A champion of digital and STEAM education reforms, Ádám has dedicated the past two decades to developing digital education programmes and advising schools, communities, businesses and governments on how to get them right. These include coding camps and digital skills workshops organized for disadvantaged children in Hungary, an initiative that received the 2016 European Digital Skills Award. He has also serves as a judge at the World Robot Olympiad and at the FIRST LEGO League Open European Championship and is an EU Code Week ambassador. Recently Ádám has been elected tot he president of the Education:Next Hungarian Edtech Association.

Aleksandra is an educator employed at the CIP (Center for Interactive Pedagogy) as the Program Director, with 28 years of experience supporting schools and preschool institutions, particularly in areas such as quality assurance, evaluation and self-evaluation, violence and discrimination prevention, inclusive education, parent collaboration, and strategic planning. She leads accredited training programs, designs professional development programs, guides publications, and is a member of the Pedagogical Society of Serbia.

The director of the “Včielka” Preschool Institution is a professional preschool educator with additional qualifications from the Faculty of Education, specializing in elementary education. Since 2020, she has held the position of director at the “Včielka” Preschool Institution in Bački Petrovac. With 14 years of experience as an educator, she has gained valuable expertise in working with children and has had the opportunity to participate in various forms of professional development and international projects. She has extensive experience as a team member in ERASMUS+ projects titled “Our Path to a European Kindergarten,” “Getting to Know Each Other Better,” and “Adventures of Learning Beyond Kindergarten and Schools.” She has participated in numerous professional conferences for educators, where she has showcased her practical examples and served as a moderator on several occasions. Additionally, she has been a co-author and presenter at professional conferences organized by the Pedagogical Institute of Vojvodina, the Association of Preschool Educators of Serbia, and the Association of Preschool Educators of Vojvodina on topics such as “Supporting Children’s Initiative as an Important Dimension in Relationship Building” and “The Use of ICT Illustrated by a Project.” Ana Laćarak was also one of the authors and presenters at a professional consultation for directors of preschool institutions as part of the “Inclusive Preschool Education” project implemented by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the World Bank and UNICEF from March to May 2023.

Professional Associate – Pedagogue, Pedagogical Advisor, Employed at the Preschool Institution “Včielka” in Bački Petrovac. Together with her team from the institution, she encourages the use of digital technology to make the activities of the preschool institution visible in the education world. She has gained significant experience as a mentor in a public interest program aimed at supporting the development of digital competencies among practitioners in preschool institutions. Through authorship and participation as a partner in several Erasmus+ (KA1, KA2) projects, she has gained insights into the preschool system in Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Poland. She is one of the responsible editors and co-authors of the manual “Adventures of Learning Beyond the Walls of Kindergartens and Schools.” With rich experience in presenting examples of practice at conferences, professional gatherings, consultations, and other forms of professional development at the local, regional, and international levels. She has participated as a speaker on topics such as ICT in working with preschool-age children and professional development of practitioners, partnerships between kindergartens and schools in the transition process, horizontal learning, development of professional competencies through participation in international projects, building trust as the basis of collaboration … As a professional associate, she strives to have a clear idea of change and continuously acts towards that direction.

Auken Tungatarova is a Digital Learning and Skills Development
Specialist at the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office.
She is responsible for managing the regional agenda on digital
learning, focusing on supporting countries in the digital
transformation of education systems, digital skills development, and
integration of education technologies in teaching and learning
practices to mitigate learning losses and improve learning quality.

Before coming to the region, Auken worked at UNICEF HQ in New York, where she provided technical
assistance and support to different initiatives, partnerships, fundraising and visibility efforts across the
digital education portfolio. There she co-authored the UNICEF’s Pulse Check on Digital Learning report.
She also led work on “edutainment” focused on multiple pathways to learning through various types of
media, content and technologies.

Prior to UNICEF, Auken worked with the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Asia-Pacific in
Bangkok where she coordinated various digital learning projects and advised governments and partners
on tech-enabled pedagogy, policies and competency-based teacher training reforms, among others. She
managed a network of 21 teacher education institutions in 13 countries in the region focused on digital
learning and innovative pedagogies.

