President: New Times Call for New Approaches to Education

Nitra, 20 October (TASR) - The second year of the GradeUP conference offered lectures, discussions, practical workshops and opportunities to meet entrepreneurs, innovators, managers and experts from the academic world, TASR has learnt on Tuesday. The conference took place at the Creative Centre of the Slovak University of Agriculture (SPU) in Nitra. More than 30 speakers shared their experiences of real-world business, innovation and the world of technology. "It is also through projects such as these that a significant change is taking place in the way teaching and learning are conducted at our colleges and universities," stated President Peter Pellegrini. According to the head of state, the new era calls for people who aren't afraid and who possess the drive or desire to innovate, to try new things and to achieve something. "That's why it's important for our higher education institutions to foster these qualities in young people, to awaken in them the desire, even while they're still studying, to try something new, perhaps set up a small business, or help solve a problem in a specific company. At the same time, we must also teach them not to be afraid of failure, so that they understand that even failure on the path to success is part of that journey," said Pellegrini. In his view, Slovakia has the potential to succeed in a rapidly changing world if it supports young talent, modernises education and prepares students for the real-world challenges they will face. "Just as we've become accustomed to 'upgrading' our television, mobile phones or computer software almost every month because of some innovation, our entire education system faces a similar challenge: we must 'upgrade' it to a higher level and adapt it to these rapidly changing times and the needs that these new challenges bring," he emphasised. The second year of the GradeUP conference is being organised by the Education Ministry as part of a national project called 'Supporting students' entrepreneurial and innovative potential'. It is aimed at secondary school pupils, university students and the general public with an interest in entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and new ideas. am/mcs