On 22.11.2024, the Final Conference of the EDUCIRC2022 project entitled “Circular Economy as a New Model of Rural Development in the Republic of Serbia: Situation, Challenges and Perspectives” was held at the hotel “Grand Hedonist” in Pančevo.
The final conference of the project “Circular Economy as a Model of Development That Forms a New Identity of the Republic of Serbia – EDUCIRC2022” was held as part of a three-day event: HIV Annual Seminar for Advisors from Agricultural Advisory Expert Services based in AP Vojvodina. The theme of this year’s seminar was “The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and the Circular Economy Model: Application in Agriculture and Rural Development”. Bearing in mind the topic of the seminar and the areas and target groups that the project deals with, as well as the fact that advisors from agricultural advisory services are in charge of transferring knowledge, previous experiences and introducing the rural population to the latest trends in agricultural practice, it was decided to hold the Final Conference as part of this important event. There are many points of contact between the project and the topics of the annual seminar for advisors. The results obtained during the project research provide a detailed picture of rural and agricultural environments in the territory of Serbia, since they speak about various aspects of life and work in these areas, various indicators on the age and educational structure and other skills and knowledge of the rural population, and indicate their thoughts, expectations and perceptions of their communities, as well as those of the wider community. Therefore, the presentation of these results to advisors and employees in agricultural professional services is one of the relevant tools to design and create their work with agricultural producers and adapt them to the real situation and needs that have been expressed. The project results have a special, specific significance in the context of contemporary social trends and the definition of special policies and strategies in working with the so-called “Sustainable Development Goals”. vulnerable categories (youth, women), given that sensitization on these issues is also required from counseling, and that the presented results and all conclusions can qualitatively improve the methodology of work in this sphere. Another aspect of the compatibility of the project, given the global topicality of the topic and its potentials, and advisory work is to encourage advisors and employees in agricultural professional services to define their own requirements towards the scientific and educational community and centers that deal with their training. Namely, inspired by the presented results, and knowing the specifics of the environments in which they work, advisors and employees of PSS can initiate a more detailed elaboration of some of the topics covered during the project research or define some new ones, transfer their own experiences from direct practice, in the form of workshops, education and similar activities. This opens up the possibility for interactive cooperation, which would be based on the connection of science, profession and practice, which is an important prerequisite for its sustainability and purposefulness.
Encouraged by the topics and content of the presented materials by the members of the project team, the attendees had a lot of questions and comments, both during the presentation and presentation of the presentations, as well as in the discussion area.
After a fruitful discussion, within which experiences from practice were exchanged and the results of research and project were discussed, as well as previous practices from other countries, the participants discussed the possibilities of further cooperation, and thus the Final Conference of the EDUCIRC2022 project was successfully brought to an end.
The final conference was intensively covered by the media.
The announcement of the report, which was broadcast on Agro TV as part of the show Agropopodne, can be viewed at the following link:
The report on the Final Conference of the project was broadcast on 07.12.2024 on Agro TV as part of the show Agropopodne, and can be viewed at the following link, the report from the 50th minute:
https://www.educirc.rs/en/agro-television-report-on-the-final-conference-of-the-educirc2022-project/
The report on the event within which the Final Conference of the project was held was published by RTV Vojvodina on the following link:
The report of NS UŽIVO:
Picture 1. Opening: Prof. Olivera Nikolić, PhD, Educons University, Dean of the Faculty of Organic Agriculture and member of the project team
Picture 2. Mr. Petar Samolovac, Assistant to the Provincial Secretary for Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of the AP Vojvodina
Picture 3. Mr. Aleksandar Bogičević, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia
Picture 4. Assoc.Prof. Simonida Vukadinović, Educons University, Faculty of Business Economics, project team member
Picture 5. Assoc.Prof. Diona Đurđević, Educons University, Faculty of Business Economics, member of the project team
Picture 6. Assoc.Prof. Jelena Ješić, Educons University, Faculty of Business Economics, member of the project team
Picture 7. Prof. Vilmoš Tot, Educons University, Faculty of Business Economics, member of the project team
Picture 8. Asst. Prof. Igor Vukelić, Educons University, Faculty of Organic Agriculture, member of the project team
Picture 9. Assoc.Prof. Simonida Vukadinović, a member of the project team answers questions
Picture 10. Asst.Prof. Igor Vukelić, a member of the project team, answers the questions of the participants
Picture 11. Assoc. Prof. Diona Đurđević, a member of the project team, explains the possibilities of dissemination and exploitation of project results
Picture 12. Discussion
Picture 13. End of the Final Conference – Prof. Vilmoš Tot, Asst. Prof. Igor Vukelić, Assoc.Prof. Diona Đurđević, Assoc.Prof. Jelena Ješić, Assoc.Prof. Simonida Vukadinović and Prof. Olivera Nikolić, members of the project team EDUCIRC2022
