A new piece of modern technology purchased as part of the program implemented in Serbia by the Regional Challenge Fund (RCF) – a triple quadrupole liquid chromatograph, was officially handed over today to the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad.
Through a successful partnership with Hemofarm, Carnomed, and Mihajlovic Analytics, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, won an RCF grant to address a critical need in the industry. The consortium designed and piloted a pioneering training course focused on quality and safety control in the healthcare industry, but also on sales and marketing skills. The new elective subject will thus enable students to upgrade their expert knowledge, but also to master the business skills that are increasingly in demand in the pharmaceutical industry.
„The implementation of the Project, financed by the Regional Challenge Fund, enables students to become familiar with various career opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry and gain valuable experience,” said Prof. Snežana Brkić, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad.
She explained the importance of the donated equipment. “The donation of liquid-mass chromatographs intended for highly sophisticated instrumental pharmaceutical analysis will significantly improve the educational resources of our higher education institution. These instruments, usually not available to our students, will largely improve their competitiveness in the labour market. At the same time, the research capacities and production of scientific publications will be considerably improved with this donation.”
In addition to purchasing this state-of-the-art equipment for performing precise pharmaceutical analyses, the RCF grant of 299,791 euros will also be used to train the Faculty teachers and mentors from the partner companies.
The Regional Challenge Fund (RCF) works to improve the sustainable competitiveness of companies in the Western Balkans, through investing in equipment and infrastructure for selected professional education and training programs that are implemented in cooperation with companies. Donations are awarded through competitive regional challenges, and funds for the donation at the Faculty of Medicine are provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through the German Development Bank KfW.
“The Regional Challenge Fund, a joint initiative of Germany and Switzerland, focuses on the important point of contact between educational institutions and companies. Technological development inevitably leads to companies needing experts who know the technologies of tomorrow, so educational institutions should be able to adapt their training to the new requirements. This is the only way to gradually close the gap between the training content and the real needs of the economy”, said Anke Konrad, Ambassador of Germany to Serbia.
Partners on the RCF program in Serbia are the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and the Office for Dual Education.
„The Regional Challenge Fund is very significant to the Office for Dual Education and the National Qualifications Framework. It can provide state-of-the-art equipment, which is in line with the realization of the qualification standards, focused on automation, digitization, and the green agenda”, said Gabrijela Grujić, Director of the Office for Dual Education and National Qualifications Framework in the Government of the Republic of Serbia.
She added that when modern equipment is available to young people to learn and work with, they can qualitatively integrate practical and theoretical knowledge and improve their skills. “With integrated knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes, young people enter the labour market ready and able to influence not only the sustainability but also the innovative development of the economy,” she concluded.
So far, the RCF had three rounds of open calls that supported 27 vocational education and training projects from Serbia, with 137 partner enterprises and €11,24 million. A new call for grants is expected to open by the end of the year, to which all vocational education and training institutions in partnership with companies can apply.
The Regional Challenge Fund (RCF) is a financing facility designed to increase youth employability and boost the competitiveness of enterprises in Western Balkan 6 by funding investments in selected cooperative training projects that are implemented through partnerships between vocational training institutes and the enterprises. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development commissioned 64.43 million EUR for the RCF, and the Swiss Government, represented by the SDC Swiss Development Cooperation, co-financed an additional 9.7 million CHF. The funds were commissioned to the KfW Development Bank and executed by the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6-CIF), a joint initiative of chambers of commerce from the region.
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