Auken received a Master’s degree in International Educational Development from the University of
Pennsylvania.

Danijela Šćepanović is an educational policy analyst and educational technologist with over 17 years of experience in developing educational policy instruments and implementing new technologies in education. Since 2014, she has been a permanent member of working groups at the Directorate for Education and Culture of the European Commission, established to develop digital education in Europe.

Dobrinka holds a PhD in Psychological Sciences and is employed at the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Philology, Seminar for Social Sciences. In her scientific research work, she focuses on the development and learning of children and youth in digital and non-digital environments, digital literacy of students and staff in educational institutions, safe internet behavior, digital violence, etc. She has gained extensive research experience through participation in numerous international and domestic projects (e.g., OECD/PISA, Global Kids Online, EU Kids Online, Learning for the 21st Century, CORE, Family Safety Net, Stop Digital Violence, School without Violence, etc.). She is a co-author of several monographs, scientific articles, training programs, educational policy documents, including the Framework of Digital Competences for Preschool Educators, Framework of Digital Competences for Teachers, and Guidelines for the Implementation of Digital Technology in Preschool Institutions. http://dobrinkakuzmanovic.weebly.com/

Dragana Malidžan Vinkić is a project manager at the Center for Educational Technologies Western Balkans. She has extensive experience in the education sector, initially as a Serbian language and literature teacher, and later as an advisor for inclusive education at the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development. She has also worked with the Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Team as an education coordinator, responsible for providing expert support and capacity-building to national and local institutions in the field of inclusive education.

Director of the Computer Science High School in Belgrade. With over twenty years of experience teaching computer-related subjects at the Mathematical Gymnasium and the Computer Science High School in Belgrade. Instructor at the Oracle Academy for international teacher training in database courses and Java programming. Holds the title of Pedagogical Advisor. One of the authors of the curriculum for Departments of students with special abilities in computer science and informatics, implemented in over 50 departments in high schools throughout Serbia; also a teacher trainer and author of electronic textbooks for teachers and students in the subject of Databases in the third and fourth grades (Petlja).

Author of several books on programming, including two approved textbooks for high schools in Computer Science and Informatics. Winner of awards such as the Creative School 2008/09 in Serbia – second prize in the category of high schools for the project “Modern Technologies in Practical Application of Theoretical Knowledge and Teamwork of Students” and the European Forum of Innovative Teachers, Microsoft, 2008, Croatia – third prize in the collaboration category for the project “Exploring Science through Blogging,” with participation at the Microsoft World Forum of Innovative Teachers in Hong Kong, China.

Gerli is a passionate entrepreneur and educational professional with more than 10 years of experience in Education.

During her past 5 years, she has especially focused on expanding the entrepreneurial knowledge in Harjumaa Education System by teaching Economics and Business in high schools from the practical perspective and developing a successful Student-Company Program and an Internship Program for High School students. Gerli has been a key person to build the collaboration across Companies- Educational Institutions and local municipalities in Harju County and leading necessary discussions for projects in order to support young people in building their future careers.

In addition, Gerli also contributes directly to education by being a Business and Economy teacher and lecturer, while also providing personal mentorship for Student Companies, Startups, and NGOs. She is an Intrapreneurial person who truly believes that moving forward with inner motivation can move mountains, but to find that motivation there is a need for an individual approach.

Gerli is a true people’s person. As a Community Development Manager, her focus is to take care of the needs of the community and its every member- from building trustful connections to an actual change and impact. There is a solution for everything!

Gordana Plemić, the director of the Parent Association and a mother of three children, has been involved in activities related to child protection and safe internet use through the Parent Association since 2011. The association conducts educational sessions aimed at parents of preschool children, designed to provide answers to common questions and uncertainties, facilitate the exchange of experiences, and impart knowledge and skills that will help parents and their children establish responsible computer usage habits from an early age.

