Short intro: Polonca Trebše is a Professor of Chemistry whose expertise includes photochemical degradation and transport of organic pollutants (notably pesticides) in aquatic systems, transformations under disinfection (e.g., UV filters, THMs), and instrumental analysis. She has published 100+ papers and led national/international projects, including curriculum development and academic staff training. Her awards include the Krka Award (1995, 1997), the national Zois Award (2008) for achievements in chemistry and ecotoxicology, and the Prometheus of Science for Excellence in Communication (2020). She is an active member of SCS and the European Association of Chemistry and the Environment.

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Short intro: Miljan Bigović is professor of organic chemistry at the University of Monetengro, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He graduated in Chemistry in 2008 at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Chemistry. In 2015 he received PhD in the field of organic synthesis at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Chemistry. In 2012, he joined the University of Montenegro first as a teaching assistant and since 2016 as an assistant professor. Today he is an associate professor and also the dean of the Faculty of Science and Mathematics. His fields of scientific interest are organic chemistry, organic synthesis, organometallic chemistry and environmental chemistry. His current research findings have been published in more then 50 scientific papers in international journals with impact factor. He is the leader and member of a number of national and international scientific projects. He was involved in the development of new curricula, preparation of study materials, and was also the chairman of the committee for the preparation of the detailed report for the Chemistry study program. In addition to scientific and pedagogical work, he is also involved in the promotion of science among elementary and secondary school students, and in this sense he cooperates with several organizations that promote science. He is the winner of the Oktoih State Award for 2024 - an award for exceptional results in the field of education. He is a member of the Serbian Chemical Society and a Montenegrin Society of Chemists.

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Short intro: Branimir S. Jovančićević is a Full Professor whose four-decade career spans petroleum organic geochemistry (oil, shale, coal, sediments) and environmental chemistry (organic pollutants, bioremediation). An Alexander von Humboldt scholar (BGR Hannover) with leadership across national and international projects (TEMPUS, ERASMUS+, JICA), he has supervised numerous students, including 23 completed PhDs. He has served as dean, FP7 evaluator, associate editor of Environmental Chemistry Letters, President of the Humboldt Club in Belgrade, and President of the European Association of Chemistry and the Environment. He is the author of seven books and 135 SCI papers.

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Short intro: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Jerman is a senior researcher at the National Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana and the head of the Coating development lab. He graduated from the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, in 2005 and received a Ph.D. from the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, in 2009. His research interest is synthesis of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, sol-gel thin films, spectrally selective coatings, finishing textiles, surface treatments, electrochromic materials, perovskite solar cells, flame retardant materials, and IR and Raman spectroscopy. He has authored and co-authored more than 144 peer-reviewed scientific articles in global journals, receiving over 2880 citations. Furthermore, he has authored co-authored nine patents, two of which have been sold to the German industry (https://www.webofscience .com/wos/author/record/AAE-2628-2019). Prof. Jerman received two innovation awards in 2009, including the Puh Award for his inventions: “The use of nanocomposites for making paints for spectral selective coatings for solar collectors”.

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Short intro: Jane Bogdanov is a Full Professor of Chemistry at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (since 2019). He earned his BSc at the University of Kentucky (summa cum laude, 1996) and his PhD in physical-organic chemistry at Penn State University (2004), followed by a postdoctoral appointment and a lecturer role at PSU. His research spans physical-organic and analytical chemistry, natural products, synthesis of biologically active compounds, environmental chemistry, petroleum derivatives analyses, computational chemistry, and chemical education. He leads the Research Laboratory for Analysis of Petroleum Derivatives and Fuels (since 2016) and serves as Deputy Head of the Laboratory for Chromatographic Analyses (since 2020). He has authored 50+ papers and 50+ conference presentations, led/participated in 18 projects, and supervised 60+ student theses (BSc/MSc/PhD). His recognitions include the NATO Reintegration Grant (2005) and Penn State’s Dan Waugh Memorial Teaching Award (1998).

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Short intro: Ivan Nemet is an Assistant Professor in Analytical Chemistry whose work centers on plasma-based atomic spectrometry for trace-element analysis (e.g., ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS). He has 30+ publications and active outreach roles, organizing public workshops to promote chemistry. Beyond teaching at undergrad and graduate levels, he contributes to applied projects (“Analyses”) serving pharmaceutical, metallurgical and geoscience clients, and helps train students for the International Chemistry Olympiad as a long-standing member of the national committee. Recent research includes synthesizing/functionalizing iron nanomaterials and sorption studies of their properties.

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