The prestigious Karić Brothers Award Ceremony 2023

In the packed hall of the National Theater in Belgrade, the prestigious Karić Brothers Awards were presented for the 26th time, to domestic and foreign eminent individuals for their outstanding contribution to mankind.

The Karić Brothers Foundation, that has been involved in humanitarian work for 45 years, established the Karić Brothers Award with the desire that the greatest achievements are additionally valued and given special importance, in culture and art, economy and business, journalism and literature, scientific and research work, humanitarian activities, sports, strengthening of democracy, peace, cooperation and friendship between nations.

The traditional award ceremony was held on Sunday, December 3, 2023 with many representatives of the diplomatic corps, numerous figures from the public life of Serbia as guests and members of the Karić family.

This year awards were presented by Dragomir J. Karić with the younger members of the family, Sara and Tara Karić and Luka Lazarević.

The audience was shown a short video about each winner, presenting their achievements, successes and awards.

Among the first winners were John Bosnić, a Serbian-Canadian journalist, and Tatsuya Hirano, a Japanese cultural activist and lexicologist, who were awarded the Karić Brothers Awards for journalism.

Bogdan Bogdanović, as the winner of the Karić Brothers Award for top achievements in sports, addressed the audience via video message and expressed his gratitude for the award he was given.

Professor Jasmina Vujić, also known the atomic princess, is the winner of the Karić Brothers Award for scientific and research work and technological innovation “Nikola Tesla”, also forwarded her words of thank you via video link and said that it was an extremely great honor for her to be the winner of such a great award, while professor Sven Maričić, winner of the same award, addressed the audience in person at the National Theater and expressed his gratitude to the Foundation and the Karić family.

For the development of modern China’s economy and humanitarian activities, the Foundation awarded Professor Ching Manho, a great humanist and visionary from Hong Kong to Shanghai.

Serbian actor Miloš Biković received the Foundation’s award for his outstanding contribution to culture and art, and Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen was awarded in the same category as “an architect of musical bridges with a unique musical identity”.

The winner of the award for the strengthening of democracy, peace, cooperation and friendship among nations, Budimir Lončar, was presented to the glittering line-up of the evening as a prominent diplomat who contributed significantly to progress and stability in the world.

His friend Prof. Dejan Jović spoke on behalf of Budimir Lončar and said that Lončar received the news of the award with great excitement and gratitude.

Next to the mixed choir “Operatikon” conducted by Đorđe Stanković, the art troupe Una Saga Serbika and the masterful artist Dimash Qudaibergen, whose performance was accompanied by huge ovations, took part in the artistic program.

At the end of the gala ceremony, the family anthem “Srbijo Majko” was performed by the president of the Foundation, Danica Karić Stojilković and Danijela Karić Mileusnić, accompanied by a choir, the program was hosted by Ivan Golušin and Bojana Odavić.

 

 

Karić Brothers Award for Journalism to John Bosnitch, a hardworking dedicated fighter for justice.

When the complex labyrinth of human existence and the truth that is deeply embedded in the foundation of that very existence are viewed through a broad understanding of the social and cultural context, a media content get created that reflects all the complexity of the networks of perspectives and values. Therefore, in the time of challenges of modern digital interactions, gifted communicators and guardians of the truth are valuable, enabling the setting of a strong connection with the reality that surrounds us. One of them is Serbian-Canadian journalist, consultant, activist and political analyst Mr. John Bosnitch.

He graduated in political science, economics and engineering in 1986. At the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century, he worked as a journalist in the Japanese public media service. He was engaged in reporting and editing shows in which news from around the world became available to a wide audience. As the only journalist with Balkan ancestry, he also worked as a special reporter and commentator from the region of the former Yugoslavia. Beside his journalistic career, he built a successful career as a political advisor. Since 1994, he has worked at the InterMedia Center, consulting, PR and News Agency in Tokyo.

Initially, Bosnitch’s worked on colaboration with public TV and radio stations and newspapers, to later expand to clients who are not strictly linked to the media, especially in the fields of corporate consulting, communications and political lobbying.

