Petnica Science Center was founded in 1982 on an initiative of the group of young researchers, teachers and students unsatisfied with educational system and the way scientific youth was nurtured. Center is located in the vicinity of village Petnica, approximately 7km east of Valjevo and about 100km south-east of Belgrade. Location was chosen because of an extraordinary interconnection of natural and cultural characteristics which enabled organization and running of both research and practical education in variety of forms.
Petnica Science Center is independent and non-profit organization. Main goal of Petnica Science Center is supporting education and development of quality of education in schools via organization and innovation in methods of scientific education and development and organization of extra-curricular activities. Main accent is put on direct education of young students which show potential in the field of research.
Center organizes extra-curricular programs for both primary and high school students in variety of disciplines such as:
-Chemistry, Hydro Chemistry, Molecular Biomedicine, Biology and Geology
-Mathematics, Physics, Electronics, Astronomy and IT Technologies
-Archeology, History, Linguistics, Psychology and Sociocultural anthropology
-Technical Sciences, Social Sciences and Experimental Biology and Chemistry.
Petnica Science Center represents a place where high school students meet on a regular basis. Former attendees who are now either students or already working scientists always gladly stop by for a brief visit or to give a lecture at some of the seminars at which they received their first introduction to the methods of research.
Our Alumni list grows bigger in numbers every year and they work or study at some of the greatest companies and Universities all over the world. Our ex attendees are doing their PhD or Postdoc researches at some of the greatest Universities, such as Cambridge, MIT, UCSF, Paul Scherrer Institute, UCL, Princeton, University of Utrecht etc. Besides Universities our ex students also hold positions at great companies in the world of chemical and pharmaceutical industry amongst which are: Genentech, DOW, Akzo Nobel, BASF etc.