Austria awards order to scientist of Serbian descent

VIENNA - By a decree of Austrian President Heinz Fischer, Gordana Popovic, a Negotin, Serbian-born scientist, has received a senior order of the Republic of Austria.

She became the first Serbian woman to be awarded the Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class, established in 1887.

It is the Republic of Austria's highest honour for scientific and artistic achievements, awarded to Austrian and foreign scientists and artists who have achieved exceptional success and high reputation in their fields of work.

In the presence of senior Austrian and Serbian officials, the honour was presented to Popovic by Reinhold Mitterlehner, Austrian Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy, Science, Family and Youth, at a ceremony in the building of the Ministry of Science.

Popovic is Austria's representative in the European Research Council and also a lecturer at the Vienna University of Technology.

Since 2010, Popovic has been coordinating a team for project budgeting in the European Research Council in Brussels for the IDEAS programme (in the field of science and technology).

The IDEAS programme has a EUR 7.5 billion budget for funding high-level scientific research, and its team also includes Nobel Prize winners in physics, chemistry, medicine and economy.

Popovic started her rich professional career at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Vienna after completing her studies in Belgrade.