During 2001 to 2002, he was an editor of a foreign correspondents’ magazine in Japan. Bosnitch is also remembered as a consultant to the Japanese prime minister, and he played a significant role in establishing and organizing business cooperation between Russia and Japan.

During 2007, at the Congress of Serbian Unification in Washington, as an advisor, he made a significant contribution to connecting Serbs and Serbian friends on projects to preserve Serbian heritage. Upon arrival in Serbia in 2008 from America, he opened the IMC company’s office with the aim of creating an independent social infrastructure, reintegrating the diaspora and attracting investments to Serbia.

Bosnitch’s social engagement included intensive work on projects for a more peaceful and fair resolution of conflicts in the Balkans and the spread of historical truth and critical interpretation of social heritage. Since 2011, Bosnitch has run the modern marketing, communications, consulting and advertising company GroundZero with offices all over the world.

In the period between 2014 and 2018, he was occasionally active as a commentator and analyst of current political, military, economic and media events in the world on the Russia Today television network.

The Karić Brothers Foundation is awarding Mr. John Bosnitch, a hardworking dedicated activist for justice, with the Karić Brothers Award for Journalism for his exceptional contribution to strengthening the ties of the Serbian diaspora with the motherland, for credibility in spreading the truth and unconditionally preserving the integrity of professional journalism.

 

Karić Brothers Award for Journalism to cultural activist and lexicologist Tatsuya Hirano.

The world is becoming a richer place for establishing international cultural and educational ties through cultural diversity, providing a strong support for building communities meaningful life for current and future generations. When it comes to modern Serbia and Japan, the builder of current bridges of culture and understanding is the eager and energetic educator Mr. Tatsuya Hirano.

He majored in economics and English language at Tokyo University of International Studies, then went on to study American culture at the University of Oregon.

After completing his studies of the Serbian language at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Belgrade, and obtaining a master’s degree in Serbian language, literature and culture, he was hired as an assistant dean and vice dean at the same faculty in the field of Japanese language and culture. Today, he works as a Japanese language lecturer at the Faculty of Philology. He pays special attention to innovations in pedagogical methodology and inter-university cooperation. In 2017, he launched the YouTube “Serbian channel”, a digital platform for global interaction to bring Serbian everyday life, different life topics and culture closer to young Japanese. Over time, the number of subscribers to the channel increased, and number of projects to bring Japanese culture closer to interested Serbs soon followed.

For the pioneering contribution in creating a media bridge between Serbia and Japan, for dedicated work that represents a shining example of achieving results in the future through international cooperation and dialogue, the Karić Brothers Foundation awards cultural activist and lexicologist Mr. Tatsuya Hirano the Karić Brothers Award for journalism and literature.

 

Karić Brothers Award to the „Basket Ball“ game expert and dedicated missionary Bogdan Bogdanović for top achievements in sports.

When agility, tactical intelligence and shooting range get combined with a devoted master of basketball skills, the results on the court become evident and the talent obvious. The leader of the Serbian national basketball team, Bogdan Bogdanović, is the embodiment of a unique player’s creativity and a synonym for top achievements in sports.

He was born in Belgrade, started playing in BC Zvezdara team, continued playing in BC Žitko Basketball, and in 2010 he also played for BC FMP.

September 2010 was a turning point of Bogdanović’s career came when he started playing for BC Partizan Belgrade, and already in the summer of 2012 he became one of the team’s key players and won the domestic championship three times, the Adriatic League twice and two Radivoje Korać Cups. Already during the 2013/14 season, he  won the position of team leader, was named a rising star of Euroleague, excelled in the final series and won another Serbian championship.

From July 2014, in colaboration with coach Željko Obradović, Bogdanović opens a new chapter by joining BC Fenerbahce Istanbul. In 2015, he was named the Euroleague Rising Star of the season for the second time in a row and in the 2015/16 season, won the Cup and the title of champion of Turkey.During  2016/17, Bogdanović led Fenerbahce to the first European champion title, followed by winning another Turkeish championship, and he was named the most valuable player of the Turkish championship.

