Hi Sandra! I understand that you are from a multicultural background, can you tell me more about it?
I was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, but moved to Slovenia during the war, where I spent around 10 years of my childhood. I also lived briefly in Germany and then in Serbia, where I completed high school and my bachelor's degree. I met my Portuguese husband and moved to Portugal, where I did my Master's in Aveiro and worked at the Technical University of Lisbon. During my PhD, I did a case study in the Netherlands at the VU, recommended by my professor in Portugal. My husband got a job in Amsterdam, and 11 years later, I'm still here, with Amsterdam becoming my longest home.
It’s a very colourful adventure you’ve had so far! I also understand that you helped the VU with policy making, how did this come about?
At the VU’s international office I was responsible for creating programmes and policies to support international PhDs and their supervisors, ensuring they felt less isolated, better integrated and overall enjoy a successful PhD trajectory. I enjoy tackling complex problems, but my passion for academia eventually brought me back.
So you are now using your experience in policy making combined with science?
Yes, my work at the VU and in Portugal where I consulted on a new framework for research diversification at the ministerial levels taught me to strategize, negotiate, and collaborate with people at different levels. This experience helps me navigate challenges in my academic career.
All of this must have taught you a lot about collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches, right?
Collaboration requires openness and embracing discomfort. In academia, admitting "I don’t know" should not be seen as weakness but a strength—it leads to growth and problem-solving together. I have learned a lot and about varied subjects in my career by immersing in things I really did not know anything about. It’s uncomfortable, sure, but it brings immense knowledge and innovative, creative thinking. It is not my weakness, it’s my strength.
Your job is in the intersection of science, technology development, business, and policy. Can you explain?
We study how technologies from research can be developed into market-ready products. This inudes understanding the technology, managing the development process, and addressing external factors like stakeholders and policies to commercialize inventions.
That is always useful in universities, I believe. Now to wrap things up nice and light, what are your hobbies?
I’ve practiced yoga for 15 years and once considere becoming a teacher. I love spending time with family and friends, especially visiting Serbia. I also help startups with business planning, develop my own business, and am pursuing an MBA at the VU for which I was awarded a scholarship from the Faculty.