The Professional Development of VET Teachers project (ProVET) held its final transnational meeting and national roadmap conference in Belgrade, Serbia from 10 to 14 October, 2022.
Sadly, our 4 Russian partner universities were not able to participate, but the remaining 8 partners came together in a show of force and mutual support.
A VISER Welcome
Day 1 was hosted by VISER (the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) at its premises south of the city centre. A warm welcome was given by the hosts as well as official ProVET merchandise such as branded umbrellas, backpacks and even hand sanitiser bottles. After preliminaries, guests were given a tour of the impressive facilities and a few were chosen to give interviews to the local TV station.
Following a scrumptious lunch at M Hotel and a short meeting on the week’s proceedings, participants were given a lovely tour of the St Sava Cathedral, the largest Orthodox temple in Europe.
National Roadmap Conference
Day 2 kicked off the National Roadmap Conference – the culmination of 4 years of hard work by all partners showcasing the products of the project. Opening speeches were made by the Dean of the Teacher Education Faculty and the International Partnerships Director of the University of Belgrade, as well as the Assistant Minister of Education. After this, the conference began properly with ProVET Team Leader, Graham Burns explaining the project and its achievements.
Accolades and Achievements
During the project, 7 Vocational Open Online Courses (VOOCs) were created, tested and launched. A key aim of the project was to create a blueprint for both Serbia and Russia to professionally develop their VET teachers. In this, the teams for the University of Novi Sad and the Novi Sad School of Business went beyond the project scope and excelled themselves – they submitted their course and received national accreditation for it, which means that it is now an official, recognised credit-bearing course. Their achievement was publicly acknowledged with flowers and certificates in front of all present.
A leading representative from each partner spoke on their VOOC or on an aspect of the lessons learnt during this project. WCI’s Dr Julian Ng gave an interactive workshop on how to engage with online learners.
Engagement and Reach
The events of both days were streamed live on YouTube as well as attended in person. There was an opportunity for visiting partners to interact with the audience and to answer questions. There was a lot of interest from those who attended, and it was heartening to know that the results of our work were valued.
Camaraderie and Friendship
As can be expected, after 4 years, many friendships have developed among the partners. It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up after the COVID-19 pandemic and lock-down, and much mirth and merriment ensued. The Novi Sad colleagues organised a traditional Serbian dinner on Thursday, during which we honoured our leader, Graham. VISER once again took the reins on hospitality and organised a tour to the Nikola Tesla Museum followed by our final lunch together. We ended the conference with hugs, tears, and the impetus to collaborate again in the near future.