The year 2017 was marked by the beginning of his career in the NBA, when he signed with the Sacramento Kings and proved himself as the most valuable player in the NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge the World team vs. the USA team.

Since 2020, he’s been playing for the Atlanta Hawks.

Bogdanović’s representative career began in the younger selections, and in 2011 he played for Serbia’s Under-19 national team and won second place at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Latvia.

He made his debut for the senior Serbian national team at the EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia and won the silver medal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The Olympic Games in Rio brought another silver success, that was repeated at the 2017 EuroBasket.

He also played for the National team at the World Cup in China. With the Serbian national team, he also won a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. As the captain of the Serbian team, he was named FIBA EuroBasket All-Star Five Team.

In September 2023, in the match against Canada, Bogdanović became a world record holder – the basketball player with the longest series of games at the World Championships in which he made at least one three-pointer. It is the longest streak achieved by any basketball player during long-range shots in the last 30 years and is a world record for all World Championships, since 1950 in Argentina. In the same game, Bogdanović also became the player with the most three-pointers in the history of Mundobasket.

For the dignified dedication to sports, the fruitful cultivation of a strong winning character and sports ethics, as well as an immeasurable contribution to the affirmation of Serbian basketball, the Karić Brothers Foundation awards the basketball expert and dedicated missionary Bogdan Bogdanović the Karić Brothers Award for top achievements in sports.

 

Karić Brothers Award „Nikola Tesla“ for scientific and research work and technological innovation to Professor Dr. Jasmina Vujić, the leading research authority and initiator of the development of scientific thought .

As top scientists represent the very basis of the development and progress of a nation and the foundation of the reliability of the world of knowledge, the Serbian race is especially blessed that among the world’s leading experts in the field of nuclear physics and nuclear technologies and engineering, there is also a woman from Loznica whose research and academic excellence has attracted a special attention of the scientific community and made Professor Dr. Jasmina Vujić one of the most influential Serbian scientists in the world.

Predestined by her talent for natural sciences, she graduated from the Belgrade University’s School of Electrical Engineering in 1977, where she received her master’s degree in 1984. After graduation, she worked as a scientific researcher at the Vinča Nuclear Institute.

She obtained her Masters again in 1987 and her Ph.D. in the field of nuclear sciences in 1990, both from the University of Michigan. Her first job in the USA was of a research nature at the American Argonne National Laboratory. After years of successful research, she was invited by the The University of California, Berkeley where she would soon become a full-time professor.

Her top-class lectures at Berkeley included undergraduate and graduate courses on nuclear engineering, nuclear reactor theory, radiation protection and control, and the application of numerical methods in the design and analysis of nuclear reactors. Jasmine Vujić’s pedagogical and scientific research work received the highest marks from the American educational and scientific public.

In 2005, she was elected chair of Berkeley’s nuclear engineering school, making her the first woman to head such a department. In 2009, Jasmina was appointed leader of the „Nuclear Engineering Department Heads Organization” in the USA, which represented the highest recognition of the most eminent American nuclear experts.

She is a member of American Nuclear Society Board of Directors.

Also, she was the vice president of the Tesla Memorial Association in New York for years, and also made a special contribution to the formation of the Organization of Serbian students at Berkeley University. She was several times the president of the Electrical Engineers Society, that gathers several hundred influential Serbian electrical engineers in the USA.

In 2013, she was awarded the Order of the Flag of the Republic of Srpska with a Golden Wreath for her special merits in the promotion of the Serbian people, tradition and culture.

For groundbreaking contributions to nuclear engineering and technological innovation, for visionary work and dedication to science, for setting new standards in global technological progress and for the promotion of Serbian scientific thought, the Karić Brothers Foundation presents the Serbian Marie Curie, the research authority and initiator of the development of scientific thought, professor Dr. Jasmina Vujić with the Karić Brothers Award „Nikola Tesla“ for scientific and research work and technological innovations.

