Prof. Dr. Vladimir M. Cvetković | Disaster Risk Management

On 2 October 2010, during a special graduation ceremony held in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Vladimir M. Cvetković was recognized as the best student of the first graduating cohort of the Criminalistic-Police Academy, today the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies.

He completed his undergraduate studies with a perfect GPA of 10.00 and received the Silver Badge as the highest academic distinction. According to the source text, this achievement made him the first student in the history of both the Police Academy and the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies to attain this level of academic success.

The award was presented by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ivica Dačić. The recognition followed a record of exceptional performance throughout his studies, including special commendations from the Dean during the first, second, and third years.

In 2009, Vladimir M. Cvetković received the Eurobank EFG Scholarship for the Best Students in Serbia in recognition of outstanding academic achievement in criminal investigation and police-security studies.

The scholarship was awarded within the “Investing in European Values” corporate social responsibility programme. The broader programme supported education, healthcare, social inclusion, and environmental protection and represented a major investment in societal development.

Within this context, the scholarship recognized high-performing students and served as an additional national acknowledgment of sustained academic excellence.

In 2015, Vladimir M. Cvetković was awarded an OSCE Scholarship for the third year of his doctoral studies at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Security Studies, for the 2015/2016 academic year.

The scholarship recognized his academic excellence and his commitment to advancing research in security studies. It supported a key stage of doctoral development and represents an important international institutional acknowledgment during his early research career.

Vladimir M. Cvetković received the Exemplary Service Award from Preprints.org in recognition of his contribution as a member of the Electoral Committee for the 2023 Most Popular Preprints Award.

The recognition reflects professional service to the international scholarly community and engagement with open science, scientific communication, and knowledge sharing. The award also acknowledges contribution beyond authorship and research output, emphasizing service to academic evaluation and dissemination.

Vladimir M. Cvetković was awarded the Best Student Award by the Municipality of Lapovo in recognition of exceptional academic achievements and sustained excellence during his studies.

The municipal recognition complements his university-level academic distinctions and reflects acknowledgment by his local community of outstanding educational performance, discipline, and commitment to continuous achievement.

Vladimir M. Cvetković received the Vuk Karadžić Diploma for outstanding academic achievement and exemplary conduct during his education at the Secondary School of Internal Affairs for Police Officers.

The diploma represents one of the earliest formal recognitions in his educational path and reflects a combination of academic success, discipline, and exemplary conduct during secondary police education.

Vladimir M. Cvetković was awarded the Police Officer Diploma upon successful completion of his studies at the Secondary School of Internal Affairs.

This qualification marks the formal beginning of his professional path in public safety and security and represents an early institutional milestone preceding his later university studies, research career, and specialization in disaster and security management.

In the 2023 AD Scientific Index presentation on the profile page, Vladimir M. Cvetković was listed among the Europe Top 100 Social Sciences Scientists in Serbia.

The accompanying certificate information states a position of 14th among social scientists in Serbia and 1st in the field of disaster risk management. The ranking methodology described on the page uses indicators including the h-index, i10-index and citation counts, including both total and recent-period measures.

This recognition is presented as a bibliometric indicator of research productivity, citation impact, and scientific visibility within the national social-science context.

Vladimir M. Cvetković was selected through an international call as a local expert in disaster risk management in Serbia for the IPA FF programme. According to the profile text, the appointment followed evaluation of his CV and a successful interview conducted by representatives of the international consortium.

The programme, supported through the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), focused on Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey and aimed to support alignment with EU legislation and good practice in civil protection.

The programme addressed flood risk management plans, early warning systems, transboundary flood risk management, risk assessment and management for forest fires, development and training of ground forest-firefighting modules aligned with the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, and border-crossing and Host Nation Support protocols.

In 2022, Vladimir M. Cvetković was appointed by UNDP as a DRR Strategy Development DRM Consultant within the project “EU for Civil Protection and Disaster Resilience Strengthening in the Republic of Serbia.” The purpose of the engagement was to provide disaster risk management expertise for the development of the Ex-Ante Analysis and the new Strategy on Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management for the period 2022–2027.

The assignment involved cooperation with the UNDP Project Manager, the Strategy Development Consultant, the Ministry of Interior’s Sector for Emergency Management, the Sector for International Cooperation, EU Affairs and Planning, and members of the Special Working Group. Work was divided into Phase I — Ex-Ante Analysis — and Phase II — preparation of the Strategy.

Responsibilities included document and data review, stakeholder analysis, SWOT analysis, analysis of policy options and their financial, social, economic, environmental and managerial effects, identification of objectives and indicators, consultation with institutions and international organizations, and support for preparation of the final Strategy proposal.

In 2025, Vladimir M. Cvetković was selected through a public call issued by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) to provide disaster risk management expertise to local self-government units in developing Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans.

The engagement covered 100 cities and municipalities across Serbia, organized into 10 regional groups, with implementation from May to November 2025. The objective was to strengthen local public-health resilience and preparedness capacities through practical, actionable plans aligned with the WHO model and national legislation.

The engagement formed part of the broader “EU for the Health System of Serbia” initiative involving the Ministry of Health, WHO, UNDP, the Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut,” the Ministry of Interior’s Sector for Emergency Situations, and SCTM. The work was linked to earlier STAR risk assessments and to translating risk information into locally adapted preparedness and response planning.

Vladimir M. Cvetković was selected as a Visiting Professor at Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria within the Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering and the interdisciplinary Master’s programme in Safety and Disaster Management.

The appointment was described as a significant academic milestone and an acknowledgment of contributions to disaster management. The role included participation in and leadership of academic courses, contribution to research projects, international and national research in disaster risk management and safety management, development of third-party funded projects, continuing education, examinations, student support, and quality-assurance activities.

The visiting professorship also created a platform for sustained collaboration with international students and experts and later formed part of the institutional pathway that preceded the Adjunct Professor appointment.

Vladimir M. Cvetković was selected as a lecturer for the Advanced Security and Defense Studies programme at the National Defense School “Vojvoda Radomir Putnik,” under the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Serbia and the University of Defense.

The programme brings together senior officers of the Serbian Armed Forces, leaders of government institutions, members of the National Assembly, representatives of ministries, and participants from partner countries. Its purpose is to support the education and professional development of senior leaders in security and defense.

Within this engagement, his role included using practical examples and analysis of contemporary security challenges to strengthen crisis-management knowledge and support the preparation of participants for complex institutional and national-security responsibilities.

The Academic Council of the Faculty of Security Studies, University of Belgrade, approved Vladimir M. Cvetković’s engagement as a lecturer at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences following a formal request from that faculty.

During the summer semester of the 2024/2025 academic year, he was engaged to teach “Risk Management in E-Business” within the doctoral study programme in Software Engineering and E-Business.

The approval included full lecturing and signing authority for the doctoral-level course and represented an interdisciplinary academic engagement connecting security studies, risk management, software engineering, and digital business.

On 11 February 2025, during a session of the Scientific-Teaching Committee at the Faculty of Security Studies, University of Belgrade, and upon the recommendation of the Dean, Vladimir M. Cvetković was unanimously elected Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Contemporary Security Studies (IJCSS).

IJCSS is described on the profile page as a double-blind peer-reviewed, open-access international journal published twice a year. Its scope spans national and international security, cybersecurity, intelligence studies, counterterrorism, organized crime, geopolitical conflict, hybrid threats, military strategy, crisis and emergency management, disaster risk reduction, critical infrastructure protection, environmental security, public safety, and related fields.

The appointment carries responsibility for strengthening the journal’s scientific quality, international visibility, editorial standards, and role as a platform connecting academics, policymakers, and practitioners.