November 15^th

The following year, in the spring,

The construction of the Science and Technology Park, a project about which is being discussed in Nis for the last decade will start in spring next year. The press conference was held at Nis City Hall on the occasion of signing the contract for the implementation of this project.  Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic emphasized on this occasion that today was a great day for Nis and all of its citizens, because this project, worth one billion and 850 million dinars meant that the city and the state were investing in knowledge, science, development, young and talented people. He thanked the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, for the great support that the City of Nis received from the republic authorities, so that the Science and Technology Park could become a reality. “With this project we will start to value the advantages that we have for the purpose of developing the city and solving the problems, but at the same time, this decision is obliging us to do even more and justify the trust given by the state, “concluded Mayor Bulatovic. According to the Deputy Head of the Office for Local Economic Development and Projects Ivan Petkovic, the contracts signed today in Belgrade actually allowed the City to start the realization of the second and third phase of the project, since the first phase-Startup Center was already completed. The Republic will allocate 5.2 million euros for the addition of annexes at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering, while the City’s contributions amount to 6.5 million dinars for the relocation of access infrastructure and the obtaining of the operating license. He pointed out that the state would allocate 10 million euros for the construction of the Science and Technology Park building, which would extend over 14,000 square meters. Also, the Science and Technology Park will be equipped with modern equipment. The Dean of the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Nis, Prof. Dr. Dragan Jankovic, emphasized that this investment would be paid off very rapidly and would show its true significance, not only for the Faculty of Electronic Engineering, but for the City of Nis as well.

November 15^th

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic attended today’s signing of the contract for the implementation of three projects for the improvement of IT and scientific-research infrastructure in the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade. The contracts for the construction of the extension of the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Nis, the Scientific and Technological Park in Nis and the building for the Verokio Institute of Physics in Belgrade were signed by RS Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Mladen Sarcevic, Minister without Portfolio in charge of Innovation and Technological Development Nenad Popovic, Director of Public Investment Management Office Marko Blagojevic, Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and Director of the Institute of Physics Aleksandar Bogojevic. Financing works on the construction of the Faculty of Electronic Engineering and the Scientific and Technological Park in Nis are part of the support of the Government of Serbia and the Council for Innovative Entrepreneurship and IT Development. The total value of all seven projects is greater than 50 million euros.

November 6^th

High school students from the Dutch town of Roermond are visiting the Law and Adminsitrative Secondary School in Nis. Nis City Deputy Mayor Milos Bandjur met with the visiting and host students. He welcomed them on the behalf of the City of Nis and briefly introduced them to the rich history of the city. Law and Adminsitrative Secondary School in Nis has been implementing similar projects for many years, within which the pupils are socializing with their peers from Europe during their study visits.

October 19^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic welcomed the participants of 13^th International Conference at Nis City Hall. TELSIKS is the leading scientific meeting in South-Eastern and Central Europe in the field of telecommunications. On this occasion Mayor Bulatovic emphasized that he was very pleased that this conference has been in existence for 24 years and has been gathering a large number of eminent experts from the country and abroad, which unambiguously spoke about its significance and quality. The chairman of the conference, Prof. Dr. Bratislav Milovanovic, pointed out that the conference could not be as successful as it has been for many years if it has not been supported by the City of Nis. He stressed that TELSIKS is the leading conference and that scientists and experts from the field of telecommunications from more than 30 countries have been involved in its work. Traditionally there are works from countries that have a great scientific reputation in this field, such as the United States, Germany, England, France, Italy and other countries.

October 17^th

The Third Forum of Advanced Technologies has been opened in Nis today. The Forum was officially opened by Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic while the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Internal Trade and IT Mr. Rasim Ljajic addressed the audience gathered for the opening. The general aim of the Forum has been to present Nis as the regional center of advanced technologies based on existing economic, scientific, educational and institutional resources in the field of advanced technologies, as well as to present those resources to the competent ministries, research and development institutions, donor and diplomatic community, domestic and foreign companies operating on EU markets and wider. The mapping of insufficiently promoted potentials of Nis City and its resources in the field of economy, science and education and the synergy of all the participants of the Forum, should contribute to the sustainable economic development, attracting new investments and promotion of Nis City and the region.