 

Karić Brothers Award “Nikola Tesla” to Professor Dr. Sven Maričić, for scientific and research work and technological innovation .

“The future has already become the present. The sooner we accept that fact, the better off we all will be. Knowledge combined with a dose of common sense is the only tool the future can be shaped with. However, in order go that way in the first place, it would be good to work on some other, primarily human, rather than technological, skills.” That is how testifies to the benefits of modern 3D technologies the assistant rector of the University in Pula and the head of the Center for Biomodeling and Innovations in Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka, Professor Dr. Sven Maričić.

He graduated from the Technical Faculty in Rijeka and obtained his doctorate in the field of biotechnology with mentors from mechanical engineering and medicine. Even as a young scientist, Professor Maričić went abroad for training. He visited the laboratories of the University of Helsinki, worked with robots at the “Volvo” factory, and learned about 3D printing in Romania. He collaborated with top experts and inspiring authorities who create the contemporary technological society. He gave a series of lectures in Croatia and abroad, and became one of the youngest scientific advisors in the relevant scientific field.

He participated in projects for the production of 3D prostheses and implants, as well as visualized computer-generated models that improve the work of doctors when planning and performing complex surgeries. The microscope developed at the VISIO Institute, which operates within the Juraj Dobrila University, was awarded at a European competition.

During his prolific career, he collaborated on many scientific and research projects in which he brought modern 3D printing technologies to the public in an original and creative way and which were presented at author’s exhibitions organized by the Croatian Society of Fine Art, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Natural History Museum. He is also responsible for initiating an international workshop on novelties in the field of 3D technologies. As a analyst, he followed the work on undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate specialist theses, and as a mentor in the StartUP incubator in Rijeka, he aided students in the realization of business ideas, many of which were awarded both at the European and global level.

Professor Maričić is the winner of the prestigious State Prize for Science in 2017, awarded by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia, for his outstanding achievements. As a pioneer of 3D printing, he was awarded for the popularization and improvements in the field of technical sciences and especially in the application of additive technologies in biomedicine. Professor Maričić directs the financial resources from recognition for research projects to humanitarian purposes.

Professor Maričić lives in Delnice, where he is engaged in organic food production. Working in the field and cooperating with nature provide him with new energy and enthusiasm.

For his visionary approach to modern technologies, innovative initiatives aimed at the welfare of the community and his immeasurable contribution to the promotion and popularization of science, as well as the opening of new horizons in science and technology, the Karić Brothers Foundation awards the Karić Brothers Award „Nikola Tesla“ to professor Dr. Sven Maričić, for scientific and research work and technological innovations.

 

Karić Brothers Award for humanitarian activities to Professor Ching Manho .

Systematically coordinated measures to eradicate poverty, protect the Earth, improve healthcare, well-being and welfare of all, represent the axiomatic core of efforts made by the good spirit of humanitarian assistance Professor Ching Manho, in the mission of building the world as a more humane place to live.

He is the deputy executive director and general secretary of the China Association for International Medical Exchange and Cooperation Committee, an organization that defines the path of new development of international healthcare industries through the processes of integration and innovation, and which includes over half a million Chinese medical institutions.

He is a professor at Moscow State University and an honorary lecturer at the Center for Scientific and Educational Programs of the World Health Organization. The focus of his activities is the mission of integrating global high-quality medical resources and building a community with healthy global wealth.

Professor Ching is deeply committed to the promotion of medical exchange, scientific research and strategic development of global medical institutions, adhering to the principles of fairness and openness. He places strong emphasis on the optimization and proactive improvment of the general level of international medical care development in China through sustainable development.

He is included in teams for monitoring the implementation of national medical strategies and improving the capacity of Chinese social and health care, as well as in the realization of international cooperation in solving problems of a social and humanitarian nature.

For deepening humanity, a new dimension of human solidarity, caring for talented young people, for improving international cooperation in the field of healthcare, supporting the establishment of a fairer and more prosperous global society, and  for the encouragement of solidarity, the Karić Brothers Foundation presents the Karić Brothers Award to Professor Ćing Manho for humanitarian activities.

