Goce Delcev University – Stip marked November 10 – World Science Day for Peace and Development by presenting awards and recognitions to professors and students who achieved significant results in scientific research during 2025.
The “Scientist of the Year” award was presented to Prof. Dr. Sasho Koceski, Vice-Rector for Teaching at UGD.
A total of 15 awards were presented at the ceremony for outstanding contributions to scientific research, along with recognitions for researchers and students whose papers were published in prestigious international scientific journals.
The 2025 Scientific Contribution Awards, in addition to Prof. Dr. Sasho Koceski, were presented to:
- For outstanding scientific impact: Ivica Smokovski, Sasho Koceski, Aleksandar Petrovski;
- For high scientific impact: Viktorija Maksimova, Aleksandra Mileva, Rada Grubovic Rastvorceva, Danche Vasileva, Ivica Smokovski, Zoran Zlatev;
- For scientific productivity: Rubin Gulaboski, Sashka Jovanovska, Aleksandar Petrovski;
- For a scientific paper by a third-cycle student: Maja Kukusheva-Paneva and Mishko Milev.
UGD Rector, Prof. Dr. Dejan Mirakovski, emphasized that the University is not merely an institution that transfers scientific knowledge, but also actively contributes to its creation.
“Today, we are celebrating World Science Day and demonstrating that we can not only follow science but also create it. The feeling that a university, in addition to transmitting scientific knowledge, is also part of the systems that generate that knowledge is a source of great satisfaction,” Mirakovski stated.
He stressed that it is particularly important that UGD’s scientific achievements are recognized and valued by the international academic community through publications in highly ranked journals, where research papers are evaluated by international editorial and peer-review boards. He congratulated the award recipients on their achievements and wished them further success in their scientific work.
Prof. Dr. Zdenka Stojanovska, Vice-Rector for Science, presented the University’s specific research results for 2025, reporting a 20 percent increase in the number of scientific publications compared to 2024.
Of particular significance is the fact that this growth concerns not only the number but also the quality of scientific output. Namely, 44 percent of publications in 2025 appeared in scientific journals ranked in the first and second quartiles (Q1 and Q2), while half of all publications resulted from international scientific collaboration.
“We assess not only the number of publications but also their quality, their scientific impact as reflected in citations, as well as scientific leadership – serving as the first author of a publication and as the corresponding author,” Stojanovska pointed out.
She emphasized that one of the University’s key objectives is investing in young researchers. In this regard, two of the 15 awards presented for 2025 went to third-cycle students.
“We believe that by investing in science, we are investing in the future of the University, but also in the future of society,” the Vice-Rector for Science stated.
The 2025 “Scientist of the Year” award went to Prof. Dr. Sasho Koceski, Vice-Rector for Teaching at UGD. In his address, he emphasized that science requires passion, dedication, patience, perseverance and constant self-criticism.
“Science is one of the fundamental driving forces behind socio-economic development and the advancement of humanity as a whole. It is not a profession performed according to a quota, but an activity to which we must devote ourselves with passion and perseverance. I have devoted my life to science with love, and I have never regretted that decision,” Koceski said.
Speaking about the conditions required for scientific research, he noted that modern equipment, laboratories and appropriate infrastructure are essential, particularly in experimental sciences. However, he stressed that people are what create true value through their knowledge, skills, creativity and ability to work as a team.
Koceski expressed his satisfaction that an increasing number of scientific research teams are being established at UGD and that young researchers are actively joining them. He described this as the foundation for building a strong research community and increasing the University’s international visibility.
As he pointed out, he also regards the “Scientist of the Year” award as recognition of the collective work carried out with his colleagues and young researchers.
“This recognition is not just my personal award. I would like to dedicate it to all the research associates I work with, and above all to the young researchers with whom we work in the laboratory every day, sharing the same passion, vision and belief that through science we can achieve something valuable and leave a lasting mark. They are the future of our University,” Koceski emphasized.
Among the award recipients was also Prof. Mishko Milev from the Faculty of Medical Sciences, who is pursuing third-cycle studies at UGD. He received the award for a scientific paper published in the British Journal of Nutrition, an international scientific journal ranked in the Q1 quartile.
Milev noted that publishing a scientific paper in a prestigious journal is a process that requires years of work, dedication and perseverance, making every recognition an important acknowledgment of the effort invested.
“What is particularly important to me is that our research was carried out entirely using the resources provided by Goce Delcev University – Stip. This is yet another indication that we are capable of competing scientifically with more developed countries in terms of publishing research papers,” Milev stated.
His research focuses on biomedicine, particularly the impact of proper nutrition on genetic health and the ways in which dietary interventions can contribute to its improvement. He emphasized that such recognitions provide additional motivation to continue scientific work and achieve even better results.
Maja Kukusheva-Panev, a third-cycle student at UGD, also received an award for her scientific research. This is the second time she has received this recognition. Her research focuses on the mathematical modelling of infectious diseases, using mathematical models to monitor their spread and predict the course of epidemics.
Her research covers the modelling of several infectious diseases, including tuberculosis and influenza, with models adapted to data and specific conditions in North Macedonia. So far, she has applied the disease forecasting component of her research in studies related to COVID-19.
“The benefits of this type of research are considerable. If an infectious disease begins to spread and we have access to an available database from its initial phase, we can predict the direction in which the disease will spread and its possible outcome,” Kukusheva-Panev explained.
The celebration of World Science Day and the presentation of awards and recognitions reaffirm the scientific achievements of UGD’s academic community, while also encouraging further advancement of scientific research, international cooperation and the involvement of new generations of researchers in the creation of scientific knowledge.