Ivana Mihić holds a PhD in Psychological Sciences, with experience in both scientific research and everyday work with families. Her research focuses on early childhood development and the quality of childcare. She is a co-author of several evidence-based family support programs. Ivana trains professionals in preschool education, healthcare, and social welfare systems on family support for the youngest children. As a UNICEF collaborator, she actively works on developing quality parenting practices. Additionally, she supervises educational programs and family work at the “Harmonija Center for Early Development and Family Relationships” in Novi Sad. Currently, she is involved as an author and trainer for the “Playful Parenting” program in Serbia, implemented by UNICEF with support from the LEGO Foundation.

Janika Leoste, a PhD in Educational Sciences and a M.Sc. in Economics and Finance, is an Associate Professor of Educational Robotics at Tallinn University and a Postdoctoral Researcher at Tallinn University of Technology. Her research focuses on educational robotics, STEAM education, educational innovation, hybrid and blended learning. She has published 60 scholarly articles, including in Frontiers or Francis & Taylor. Since 2019 she is teaching at university, including robot-integrated learning and project based learning projects. She has supervised 12 MA students and has 4 PhD students under supervision. Janika’s previous experience includes developing accounting software and web- based games, producing cartoons and teaching robotics. Janika has successfully applied for research funding from many national and international sources, including the EU’s Horizon Europe – for example, one of her projects is an ERA Talents project EdTech Talents.

Jasna is a preschool teacher at “Včielka” Kindergarten since 2010. She strives to introduce innovations into her practice, committed to using digital technologies, which she also applies in her work with children, especially when it comes to digital toys. In her previous practice, she has participated in numerous trainings, seminars, and projects closely related to the use of digital technologies in working with children. She has had the opportunity to present her practical examples at professional gatherings. She participated in two ERASMUS+ projects – “Adventures of Learning Beyond Kindergartens and Schools” and “Let’s Get to Know Each Other Better.”

Jelena is the Portfolio Manager for Digital Innovations in the United Nations Development Programme in Serbia. She has many years of experience in the ICT sector, both in the private sector and in corporations. She has been involved in education for over 20 years, striving to enable every child to reach their full potential.

Katarina Aleksić is the head of the Center for Educational Technology at the Institute for the Evaluation of the Quality of Education and Upbringing. She is a long-time computer science teacher and the recipient of numerous awards for innovative approaches to teaching and learning. She is the author and co-author of several professional papers, as well as the co-author of three accredited textbooks in the field of computer science and informatics. Katarina has participated in numerous national and European projects focused on the development of digital education and pedagogically grounded applications of digital technologies. ePortfolio: kajcebg.education.

She graduated from the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. Following that, she worked for five years at the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications, where she managed projects in education such as “Digital School,” the “Digital Class” competition, and the “Click Safely” initiative. After her tenure at the ministry, she spent two and a half years at the Center for the Promotion of Science working on international projects, science popularization, and decentralization of science in Serbia. Since late 2017, she has been involved in primary and secondary education in the domain of information technology through her work at the Petlja Foundation, while continuing to engage in science promotion and popularization in her free time.

Kristina is an educator employed at the CIP (Center for Interactive Pedagogy) as an education specialist. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to integrating children from vulnerable groups into the education system, collaborating with and supporting parents, as well as employees in educational institutions. She leads accredited training sessions, designs professional development programs and guides, and is a member of the Pedagogical Society of Serbia.

Employed at Oracle Serbia and Montenegro LLC since 2005, in various roles, primarily focusing on education. Responsible for leading Oracle’s flagship philanthropic educational program, Oracle Academy, supporting schools in Serbia, Montenegro, Hungary, and Bulgaria.

Oracle Academy provides educators worldwide with computer science tools needed to engage, inspire, and prepare their students to become tomorrow’s leaders and innovators, helping them achieve their dreams.

For over 25 years, Oracle Academy has been advancing computer science globally, fostering the adoption of new knowledge, skill development, innovation, and diversity in technology fields.