 

Karić Brothers Award to the inquisitive actor and researcher, the wizard of visual screen arts Miloš Biković for culture and art.

Acting expression in screen arts, which implies the deepest emotional building with a wealth of inner nuances, makes the experience of the film especially intense and intimate. When the complexity of the experience of human existence is transposed with an iconic style, distinctive elegance and refinement, the audience unmistakably recognizes the emotional transfer that the charismatic stage maestro Miloš Biković manages to provide with each role he’s playing.

He was born In the Serbian capital, city of Belgrade, where he graduated from the Fourteenth Belgrade High School and then attended the Snežana and Nenad Nenadović acting school and the DADOV acting and speech school. He graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts Univesity of Belgrade in the class of Professor Dragan Petrović.

His first notable role was in the TV series Stižu dolari (The Dollars Are Coming), and the most popular was his portrayal of football player Aleksandar Tirnanić Tirket in the 2010 movie Montevideo, God Bless You!

In 2012, he appeared as the Serbian scientist Mihajlo Petrović Alas in the production Šešir profesora Koste Vujića (The Hat of Professor Kosta Vujić), and in 2013 in the television series Ravna gora.

The fluency in the Russian language prevailed in the step Biković made towards Russian cinematography and the advancement of his international career. His debut on the Russian stage was marked by his collaboration with Oscar-winning film director Nikita Mikhalkov on the film Sunstroke in 2014, and the series Hotel Eleon and the role of Pavel brought him star status in Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and the countries of the former USSR.

Biković’s performance in the Serbian crime thriller the South Wind in 2018 was received with special affection and sympathy and his success continued with the role in The Balkan Line in 2019.

In 2022, he collaborated with the famous film director Slobodan Šijan on the film Budi Bog s nama ( Oh, Goodness me!). His organic presence on the screen, wisdom and talent, Biković demonstrated in the first film space walk in the spectacular 2023 project Challenge.

Inspired and with notable success, he also played on Atelier 212 in the play Farewell SFRY, the National Theater in Belgrade in the performance of The Lady of the Camellias and in his home theater, the Belgrade Drama Theater, in the plays My Son Only Walks a Little Slower” and When pumpkins blossomed.

Miloš Biković also made a remarkable contribution to the development of Serbian cinematography as a producer on the projects South Wind, The Balkan Line, Embassy and Hotel Belgrade, and the duet he played with Momčilo Bajagić Bajaga performing song Darja, became quite a hit.

Among the many important rewards he has earned for his outstanding acting achievements stand out the Tsar Constantine award for the best male role in the film Montevideo, God Bless You!, as well as the Naisa Grand Prix, the main award of the 53rd Niš Film Meetings. In 2018, he was awarded the Pushkin Medal by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and in 2020, he was named the most popular actor in all Russia.

 

Karić Brothers Award for culture and art to Dimash Qudaibergen, the architects of musical bridges of unique artistic identity .

Transgenre artistic expression, performer’s instrumental and vocal multilingualism as an expression of special respect for the cultures of the world and subtle interpretations of the nuances inherent in different legacies and heritages represent the very substance of joy brought by a blazing display of musical bravura of the cultural ambassador of diversity Dimash Qudaibergen, whose magical explosion of tones defines the notion of musical range and embodies musical creation of an original and unique character.

He grew up in a close-knit musical family. His father led the regional Cultural Development Board of Aktobe and his mother was a vocal soloist in the Aktobe Philharmonic Society. His grandparents, in particular, directed him towards the cultivation of the Kazakh tradition, and already at the age of six he won the national piano contest Aynalayin.

From 2010 to 2013, Dimash participated in and won several prestigious singing competitions in Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The winning at the prestigious National Zhas Kanat Contest in 2012 was especially memorable, that is, Qudaibergen won with a maximum jury score, for the first time in the history of the contest.

