Transcript etf bafa usa ten years

ETF BAFA USA
TEN YEARS
Sveta Djurich
TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY
For several years in the late 1990s professor Vladana Likar Smiljanic
used email to stay in touch with her colleagues spread over the
world. She informed them on the critical situation in their alma
mater, School of Electrical Engineering (EE) in Belgrade. Because of
economic sanctions, school could not get computers, instrumentation,
books and magazines. Sanctions lasted a decade. After sanctions
were lifted, some of alumni started to help school. For instance, a
group in Netherlands sent a truck full of latest edition books and
magazines to the school library. Still these efforts were individual
and far apart.
In 2001 the Computer Center at the School had an old DEC VAX
computer and a couple of unusable, old PCs.
TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY (cont’d)
Thus, in September 2001, Jasmina Vujic, Mita Postich and Sveta
Djurich got together and decided to incorporate a non-profit
organization in California with a goal to help their alma mater,
students and professors. They named corporation ETF Belgrade
Alumni and Friends Association, or ETF BAFA. It is important to
stress the non-profit feature since it enabled corporation to attract
donations. It took a year of work to win such status.
Founders only motivation was that they got a solid basic knowledge
from the school and they successfully built their carriers on such
knowledge. They wanted to return the favor to the school and help
current students.
FIRST MEETING, SEPTEMBER 2001
TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY (cont’d)
The founders were hoping that there are enough
colleagues across US and Canada who will share
same ideas. And the members started signing up to
the new corporation.
Together with new members, founders collected
used computers and during next two years sent five
shipments of computers and other equipment to the
school.
LOADING CONTAINER WITH COMPUTERS
SHIPMENT ARRIVAL AT ETF
TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY (cont’d)
Some of the members tried to get their companies
to donate instrumentation to BAFA and to EE
school in Belgrade.
For instance, Miroslav Pajovic “Paja” managed
to get instrument donation from Cisco valued at
$120,00. Representing BAFA, Paja gave a
certificate of gratitude to Cisco president John
Chambers.
CISCO JOHN CHAMBERS WITH PAJA
HP DONATION - JELENA GODJEVAC
Jelena Godjevac got for ETF new computers and equipment from
HP in the amount of $230,000. Even Boris Tadic came to witness
delivery.
NEW COMPUTER LAB WITH HP
COMPUTERS
AT DOMOVINA
CLUSTER DONATION - JAKOV SEIZOVIC
ETF Computer Center got a cluster computer from Jakov Seizovic.
Value $70,000.
THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH
It is important to underline, the small membership fee ($30
annually) and income from donations and fundraising
events were used to cover shipment and other expenses.
The members and directors of the association do not get
any income from ETF BAFA. Their work is strictly
voluntary and they often contribute their own funds to help
association activities. A lot has been achieved with modest
means.
Fund raising activities are picnics, dinner meetings
(zhurka), Slava and various sport events (tennis, sailing),
etc.
DINNER MEETING 2001
DINNER MEETING
PICNIC
PICNIC
TENNIS TOURNAMENT
SAILING ON THE BAY
SLAVA SV. ILIJA
IVAN RASOVIC DONATION $500,000
LABORATORY BLOCK IVAN AND JELENA RASOVIC
The donation of half million dollars received from
Ivan and Jelena Rasovic was used to rebuild the old
pavilion between EE and Mechanical Engineering
buildings. A new level was added and the
renovated building increased by 30% the area used
by the EE School. The new building is named
“Ivan and Jelena Rasovic Laboratory Block” and a
memorial plaque is attached at the building
entrance.
Mita Visiting ETF
2008 NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ETF BAFA biannually elects its board of directors. In 2008
the number of board members was increased from three to
five. New members are Vlada Marjanovic and Nenad
Caklovic. The new board is shown on the picture.
2010 NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The last election to the Board of directors was in the year
2010. Again five directors were elected. However, two
previous directors, Jasmina Vujic and Nenad Caklovic
could not serve on the board because of other
commitments and two new directors were elected. They
are Aleksandar Veselinovic and Milos Jorgovanovic.
Three remaining directors are Vladeta Marjanovic, Mita
Postich and Sveta Djurich.
NEW DONATIONS TO THE SCHOOL IN BELGRADE
EE School received two more donations.
First, our member Branislav Selic, who lives in
Canada, donated software from IBM, valued at
$120,000.
Second, our member Professor Bane Simic donated
spectroscopes, lasers and other optical
instrumentation worth $400,000. This
instrumentation was divided between ETF and
Institute for Physics in Belgrade. BAFA organized
packing and shipping.
DONATION TO SCHOOLS IN REPUBLIC SRPSKA
ETF BAFA gave donation in computers to schools in
Rogatica and Prnjavor. We gave four computers to school
in Rogatica.
To Prnjavor school we gave a complete computer center
with four computers, printer and a modem. We were able
to make a connection with the school in Prnjavor and they
are able now to communicate with other schools.
PRNJAVOR CONNECTION
Jasmina Vujic is testing connection with the school in
Prnjavor.
CONTRIBUTION TO IVA OBRADOVIC
ETF BAFA took part in the fundraiser for Iva Obradovic.
Iva is UC Berkeley student who represented Serbia in the single
scull at the World Rowing Championships in New Zealand in 2010.
AWARDS TO ETF STUDENTS
Starting with 2002, BAFA gave on the ETF Day in December an
award to the best student of each of five ETF sections. Initially the
amount of each award was $100. In 2005 the award was increased to
$120.
Then in 2008, on recommendation of professor Dejan Popovic,
awarding system was changed. Awards were given to three best
graduation thesis. The second and third award were $500. The first
prize was a weekly trip to Silicone Valley in California with visits to
some of the best companies as well as UC Berkeley and Stanford
University. All expenses paid.
The winner of the first prize in 2008 was Milos Jorgovanovic. In
2009 recipient was Aleksandar Bojarov, in 2010 Nikola Prodanovic
and in 2011 Milovan Blagojevic.
AWARDS TO ETF STUDENTS cont’d
In addition to the two universities, the recipients of the first prize
visited following companies: Apple, Google, Cisco, HP and Nvidia.
Depending on the schedule and availability, not all recipients visited
all five companies each.
Following pages show award ceremony and some of the visit photos.
AWARDS TO ETF STUDENTS cont’d
AWARDS TO ETF STUDENTS cont’d
AWARDS TO ETF STUDENTS cont’d