October 7^th

The reception was organized at Nis City Hall for the students from Banja Luka who were visiting the Faculty of Philosophy in Nis. They were welcomed by Nis City Deputy Mayor Milos Bandjur who said that Nis and Banja Luka were two important regional centers, two basic points, some kind of western and southern and eastern defense lines. Talking about the current moment, he pointed out the current investments in the city such as building of factories, but also the building of the science and technology park. “It is good when two universities, two faculties of philosophy are developing cooperation. It is good that people who are living at two ends of the Serbian national space visit each other, socialize, exchange experiences. Both Nis and Banja Luka are important cities in every aspect, geostrategic, political. The Governments of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic Srpska pay great attention to the development of these two important centers”, as Deputy Mayor Bandjur said on this occasion. Srdja Preradovic from the Faculty of Philosophy from Banja Luka thanked for the warm welcome on behalf of his fifty colleagues visiting Nis. “Some of us are for the third time in Nis and I am sure that my colleagues who are visiting Nis for the first time will feel as welcomed as I always felt each time I visited Nis. I hope that the cooperation between our two faculties will continue in the future”.

September 20^th

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic and the member of Nis City Council Member for Youth and Sports Branislav Kacar handed over the certificates on complete internships in public companies, city administrations and departments, cultural and sport institutions and city municipalities, to the students of the final year of basic studies and students of the master studies of the University of Nis. U-NI Practice 2017 is conceived as the project to help young people to undergo internship for a month in the public sector after their studies. It provides students the opportunity to gain experience in various areas. Working in public sector is an excellent opportunity to develop professionally and acquire the needed skills. The aim of the practice for students is to acquire practical experience in the work, obtain the certificate of practice issued by the City of Nis and the University of Nis, the possibility of obtaining a recommendation from the institution where the student underwent the internship and the possibility of recognizing the internship as an additional activity adding3 ESPB points by the educational institutions. 34 students applied for 105 positions (or 59 different positions) within 20 institutions in Nis and 31 students started and completed the internship during August 2017. All the interns and mentors have completed the internship evaluation questionnaire in order to define the guidelines for the next year.

September 8^th

The City of Nis, in partnership with the Red Cross City Organization, has provided more than 500 hygienic packages as well as school accessories for pupils from the first to the fourth grades who attend classes in schools in the rural area. Nis City Council Member for Social Care Policy Tijana Djordjevic  Ilic visited the children and handed them this modest gift on behalf of the City. According to her, packages and school supplies were divided into 31 schools in the countryside. “Children and young people are the most important resource of society and we will try to help whenever we can and whenever there is need”, Djordjevic Ilic said. She pointed out that this year the choice fell to schools from the rural area, some of them were more 180 years old. “We wanted to visit these schools and students who get their first knowledge from their teachers in the surroundings that reflect the authenticity of the Serbian village,” said Tijana Djordjevic Ilic, adding that she hopes that next year, with the help of her permanent partners and associates from the Nis Red Cross, the city would able to provide an even larger number of packages for the youngest students, thus helping them to spend their first school days in a nice atmosphere.

September 7^th

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic today announced, during the opening of the Start-Up Centre at the Faculty of Electronics in Nis, that the government will support such projects all over Serbia, as our goal is to be among the fastest growing countries. Brnabic said that the launch of the Nis Start-up Centre for Innovative Youth Entrepreneurship is an opportunity to capitalize on the great knowledge and potential existing in Nis and to bring young people even closer to the opportunities open for the fourth industrial revolution. She said that the government of Serbia financed the establishment of the center with more than RSD 50 million, and that this is only the first phase. The Prime Minister praised the project, pointing out that the job of the government is to recognize the potential and then help and support such ideas. You then need to go further, to see young people develop their ideas and to market their products and have income for their families and states, Brnabic said, adding that this money will then be placed in the development of new innovations. The Prime Minister said that the team spirit is important, because only joint forces can compensate for what was missed and become more competitive.
The center will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, which will enable young people in Serbia to work in the same conditions as their peers in the world.

The opening of the center was also attended by Mayor of Nis Darko Bulatovic, who reminded that the idea for the center came from former Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and that it is now being implemented. Bulatovic said that this marks the end of the first phase of the science and technology park, while the second phase will be the building of a “lamella” and the third one will be the formation of a science and technology park in Nis.
He stressed that there have never been so many visits by senior state officials to the University of Nis. The Dean of the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Nis Dragan Jankovic emphasised that young people should provide a place that will be inspiring for work, where they will learn about entrepreneurship and innovation.

September 1^st

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic congratulated to all first grade primary school students the starting of the school year with a message for them to be hard working, to learn and listen to parents and teachers diligently. “From my heart, I give you my best wishes for the future. That you always feel good at school and to set up a solid foundation for your house of knowledge for the entire future. School is not just education but also upbringing. I am sure that you will grow into good young girls and boys and this is what this city needs. “