In 2014, he graduated from the Zhubanov Music College, University of Aktobe, in classical music majoring in vocals, and in 2018 he completed his studies in contemporary music majoring in vocals with honors at the Kazakh National University of Arts in Astana, where he also obtained master’s degree in composition in 2020.

At the Slavianski Bazaar, an international competition of prominent singers, in Vitebsk, Belarus in 2015, he won the Grand Prix as the clear favorite of both the jury and audience.

Qudaibergen’s music found its way to the sports audience, too, when the Kazakh figure skater Denis Ten, a sports legend and the pride of Kazakhstan, started using it for his skating programs.

In 2019, he was awarded “Best Vocalist in Classical Music” and won a Special Prize at the exclusive “Victoria” contest of the Russian National Music Awards. At the end of the year, he gave his first solo concert in the United States of America, and as the first artist from Kazakhstan, he appeared on the official Youtube channel of MTV USA.

In January 2021, Qudaibergen held his first online concert – Dimash Digital Show, and in November the same year, the track “Fly Away” was on the renowned Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs list when he performed his first song in Japanese for the 20th Tokyo Jazz Festival. In 2022, he held his first solo concerts in Dubai, Düsseldorf and Prague, and in 2023, successful tours in Armenia and Turkey followed.

Qudaibergen also served as a jury member at several eminent music competitions, he initiated the foundation of the Kazakh Children’s Singing Contest, and as an actor he starred in several Russian and Chinese TV productions.

Among many recognitions and honors he has earned for his artistic work, the titles of Honored Worker of Kazakhstan (medal and honorary title for significant contribution to the socioeconomic and cultural development of the country) awarded by the decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the title of Honorary Citizen of the Aktobe Region are particularly noteworthy. Dimash is also a Friendship Ambassador of China and Kazakhstan and an Honorary Tourism Ambassador of Kazakhstan.

Kudaibergen is a multiinstrumentalist with an incredible vocal capacity who performs his musical numbers in fifteen world languages, he is known for his humanitarian work, and at the end of 2023, Dimash’s admirers from fifty clubs around the world launched the initiative “Under one sky – we choose peace”.

For an outstanding contribution to the world music scene and culture, for the ability to, with his virtuoso voice, promote the universality and depth of art, enriching the global artistic heritage, the Karić Brothers Foundation presents the Karić Brothers Award for culture and art to Dimash Qudaibergen, the architect of musical bridges with a unique artistic identity.

 

Karic Brothers Award for strengthening democracy, peace, cooperation and friendship between nations to Budimir Lončar, the doyen of world diplomacy .

The biography of the Dalmatian partisan, Yugoslav diplomat, witness and participant in the history of dynamic political processes is the magnum opus of a member of the Central European pleiad of gentlemen, the last Yugoslav foreign minister and the bard of diplomacy, Budimir Lončar.

After the liberation of Yugoslavia, he served in the Yugoslav army, graduated from the Military-Political School in Zagreb, then was engaged in the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs before moving to diplomacy in 1950. From 1950 to 1956, he was the consul general of the FNRY and adviser in the mission to the United Nations Organization in New York. During the decades of his successful diplomatic career, he served as the ambassador of the SFRY in Indonesia, West Germany and the United States of America. He was the Federal Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the SFRY from 1987 to 1991.

The middle of the last decade of the 20th century found him on duty at the United Nations, and he was also an advisor to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva. He advised two Croatian presidents on foreign policy and international relations, and held the position of the Diplomatic Council Chairman of the University College of International Relations and Diplomacy Dag Hammarskjöld in Zagreb, until 2017.

For outstanding well-known commitment to principles of international peace and perseverance in working on stable regional relations, that have significantly contributed to progress in diplomacy and peacemaking in the region, the Karić Brothers Foundation presents Karić Brothers Award for strengthening democracy, peace, cooperation and friendship among nations to Budimir Lončar, the doyen of world diplomacy.

Recorded by Denis Lovrović, Zagreb, December 30, 2016. NOVOSTI – Budimir Lončar