Nemanja Đorđević, Director of the Miodrag Kostic Foundation, participated in the panel "Economy Tailored to the Child" as part of this year's Kopaonik Business Forum, where he discussed the economic importance of investing in children and young people together with representatives of leading companies, the financial sector and UNICEF.
Speaking about the gap that exists between the education system and the needs of the economy, Djordjevic emphasized the role of the Palace of Science in bridging this gap, as it is an institution that was created as a deliberate decision to leave a lasting mark in Serbian society.
"Miodrag Kostic decided to build bridges between the scientific community, the economy and the citizens, and he donated the Endowment worth 25 million euros to Serbian society. The result is the largest center for research and popularization of science in the region, on more than 5,500 square meters, with 20 living laboratories in which students, professors and researchers work together, and every Thursday they open their doors for children, students and citizens," said Đorđević.
Last year, more than 100,000 visitors passed through the Palace of Science, organized more than 1,000 planetarium screenings, dozens of scientific conferences and more than 100 public events. Researchers from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering have published more than 100 papers in international journals, and 15% of these papers are signed by students – the goal is to double this share in the next year.
A child-friendly economy – a shared responsibility
The panel concluded with a consensus of all participants: investing in children is not only a matter of social responsibility, but also of a long-term economic strategy. In a country where almost one in five children lives at risk of poverty and faces demographic decline, any untapped potential has a direct impact on future competitiveness.
The Miodrag Kostić Foundation remains committed to the idea that this potential is not lost – "We consider success the moment when a child's light is turned on. Every scientist who changes the world today has somewhere in his memory the exact year, the exact moment, the exact place where he first saw that science was exciting. The Palace of Science is the place to be. A country that nurtures the curiosity of its young people is a country that has a future. And the future is not waiting. It's being built, child by child, lamp by lamp," Djordjevic concluded.