Luis is a PhD in computer science specializing in artificial intelligence for video games and virtual agents. He has been working with C#, Java, and Python for a number of years. He is an entrepreneur and the CEO of his own tech company. He’s developed different projects for 3D, VR and Video Games in Unity 3D, and he is a lecturer in computer science and video game development at a university.

Matti Rossi, an education expert with 20 years of experience, has worked on global education issues such as the Global Knowledge Index with UNDP. He’s driven education initiatives in Finland, as well as in other European countries, in Asia, and Africa. He is blending roles in academia, expertise in educational tools and technology, curriculum development, and teacher training. Matti now focuses on international education programs and EdTech collaborations at Tallinn University, standing for his dedication to advancing STEM research and education globally.

Milan Gospić is leading Microsoft in Serbia since January 2021. as Country Manager in charge of country digital transformation, focusing on strategic development of the
market, customers and partners in the era of Ai. In 2022/23 as member of the AmCham Serbia board of governors, was driving country Digital Agenda in cooperation with the main country stakeholders and chamber members. Since May 2023, Member of the Board of eCommerce Association of Serbia, one of the fastest growing digital industries, brining global experiences to local market, enabling digital transformation and Ai adoption. With experience of over 2 decades in corporate of which 15 years on international senior leadership positions in ICT sector, as leading telco vendor regional COO in in charge of Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania and CEO of Bulgaria, was leading sales, operations teams and large national infrastructure projects.

After graduating from the Mathematical Grammar School, he earned his degree at the School of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade. For the first seven years of his career, he worked as a software engineer on expanding large-scale software business solutions. Following that, he spent 10 years at Microsoft, where he primarily focused on developing physics simulations for video games as a software engineer and team leader. In September 2023, he made a significant career shift and joined the Petlja team as a development advisor. In April 2024, he became the Director of the Petlja Foundation.

Milica Brajović is a master preschool teacher at P.U. 11april. She attended a seminar on digital technologies in preschool education and organized workshops for parents titled “Child and Digital Technologies.” Her master’s thesis was also focused on the use of digital technologies in preschools. She participated in meetings with educators, and one of her projects involved children’s games using Beebots. Milica attended online seminars and designed various digital technology-related games for children in preschool settings.

The Master Educator works at the “Vesna” kindergarten in New Belgrade. She has been involved in preschool education for over 20 years. She continuously upgrades her skills and is open to innovations brought by the use of digital technologies in educational work. Since 2020, she has been actively researching the possibilities of applying digital technologies in working with children and parents, as well as implementing these technologies into themes/projects to encourage children to explore and think logically.

Milica is a psychologist and an independent researcher.

Miloš Đuričanin has been leading strategic initiatives at Nordeus since 2018 aimed at advancing both formal and informal education, strengthening the gaming startup ecosystem, and improving the business environment, with a particular focus on enhancing the capacities of ecosystem organizations and professional communities. Since 2021, Milos has also been a board member of the Serbian Games Industry Association. Prior to Nordeus, Milos spent over 7 years at the Serbian Managers Association, where he managed business development programs for Serbia’s largest business organization. Within the Nordeus Foundation, he is responsible for developing the education support strategy.

Mirjana Lazor is a school pedagogue at the Special School “Milan Petrović” with a student dormitory in Novi Sad.

She is dedicated to the development of inclusive education and the dissemination of knowledge about the use of ICT and assistive technologies in educational environments. Mirjana is the author or co-author of numerous manuals and guides for teachers, including “Manual for Working with Children with Developmental Disabilities” (NSHC, 2008); “School on the Square – a model for connecting special and regular schools in Serbia” (SCh 2010); “Assistive Technology in School” (ŠOSO, 2012); “Guidelines for Creating Teaching Materials in accordance with the Universal Design Principle” (SIPRU, 2016); “Catalog of Assistive Technology” (MPNTR RS, 2017); and “Guidelines for providing open and distance learning to students with disabilities during school closures: Enhancing Inclusive Learning under COVID-19” (SLIBNU, 2020). She was also the coordinator of UNICEF’s “For Every Child: Voice” project in 2019.

