Josif Tanevski was born on 21st October 1945 in Skopje, where he completed high school in 1964. He graduated from the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University "Ss. Cyril and Methodius "- Skopje in 1971. He got his Master’s Degree at the Faculty of Chemical Technology in Zagreb in 1975. In the academic year 1975/76, he completed his specialization in the field of inorganic chemistry at the University "Pierre and Marie Curie" in Paris - France. During the academic year 1980/81, he stayed at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Germany, where he performed the experimental part of his doctoral thesis. In 1985, at the University of Zagreb he received the scientific title Doctor of technical sciences in the field of chemical engineering.
In the period from 1975 to 1990, Josif Tanevski worked at the Institute for Research and Development at "Alkaloid" – Skopje, as an independent researcher and Head of research and development projects.
From 1985 till 1988, he was engaged by the National Institute for International scientific-technical cooperation, as a professor of inorganic chemistry at the University of Oran, Algeria.
In 1990, Tanevski left "Alkaloid" and established "Pharmachem", one of the first private companies in independent Macedonia. As general manager, he was successfully developing and managing the company for 20 years. Today, "Pharmachem" represents a company for trade and consultancy, located in its own business premises, with 4 different Departments: Diagnostics and pharmaceuticals, Instruments and equipment, Reagents and additives and the Department for Environmental consultancy.
In 2003, he established "Pharmachem Service", as a separate legal entity, which provides support for installation and maintenance of the sold equipment from all Departments. Within "Pharmachem Service", he established the first accredited Laboratory for calibration of relative humidity and temperature.
Josif Tanevski is the founder of the first specialized biochemical laboratory "Dijagnostika Farmahem". The laboratory began operating in December 1996 at a location in the Municipality Gjorche Petrov and in the summer of 2005 also in the Municipality Aerodrom.
Since 2007, in the frames of "Pharmachem" Tanevski established the first Laboratory for Environmental Protection, which in 2010 was accredited for measuring and testing of 22 parameters.
At the same time with the progress in the business, Tanevski was actively engaged in the field of environmental protection. In 1991 he was elected President of the Environmental Association "Opstanok", and during the period 1992–1995 he was President of the Ecologists' Movement of Macedonia (DEM). Tanevski established cooperation with many important European and international institutions in this field: Regional Environmental Centre (REC), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE), Green Peace, etc. In Macedonia he was one of the founders of the Balkan Environmental Association (BENA), and from 2000–2003 was the National Coordinator for Macedonia in BENA. In 2005 he founded the Group for Environmental Consultancy within the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce and was its President until 2008.
He was an active member of the Rotary Club - Skopje since its foundation in 1992.
Tanevski had won several awards and recognitions for his achievements in the field of environmental protection, care for the local community, a sense of social processes and active contribution in many associations, as well as the management of the company based on the concept of social responsibility and corporate governance. In 2000, from the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation, Tanevski won the award for sustainable development "Hert Jan Van Apeldorn" for successful introduction of the concept of sustainable development and long-lasting accomplishments in capacity building of sustainable development in the Republic of Macedonia, through strengthening Ecologists' Movement of Macedonia and other environmental organizations, promotion of sustainable development through lobbying and information in the political, economic and scientific circles and through issuing publications.
During his professional career, Josif Tanevski has published and presented 30 scientific articles, 2 patents and more than 90 studies, elaborates and expert reports of projects, in which he incorporated his knowledge and experience, as a leader or member of experts teams.
He was a courageous visionary, an eminent activist in many fields and a respected business man.
© 2007