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In the Spotlight Prepared by: Ms. Sandra Tinaj, Manager of the University of Donja Gorica (UDG)
Knowledge Factory Opened its Doors in Podgorica at the University Donja Gorica Knowledge Factory - the largest IT event in the region opened its doors in Podgorica, at the University of Donja Gorica, as the central event of the Open Science Days in Montenegro. The Knowledge Factory program consisted of one main element during the two days it was present. This included a presentation about software and hardware solutions, round table meetings, forums and discussions, as well as special programs for primary school, high school and college students. Participants were given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and entertain themselves through a series of additional activities at the event, as well being able to find out more about the latest software solutions and new trends in the IT world. Knowledge Factory, the largest IT event in the region, was visited by over two thousand visitors, as well as high level representatives from the Government and from other important establishments in Montenegro. Representatives from public enterprises and private businesses, representatives from scientific and educational institutions, along with primary school, high school and college students had the opportunity to get the latest news from the dynamic IT world.
At the start of the event, participants were addressed by the Rector of the University of Donja Gorica, Veselin Vukotić, by the President of ComTrade, Veselin Jevrosimović, by the Minister of Science, Prof. Dr. Sanja Vlahović, by the Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro for Economic Policy and by the Minister for the Development of an Information Society, Prof. Dr. Vujica Lazović. The Rector of the University of Donja Gorica, Prof. Dr. Veselin Vukotić expressed his satisfaction with the idea and with the initiative to organize the first Knowledge Factory event in Montenegro at UDG. He thinks that it created a good atmosphere and justified the purpose of promoting knowledge. He also stated that the vision of UDG was to build a new type of educational standard, innovative and research-related, that is already the norm in Europe, and should also be in Montenegro. He also sent a clear message that knowledge requires courage, passion, vision and work experience, all of which UDG reinforce and promote. He also states his belief that the result of this event will be the transfer of knowledge and sharing of values within young people all over Montenegro and in the region. The round table meeting entitled “The Place of Montenegro on the IT Map of Europe” was a central part of the first day of the event. Participants included representatives from the Ministry for Information Society and Telecommunications, from the Ministry of Science, from the Government of Montenegro, along with many other representatives from the university and from prominent IT companies in the region. A low level of investment in ICT across the region was defined as the main problem, along with the fact that money allocated for ICT is seen as a cost rather than as an investment. Software piracy was also identified as a problem, but the level of the problem has already diminished. A need for a greater number of locally developed mobile applications and software solutions was also identified. Young people in Montenegro use computers and the Internet mostly for entertainment. It is, therefore, necessary to attract them to more productive ways of using IT. The conclusion was that stronger cooperation was needed between IT companies, ministries and educational institutions, in order to create a favorable business environment which can help Montenegro to become competitive and visible on the IT map of Europe. The second day of Knowledge Factory was also full of interesting lectures and discussions which focused on the increasingly popular “cloud computing”. The President of ComTrade, Mr. Veselin Jevrosimović, spoke about the role of social networks in the modern world. The second day featured a number of business IT solutions along with presentations made by this year’s Knowledge Factory partners: HP, Microsoft, Fujitsu, Toshiba, Intel, IBM, Oracle, Cisco, Mtel, Sony, HTC, Sony Ericsson, LG, Computer Land and many others.
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The main topic of the second day was a round table meeting entitled “Women in Information Technology”. Conclusions from the round table meeting were that the gender divide in ICT is not a barrier to a business success and that successful careers are available for women in this domain. The basis of success in IT is to constantly invest in knowledge and skills. Education plays a key role for every person who builds his or her career in the information sector. It is necessary at all levels, from basic to higher level education, and requires as much practice as necessary. All of those who wanted to take a break between lectures and presentations at this year`s Knowledge Factory had the opportunity to enjoy the Chill Out Zones (Facebook zone, Gaming zone, Twitter zone etc).