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PROF. Dr DONCHO DONEV, THE STATE AWARD LAUREATE FOR 2018 "THE FIRST 15 MACEDONIAN DOYENS AT THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE IN SKOPJE"

Prof. Dr. Doncho Donev received the "Goce Delchev" state award for 2018 for the monograph "The first 15 Macedonian doyens at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje", rated one of the three best scientific works published in the previous year. The award is a recognition of the outstanding achievements of interest to the Republic of Macedonia in the field of science. The awarding ceremony was held on May 4 this year in the Crystal Hall of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia. According to the Chairman of the Awarding Board, the academician Vlado Kambovski, this award is of exceptional significance as it raises awareness of the necessity to support scientific achievements and creativity, to invest more in education and scientific research, to adapt to the European standards of knowledge, research, and scientific and technological development.

"We must not stop here..." said Kambovski, who believes that "new collective awareness must be developed to exert great pressure on the demand for deep reforms in the field of education at all levels of scientific and research activity, to immediately lay the foundations of a new concept for financing of these areas, restructuring the network of higher education and scientific institutions, investing in scientific infrastructure and scientific research staff by involving thousands of young people."

On behalf of all the winners, Dr. Doncho Donev expressed his gratitude and noted that the monograph "The first 15 Macedonian doyens at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje" was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje (March 17th, 1947), when the first session of the Teachers’ Council was held and the academic activities of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje began and were established officially. The monograph contains the biographies of the first 15 Macedonian experts in the area of medicine and founders of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje, who made an essential contribution to its foundation and initial development in the period from 1947 to 1960. The monograph honors their contribution and expresses respect and appreciation for their significant contribution. In addition, the monograph gives an overview of the scientific research and publishing activities of the doyens, their received awards and recognitions, as well as words of memories and remembrances expressed by their contemporaries, associates and others. With their life and work, intellectual and creative potential, these first 15 Macedonian doyens and founders of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje left a permanent mark in its history and development, and in the development of medicine and health care in Macedonia in general, especially during the hard times after the liberation and the postwar period of reconstruction and construction in all spheres of the society.

The monograph also contains 15 published articles for the doyens, presented in the section "For the first doyens of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje". The articles were published in the period from June 2014 to December 2016, in the journal of the Doctors’ Chamber of Macedonia “Vox Medici”. Their aim was to clarify the recent history of medicine and give tribute and acknowledgement to the first Macedonian teachers at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje and doyens of medicine in Macedonia. According to prof. Donev, this jubilee monograph presents a retrospective study and is based on archival materials, encyclopedias, jubilee publications and other available resources, as well as on personal contacts and discussions of the author with members of the families and descendants of the doyens, their associates and acquaintances, as well as few other participants in distant historical events. This monograph bridges an important gap in the professional and scientific literature in the field of the history of medicine and health culture in Macedonia.

Proposals for the "Goce Delchev" award can be submitted by the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, universities, scientific institutions, research and development units in economy, scientific and professional associations, other associations of citizens and citizens. At the end of his speech, prof. Donev paraphrased the famous thought by Goce Delchev on behalf of the doyens - cosmopolitans and founders of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje - "We see the world as a field for competition in protecting and promoting the health of the nations."