Mirjana has received several significant awards and recognitions nationally and internationally.

Natasa Andjelkovic is the Director of the Preschool Education Program at the Center for Educational Technologies Western Balkans. She is a professional preschool teacher specialist with extensive experience working with children, currently employed at “11. April” Preschool Institution and engaged as an educator at the Kliker IT Center for Children. Natasa is the author and co-author of the book “Child and Computer in the Family and Preschool” (2008), a textbook for the subject Digital World (2020), several manuals, numerous scientific publications, works, presentations, and workshops on the application and integration of digital technology in educational work. She is a co-author, implementer, and moderator of two accredited professional development programs for teachers. She has participated as a trainer and co-author in several projects supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and UNICEF, as well as in several professional development activities in Serbia and other countries. From 2016 to 2018, she was an eTwinning ambassador for Serbia. She is the recipient of several domestic and international awards and recognitions.

Nebojša Vasiljević is a prominent expert in the field of information technology and its application in education, currently serving as the Director of Artificial Intelligence at the Petlja Foundation. His deep understanding of technology, coupled with experience in teaching, industry, and shaping public policies, has enabled him to make a significant contribution to advancing digital education in Serbia, particularly in the realm of programming education. His expertise in natural language processing (NLP) has guided the development efforts of the Petlja Foundation towards the application of generative artificial intelligence. Prior to joining the Petlja Foundation, he served as an assistant minister responsible for the information society, marking the beginning of his commitment to strengthening the role of information technology in education. He holds degrees from the University of Belgrade, having completed his undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies there.

Pavle is a consultant for Digital Transformation and Microsoft cloud services. He has participated in numerous activities and projects related to the use of digital technologies in education.

Saša Stojanović is an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Education, working in the Education Digitalization Sector.

Since 2007, he has been employed at the School of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade, currently holding the position of Assistant Professor. His teaching and research interests include fundamental programming, system-level programming, operating systems, expert systems, and various hardware-related subjects. Presently, he teaches Microprocessor Systems, Computer VLSI Systems, Mobile Device Programming, System Software, Real-Time Programming, and Object-Oriented Programming Lab. In addition to teaching at the School of Electrical Engineering, he has also contributed to teaching activities at universities in Barcelona, Ljubljana, Banja Luka, and East Sarajevo.

Since April 2017, he has served as the Head of Laboratory at the Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics. He actively participates in domestic and international research projects focusing on digital technology development. He has also been involved in several commercial projects, primarily specializing in reverse engineering for intellectual property protection, which was the topic of his doctoral dissertation. He has published several papers in recognized international and domestic journals, as well as at prominent international and domestic conferences. Additionally, he has conducted tutorials at significant international and domestic events and served as a reviewer for international and domestic journals and conferences. He is an author and co-author of several technical solutions.

Spomenka Divljan, a professional psychologist and pedagogue associate at “Radost” Kindergarten in Novi Banovci, and president of the NGO “Centar za neformalno obrazovanje Drugi korak” (Center for Non-formal Education Second Step).

The master educator works at the “Srna” kindergarten in New Belgrade. Her professional and research interests focus on using various forms of digital technology in working with preschool children and developing children’s digital competencies. She has participated as a lecturer at numerous international conferences and gatherings with a focus on educational technologies and their possibilities. In her work, she applies augmented and virtual reality technologies, diverse web tools, and Bee-Bot robots through gamification of project and STEAM activities. She actively researches the possibilities of using Makey Makey devices and artificial intelligence in working with preschool children.

Tanja Rankovic, Education Specialist and Head of Education Programme
UNICEF Serbia, is leading programs and initiatives in education and early
learning. Her efforts are dedicated to ensuring access to quality
education and improving opportunities for all children, especially those
from marginalized communities and refugee backgrounds.
With more than 20 years of experience, Tanja is a leader and manager,
with experience in system-level education reforms. Tanjas expertise
lies in policy development, monitoring, and implementation, garnered
from her work with NGOs, governments and UNICEF in various countries

including Serbia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Greece and Jordan.
For over a decade, she has led different UNICEF initiatives and initiatives aimed at improving early
learning, fostering inclusion, enhancing education quality, preventing violence, promoting anti-
discrimination, and preventing dropout.
Tanja holds a MA in Education Policy and she deepened her knowledge through the Equity, Quality, and
Leadership Programme from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (USA).
Committed to global education enhancement, she strives to enrich opportunities for children
worldwide.

