lecture was moderated by Dr. Oliver Subotic, Founder of the "Petar Mandic" Endowment.

 

ЈUNE 2024

Dialogue on the play "Anno Domini 2124"

On June 19, 2024, third-grade students of the "Svetozar Markovic" Elementary School performed a futuristic play about a world influenced by artificial intelligence. After the play, Dr. Oliver Subotic, in a discussion with the project’s author Mirjana Avramovic, raised important topics regarding the impact of modern technologies on children and the role of parents in this process.

 

АUGUST 2024

Redirecting Author Royalties for Student Scholarships

The Founder of the Endowment, Dr. Oliver Subotic, directed the royalties from two of his books – Faith – Prayer – Mission and Missionary Sketches – towards student scholarships. These editions were published by the "Riznica+" publishing house from Zemun.

 

ОCTOBER 2024

Lecture by Prof. Dr. Dragan Novkovic on Acoustics

As part of the ongoing collaboration with the Saint Sava Theological Seminary, a lecture by Prof. Dr. Dragan Novkovic on the complex structure of the human ear was held for the students of this institution on October 9, 2024. The lecture combined scientific facts from the fields of acoustics, anatomy, apologetics, and the art of church chanting. The moderator was Presbyter Dr. Oliver Subotic.

Student scholarship Competition

On October 15, 2024, the Endowment announced a competition for a one-time scholarship of 100,000.00 Serbian dinars, intended for students of technical and related sciences from the municipality of Nova Varos or those originally from this municipality.

The scholarship recipient was Jana Jelic, a student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.

 

NOVEMBER 2024

Parenting Seminar in Nova Varos

The traditional parenting seminar, organized by the "Petar Mandic" Endowment in Nova Varos, was held from November 15 to 17, 2024. The lecturer was psychologist Viktor Vicanovic, who, with his extensive experience in education and Christian psychology, held a series of lectures on topics important for parents, including parenting styles, the spiritual foundations of parenting, and common parenting mistakes.

All lectures were held at the "Jovan Tomic" City Library and attracted a large number of visitors.

Collection on artificial intelligence

In response to the growing interest in artificial intelligence, the Endowment, in collaboration with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia, contributed to the publication of a collection of texts entitled Artificial Intelligence: Expectations and Dilemmas. Published by Matica Srpska, the collection includes texts from authorized lectures held at Matica Srpska, organized in partnership with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia and the "Petar Mandic" Endowment. The editors of the collection are Dr. Branislav Kisacanin (representing the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia) and Dr. Oliver Subotic (representing the "Petar Mandic" Endowment).

Lecture by Dr. Vlajko Panovic on Christian Marriage

As part of the cooperation agreement with the Theological Seminary of Saint Sava, a lecture by Dr. Vlajko Panovic, a clinical psychologist, was organized on the topic "Christian Marriage in the Modern Age". The lecture took place at the Theological Seminary of Saint Sava on November 27, 2024. Drawing from his experience and expertise, Dr. Panovic shared valuable advice on choosing a marital partner and building a stable marital relationship. The lecture was moderated by Dr. Oliver Subotic, the founder of the Foundation.

 

DECEMBER 2024

Support for Young People

Based on the decision of the Board of Directors from December 26, 2024, the "Petar Mandic" Foundation, in line with its goal to promote parenting in Serbia, decided to support young mother and first-year student at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, Neira Cicic. A financial aid of 40,000.00 Serbian dinars was granted to encourage her to continue her studies while fulfilling her responsibilities as a young mother.

In accordance with the decision of the Board of Directors, the "Petar Mandic" Foundation will provide annual financial assistance on this date, which marks the celebration of one of the greatest figures from Nova Varos, Holy Patriarch-Martyr Gavrilo (Rajic – Raskovic). The assistance will be given to one young married couple each year.

 

FEBRUARY 2025

Lecture on the Process of Globalization

On the feast day of the Three Hierarchs, February 12, 2025, Presbyter Dr. Oliver Subotic, in his capacity as the founder of the "Petar Mandic" Foundation, held a lecture on the process of globalization for the students of the Belgrade Theological Seminary, in accordance with the cooperation agreement between the Foundation and the Seminary. The lecture was based on the lecturer's book The Church and Globalization.

 

МАRCH 2025

Adoption of the Detailed Regulation Plan for the Construction of the ethno-museum complex of Tesla's Ancestors

On March 21, 2025, at the session of the Municipal Assembly of Nova Varos, the Detailed Regulation Plan for the construction of the ethno-museum complex dedicated to Tesla's ancestors in the village of Radoinja was adopted. This plan had previously undergone the full legal procedure, including public review and presentation.

Competition for the "Professor Borivoje Jelic" Award

On March 28, 2025, the third literary competition for the "Professor Borivoje Jelic" Award was held at the premises of the Secondary School in Nova Varos. The topic of the competition was "A parenting lesson I'll remember for the rest of my life". The competition attracted 14 students.

Traditionally, the announcement of the winners took place on April 10, 2025, the birthday of Professor Jelic. The award winners were students Sara Tomasevic, Nikolina Matovic, and Nadja Miletic.

 

АPRIL 2025

Charitable Work

The "Petar Mandic" Foundation decided to respond to the public appeal for help for Mirel Rujevic, a resident of Nova Varos. In line with its humanitarian goals, the Foundation donated a financial contribution of 87,000 Serbian dinars for Mirel’s medical treatment.

Participation in Public Debate

In line with public initiatives aimed at the appropriate naming of cultural institutions in Nova Varos, the "Petar Mandic" Endowment issued an official statement, signed by Nikola Puric, President of the Board of Directors.

The Book Nikola Tesla: A Spiritual Portrait Published

The book Nikola Tesla: A Spiritual Portrait, authored by Dr. Oliver Subotic, and published by the "Petar Mandic" Endowment, has been released. This English edition is a significantly expanded version of the original Serbian publication. All proceeds from the book's sales are dedicated to the construction of an ethno-museum complex in Radoinja, honoring Tesla's priestly ancestors.