For Dragana Grahovac, curiosity isn’t just a trait, it’s a way of life. It’s what took her from Serbia to the world’s top universities, and what continues to guide her as she explores the intersections of science, business, and sustainability.

From Childhood Dreams to Cambridge Reality

“Even back in primary school, I dreamed of studying at Cambridge,” Dragana recalls. “Anyone who’s ever opened a physics or chemistry textbook has come across names like Rayleigh, Rutherford, Thomson, Bohr, Bragg, Dirac, or Born, all Nobel laureates from Cambridge. It sounded like a distant world back then, but I was determined to get there.”

More than a decade later, she found herself walking those same cobbled streets. “It still feels surreal, realizing that I had coffee in the same college courtyard where DNA’s double helix was announced, or that I grabbed a beer at the same pub where Nobel laureates once debated ideas that changed science. Every conversation there was inspiring. You could talk to a computer scientist, a policy expert, and a philosopher all within one dinner, and somehow all of it connected.”

Her time at Cambridge was, as she puts it, “mesmerizing in every sense.” Between labs and late-night formals, intense research projects and casual chats over coffee, she learned not just about nanotechnology, but about people, and about herself. “It’s a place that teaches you how to think differently, but also how to stay human in the process. You learn that success isn’t about being the smartest in the room, but about asking the right questions.”

When Curiosity Redefines Direction

Dragana’s path to Cambridge was never linear. “I was one of those students who wanted to understand everything,” she laughs. “I studied Chemical Engineering, then switched to Materials Science because I was fascinated by the nano-world, how the tiniest changes can transform everything. Later, I got interested in sustainability and polymer science, which led me to my current PhD at EPFL in Switzerland.”

At EPFL, she’s researching how to create sustainable elastomers and foams that could replace conventional materials in everyday products, but her curiosity goes far beyond the lab. “I’m equally fascinated by how research turns into innovation, how ideas become companies, and how leadership shapes impact. I see myself working at that intersection, connecting science, business, and sustainability to build something meaningful.”

She describes her academic path with humility: “Looking back, it sounds almost cinematic: a regular girl from Serbia ending up at Cambridge and EPFL.  Even besides strong discipline there are always some sleepless nights, internships, training programs, and a lot of uncertainty. That’s the part people don’t see, but that’s where you really grow.”

WeBalkans: The Power of Shared Perspectives

A crucial part of that growth came through WeBalkans and the Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) initiative, which Dragana joined in 2020 as part of the first generation. “Even though our early activities were online, I was immediately drawn to the diversity of the group. You had people from every corner of the Western Balkans discussing ideas that actually mattered: environment, education, digitalization, equality, and it made me realize how connected we all are.”

As the years went by, her engagement expanded through projects and events across Europe. “It wasn’t just about representing Serbia or talking about European values, it was about seeing the world through other people’s eyes. I realized that the challenges we face in the Balkans are often the same ones people face everywhere: sustainability, education access, youth mobility, mental health. That realization made me feel part of something larger.”

After five years in the YEA network, Dragana now sees herself as part of a global community. “I may not be as active as I was at the beginning, but that’s because it’s time for new voices to take the stage. I love seeing how much the initiative has grown. For me, it was a turning point, it shaped the way I see leadership, community, and impact.”

Coming Full Circle

Today, Dragana’s vision reaches beyond her PhD research. “In the next few years, I’d love to combine my scientific background with entrepreneurship, maybe even start something that brings advanced materials and sustainability closer to real-world use. I want to stay curious, but also useful.”

And no matter how global her path becomes, Serbia remains at the heart of it. “Everything started there, from my teachers and mentors to the support systems that believed in me. I want to bring that experience back one day, whether through education, mentorship, or innovation. The idea isn’t just to leave and succeed, but to come back and create something that makes it easier for others to follow.”

When asked what advice she has for other young people from the region, she smiles:
“Don’t wait for opportunities to find you. Create them. Be curious about everything: science, art, politics, people. You never know which small spark will become your biggest step forward.”