Uglješa is the Director of Higher Education Programs at the Center for Educational Technologies Western Balkans.

Since September 2015, he has been appointed as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad. He has taught and teaches courses in Electronic Business, Strategic Management, Project Cost Management, and Business Strategies (MBA). In addition to teaching in Novi Sad, he has conducted exercises in graduate and postgraduate studies at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania on subjects including Introduction to Information Technologies and Management Information Systems. He worked as an Assistant Manager at the Cisco Entrepreneurship Institute in Novi Sad from 2008 to 2013, after which he participated in establishing the Distance Learning Laboratory at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management. Since January 2015, he has been selected as a member of the expert team in the thematic group “National ICT and Online Learning Group” representing the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia within the framework of the EU’s Open Method of Coordination in Education and Training. He defended his doctoral thesis in 2015 titled “Development of a collaboration system model and its impact on enterprise organizational performance.” He completed a two-year specialization in the United States, earning an MBA, and conducted research as part of the CEEPUS international exchange at Technikum University in Vienna, CAMPUS02 University in Graz, and spent a month at City University in London in 2012 under the Erasmus Mundus program EM2STEM. During his doctoral studies, he completed a one-year specialization at the University of Warsaw under the Erasmus Mundus EM2SIGMA program during the 2013/2014 academic year. After defending his doctoral thesis, he undertook a six-month post-doctoral program, EM2SIGMAAgile mobility program, at City University in London. As an Associate Professor, he has taught at Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania, CAMPUS02 University in Austria, Penn State University in the USA, and the Technical University of Krakow in Poland.

Uglješa served as an Advisor to the Minister for Innovation in the Government of the Republic of Serbia from June to November 2018.

Since June 2019, he has been serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management.

She has worked as an educator for 37 years at P.U.11april. She has participated in professional meetings with presentations, one of which is related to digital technologies. She has conducted a series of workshops on using Beebots in children’s everyday play at the kindergarten. She attended a seminar on digital games and conducted a series of workshops with parents on the use of digital technologies in the kindergarten.

The kindergarten teacher at the “Včielka” Preschool Institution in Bački Petrovac, located at the Maglić facility. She completed her higher education for educators in Novi Sad, followed by a Higher Vocational School and the title of vocational educator. Over 19 years of work experience, she recognizes the importance of adapting to new technologies and the benefits of their application in the process of research and acquiring new knowledge among children. For several years, she has been using digital toys in her work with children during projects, learning, and play. She participated in an Erasmus+ (KA2) project, where she co-authored the e-manual “Adventures of Learning Outside Kindergartens and Schools.” As a coordinator during the training for practitioners: “Support for the Development of Digital Competencies of Practitioners in Preschool Institutions,” she gained valuable experience working on creating digital resources with her team. Through various forms of professional development, she expands her knowledge and practically applies it, both in this field and others.

Zlatko Grušanović is the Director of the Institute for the Advancement of Education and Upbringing.

He holds a PhD in Philological Sciences and is a professor of Serbian language and literature with a focus on general literature. He completed his studies at the Faculty of Philology at the University of Belgrade, specializing in Serbian literature and language. He obtained his master’s degree at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts with a thesis on the dramaturgy of Ljubomir Simović. Since the beginning of his career in 2003, he has worked as a professor of Serbian language and literature, a librarian, and a school director. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Serbian School Directors Society since 2013, contributing to educational policy development. He was awarded the Svetosavski Prize in 2015 for his contributions to education. Grušanović is the author of textbooks, teacher guides, and scientific papers, and has directed and written dramas, with a particular dedication to inclusive education and the arts.