Extracting Green-COVID effects for generating clean technologies and successful youth transition awareness for the climate change and sustainable development of the Western Balkan countries
The project involves networking of students and scientific researchers from Western Balkan countries for creating a dataset base of the latest research approaches for environmental pollution/protection and ecological effects as well.
Young researchers and students have the main role in lunching the environmental friendly aspects for creating novel models in environmental protection sciences. The beneficiary effect for the Western Balkan students was creating long-term valuable and sustainable correlations. The project has regional focus, networking six universities from the Western Balkan countries (students and scientific experts-University professors). Furthermore, this project has a national focus for the students from three state Universities from North Macedonia (students from “Goce Delcev” University-Shtip, “St. Kiril and Metodius” Universiry in Skopje and State University in Tetovo).
Even the environmental pollution is a global problem, the latest research indicate that the Western Balkan countries are significantly affected by the environmental pollution. Furthermore, the Western Balkan countries still deal with the problem of poor population awareness for environmental protection.
Therefore, this project idea is to unite the knowledge from Western Balkan countries and share with youth from this region, increasing the environmental protection awareness within students. In addition to that, this project will involve regional and national students and scientific researches in order to provide novel chemo-metric methodology and beneficial environmental protection methods.
The scientific conference was attended by more than 70 participants – professors, experts, young researchers, with different background (college students from different universities form Western Balkan countries), as well as University experts from the Western Balkan countries who has share their knowledge with young people and students from national and regional Universities.
Specific objectives shall be achieved through constructive debate on several critical environmental issues:
- Overview of the pollution sources separately for each country in the region;
- Problems and challenges facing each country in the region (including the financing support for environmental monitoring);
- Introduction and proposing new and beneficial chemo-metric tools for enchasing the pollution markers and abnormal environmental condition;
- Proposing “environmentally friendly tools” for reduction the toxic effect of the pollutants and hazards,
- Introducing young population from the Universities from the region within the environmental friendly awareness.
Project outcomes
The specific objectives were achieved through three days events at Goce Delcev University:
First day (10/28/2022): arriving of the meeting participants from Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The local Erasmus+ coordinator realized Coordinative meeting for WBAA members held in Erasmus+ office at Goce Delcev University. The Coordinative meeting of expert was organized at the technical campus (No. 2) at Goce Delcev University.
The 1st Students scientific workshop was organized at the Chemical research laboratory at the technical campus (No. 2) at Goce Delcev University. Young reaserchers and students has been trained for basic and advanced application of instrumental analytical tehnicues and methodologies with implementation in environmental research. The training session were conducted from the prof. PhD Biljana Balabanova. At the end of the event students has been certified .
The second day (10/29/2022) scientific conference has been hold in HYBRID MODEL due to the COVID safe issues. titled: “2nd scientific conference for CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF THE WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES” Faculty of agriculture, Goce Delcev, University, Republic of North Macedonia. The conference started with an opening ceremony, where the Dean and Vice Dean speech started, professor Emilija Arsov, introduced to the participant and opened the ceremony. Furthermore, project coordinator introduced the participants with the main objectives of the project. The meeting was supported from the representatives from Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of North Macedonia, department of environment and materials. Furthermore, representative from Ministry of Education and Science, Republic of North Macedonia, sector of science and innovations gave a speech for the possibility of institutional cooperation and support.
After the opening ceremony the scientific part of the conference has been opened. Present audience has been introduced with the WBAA representative, where the main goals of the WBAA program were presented to the students and young researcher in the Environmental field. MSc. Sanja Stefanova has presentation for the possibility of networking of young people within Western Balkan counties and constructive discussions have been developed. Three sections has been organized and 15 lectures has been introduced for students from five universities from Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and North Macedonia. After the expert lectures, students have opportunities to present their scientific work, their knowledge about critical environmental issues. Five regional and national students have oral presentation and ten national and regional students has e-poster presentation. All of the students and expert presentation has been included in the book of abstracts. Students presentations has been ended with high-end discussion between students and experts. Valuable and constructive ideas for future investigations were also proposed. During the students presentations, experts team has been evaluate the presentations using several markers: type of presentation, presentation skills, environmental idea, innovation idea for environmental protection. After the evaluation students and young people were awarded with BEST STUDENT’S ORAL presentation and BEST ENVIRONMENTAL-PROTECTION IDEA.
The third day 10/30/2022 summary conclusions has been completed within the SWOT analysis with young researchers and students. The WBAA members has visit the University Scientific centre and laboratories. After the one-time events were completed, each institution-participant and WBAA members will share promotion material at national and regional level. 2nd Students scientific workshop was organized at the Chemical research laboratory at the technical campus (No. 2) at Goce Delcev University. Young reaserchers and students has been trained for basic and advanced application of instrumental analytical tehnicues and methodologies with implementation in environmental research. The training session were conducted from the prof. PhD Biljana Balabanova.
The summery conclusions (BOOK OF ABSTRACTS, ISBN 978-608-244-826-8) was promoted after enclosing the one-time events. Promotion was supported by “Goce Delcev” University’s media centre (university website and university TV).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcQr3TmTBjk&t=5s
Following the workshop, we got a feedback from the participants on their satisfaction and met expectations based on their overall experience. The key comment of most of the participants was that they feel this kind of training/education is much needed and that they would recommend it to others and would apply again themselves. They gave us the highest grade (5) on a scale from 1 to 5, on organization, communication, the lectures and the work with the trainer, time management and overall satisfaction.
Kiril Jordanov, project coordinator
edited by Service Provider
21.02.2022
