As part of the WBC-RRI.NET project, an open dialogue and Joint Learning meeting was organized in Novi Sad, attended by Milica Božović, a project associate at STP MNE. The event was held in two sessions: Engaging the Academic Community with and for the public/citizens, and engaging the academic community with and for business.  

The main idea of the first day of the event was to exchange experiences and educate researchers for the implementation of citizen science projects. Around the world, ordinary people participate in citizen science projects where volunteers and scientists work together to answer important scientific and life questions. Citizen science brings everyone into the important learning process about the role of science in improving quality of life and protecting our planet. The main idea of the second day of the event was to enhance the language of understanding between the academic community and industry. The collaboration between industry and academia is the foundation of knowledge valorization, which is a focus of the European commission. This collaboration can encourage mutual exchange between knowledge generators and business actors, stimulate private investments in research, lead to more inventions and patents, ease the flow of knowledge and talent into companies, improve researchers’ skills and understanding of market needs, and increase the entrepreneurial culture among researchers.

The final pitching event was held for researchers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The team from Montenegro consisted of ms. Marija Kaluđerović, an assistant at the faculty of Natural sciences and mathematics at the University of Montenegro, and PhD candidate Marija Mićunović from the same faculty. They won fourth place and received a prize worth five hundred euros for further development of their innovative idea. Congratulations to the teams on their successful presentations, and we wish them continued success in their future work.