Professor Vojin Šenk

Dear all,

We are pleased to invite you to the Skoltech Colloquium with Professor Vojin Šenk, of the University of Novi Sad
Chair of Telecommunications and Signal Processing, UNESCO chair of Entrepreneurship

When? 24.09.2015, 16:00-18:00

Where? Skoltech, room 403

Abstract
The city of Novi Sad, Serbia, has a disproportionately large university and once had a formidable industry. The breakup of Yugoslavia, war, international sanctions, bombardment by NATO forces, mishandled privatization and, lately, world economic crisis have destroyed almost all the traditional industry in the city, the whole province of Vojvodina and Serbia itself. The University of Novi Sad, and especially the Faculty of Engineering as its part, was left without the environment in which to function, without material resources, and, being the second largest city and in opposition to the regime of the nineties, without any support from within during the period. And then, the miracle happened: professors first, than the researchers, and finally students, started opening new knowledge-based companies, mainly in the ICT area, and created a completely new industry, employing thousands, earning hundreds of millions, and turning around the downward trend.

The lesson learnt, i.e. the most important message from this story, is that the time when researchers were just explaining the world and then offering help to those changing it for better is over: it is to those researchers now to change the world themselves. How? Well, some help is needed as well, and we will discuss which, how, and why. Especially which and why not, contrary to conventional bureaucratic wisdom: the technology transfer centers.

If you like to participate and for further information or questions, please e-mail Ekaterina Kuzmina: .
Please confirm your attendance. We look forward to seeing you.

If you like to participate and for further information or questions, please Liliya Abaimova
We look forward to seeing you.