In October 2023, Academia Institute of Technology received an exceptional opportunity to collaborate with the Community of Higher Vocational Colleges within the Erasmus+ programme. Students from Academia Institute of Technology, Medina Jahić, Tamara Bogosavac, Marko Jovanovski, Žan Kac and Andrej Brezo were selected for an 11-day practical training placement in Serbia. Their task was to present short-cycle higher education in Slovenia to Serbian secondary school and higher education students through active promotion at the education fair in Belgrade.
Students from Academia Institute of Technology Medina, Marko, Žan, Tamara and Andrej took advantage of an exceptional opportunity to experience an unforgettable exchange in Serbia, where they learnt a great deal about collaboration, patience and life in Belgrade. Serbia, a country with a diverse history and rich cultural heritage, completely enchanted them.
Invaluable Experience Through Work at the Education Fair
The visit to Serbia had special significance for the group of students, namely to represent short-cycle higher education institutions in Slovenia at the Belgrade Book and Education Fair. Work at the stand went extremely smoothly, as they were surrounded by excellent company and interesting stories from passers-by. With the colleagues with whom they shared stands, they became a real team and together they presented the educational offering in Slovenia excellently.
"During the fair we had the opportunity to communicate with visitors and we gained good insight into how great the interest in Slovenian studies is in Serbia. Numerous visitors were interested in the study programmes offered by Slovenian short-cycle higher education institutions – we were happy to present to them the advantages of studying in Slovenia. We also believe that we managed to inspire them about how studying and life in Slovenia works and thereby attracted some future students."
The work placement in Serbia not only enriched cultural experiences, but also provided the group with a unique opportunity for career development in the fields in which they are studying – from marketing, marketing, graphic design and photography. For marketing students, the fair enabled the application of marketing strategies in a real environment. From setting objectives and creating potential customers to analysing competition and post-event activities, this experience enhanced their abilities in designing promotional activities for brand recognition and networking.
Photography students daily captured moments of setting up their stand and collaboration with participants and various cultural experiences. These photographs contributed to an enriched visual narrative of our journey, whilst at the same time providing students with real experience of photographing a large fair event.
The teamwork of Academia students in Serbia was a combination of marketing, photographic production and economics, which demonstrated how well their skills complement each other. Photographs taken during fair activities became a successful tool for marketing efforts, whilst promotional materials and social media posts were given a vibrant touch.
"This teamwork not only gave us practical experience, but also emphasised the value of collaborative work across different skills for creating effective and meaningful results."
Exploring the City and Enjoying Coffee
In their free time during the exchange, the team set off to explore Belgrade. They got to know the city's landmarks, visited museums and immersed themselves in the rich cultural heritage. One of the interesting facts about Belgrade is that it is often called the "European capital of entertainment" and the students were happy to test this out. Belgrade is a city that boasts unique nightlife.
"We experienced a vibrant atmosphere, different musical genres and met people from all corners of the world who came to experience one of the most exciting nightlife scenes in Europe. If you are a lover of nightlife, Belgrade is definitely one of the cities you must visit."
The visit to the fair was exceptional, as it was attended by more than 200,000 people. Our students actively participated in pre-fair, during-fair and post-fair promotion, contributing to the exceptional success of the event. With their knowledge and presentations, they deepened Serbian students' understanding of the possibilities of short-cycle higher education in Slovenia and above all shared with them personal experiences of studying with us.
This collaboration not only strengthened international ties between educational institutions and our local/regional cooperation with the Community of Higher Vocational Colleges, but also contributed to raising the reputation of our institution abroad and networking for further collaborations. The experiences gained also positively marked the participating students. How they did so, they shared with us in their account, which we publish below.
Source: Academia (13. 11. 2023). Fotografije: arhiv Academie.
This English summary was produced automatically from the Slovenian report and is pending editorial review. Slovenska različica
