Pupin’s Challenge 2023 finals! Set for the 3rd of February 2024. The event will take place at the Mathematical Gymnasium in Belgrade starting from 9 a.m.
New standards and international expansion
The 2023 season of Pupin’s Challenge is setting new standards in the field of information technology. The first segment, named the Digital Challenge, concluded in May of the previous year. Read about it here. Activities spanned the entire year, culminating in the decision to hold the finale in 2024, as previously announced.
Pupin’s Challenge, a social initiative and competition, opens doors to the extraordinary world of programming, applied physics, electronics, robotics, and digital innovation. Participants not only face challenges but also can win cash prizes, certificates, diplomas, and potential scholarships!
This is a platform where young talents forge the future, embracing opportunities for learning, challenges, and networking with like-minded individuals. The competition is open to all high school students, either individually or in teams of two. The project’s plans include active involvement of students.
The goal is to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for working on independent projects and participating in prestigious competitions at the end of each cycle. Additionally, one of the objectives is to empower students and teachers to solve real-world problems in practice and introduce digital innovation into education. Each upcoming cycle brings new possibilities and significant practical experience in the world of Information and Communication Technologies.
Innovations in the Project
One of the innovations this season is the introduction of junior mentors – former (now students) or current participants in Pupin’s Challenge. Their role in active engagement and communication with peers has proven to be extremely beneficial.
In this cycle, the competition has gained an international character following a successful appearance in Romania in September 2023, in Moisil high school, with further regional expansion planned. Read here.
Over the past period, intensive communication has taken place with organisations in the field of ICT and youth education, and these engagements are expected to continue at the final event. Efforts to enhance communication with the business environment and the implementation of activities in establishing active real dual education are ongoing.
Activities of Pupin’s Challenge are included in the plans and programs of project partners such as the Regional Center for Talents “Mihajlo Pupin” in Pančevo and the Mathematical Gymnasium. This achieves another goal, fostering symbiotic work and complementing activities among project partners.
By including the Mechatronics magazine into the project, Pupin’s Challenge has gained insights into the latest technological innovations in the ICT world. Their active involvement aims to encourage young people to think boldly and utilize all resources and possibilities that modern equipment offers. Previous activities are detailed here and here.
Finale – Expert Symposium, Schedule, and Awards
As an introduction to the finale, an international expert symposium is planned under the title “Experiences, projects, and technological achievements in the digitisation of formal and informal education.”
This expert symposium represents a significant first step in promoting the idea of a future permanent international conference dedicated to the digitisation of education – a platform for sharing knowledge and experiences among experts from different countries.
During this event, some of the partners of the Pupin’s Challenge project will present their work and achievements to the audience. The agenda includes a ceremonial signing of cooperation agreements, further strengthening the ties of organisations in the field of digital transformation of education.
The schedule for the finale of Pupin’s Challenge is as follows:
- 09:00 – Participants’ gathering begins
- 09:30 – 10:30 – Opening in the ceremonial hall
- 09:30 – Grand opening
Expert Symposium
- 09:35 – 09:50 Presentation of the work and projects of the Mathematical Gymnasium, Jovica Milisavljević, a teacher at the Mathematical Gymnasium with decades of experience in formal and informal education
- 09:55 – 10:10 Presentation of experiences from the ICT sector in Romania, Radu Ticiu, a non-formal STEAM education facilitator, founder, and coordinator of CoderDojo Timisoara
- 10:10 – 10:20 Presentation of innovations and awards by Mechatronics magazine, Dušan Dakić, First winner of Pupin’s Challenge and expert collaborator of Mechatronics magazine
Competition
- 10:30 – Commencement of the competition
- 10:30 – 12:45 First of two competition blocks
- 12:45 – 13:30 Break for refreshments and snacks
- 13:30 – 15:30 Second competition block
- 16:00 – Announcement of winners and rankings, and closing ceremony of the competition
- 16:30 – Conclusion of the competition
Awards and Certificates
Prizes for the top three teams include:
- 1st place: 12,000 dinars per team member
- 2nd place: 8,000 dinars per team member
- 3rd place: 6,000 dinars per team member
A special merchandise prize is the NVIDIA Jetson Nano 4 GB development system, provided by Mechatronics magazine and NVIDIA, partners of the competition.
Participants who attended previous workshops or successfully complete all tasks in the final will receive electronic certificates of the knowledge demonstrated at Pupin’s Challenge.
Registration for the competition closes on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 12 p.m., and participants can sign up here if they haven’t already.
Behind the Scenes/Back-End
The Pupin’s Challenge project has been brewing in the minds of enthusiasts for some time, with the first steps towards materialising the idea initiated in December 2020 at the Regional Center for Talents “Mihajlo Pupin” in Pančevo.
Pupin’s Challenge, a social initiative and ICT competition, has made significant progress in building the regional information ecosystem. It represents a dynamic force in talent development and innovation stimulation in the regional sector of information technologies. The project also involves other areas in education and the economy.
Throughout the competition process, quality assurance of materials and pedagogical approaches is ensured by the expert team of Pupin’s Challenge.
Accomplished professionals bring best practices with confirmed results achieved during decades of experience in education and competitions from partner organizations such as the Mathematical Gymnasium, the regional center for talents, as well as professionals from the most prestigious global companies like Microsoft, and others.
The coordinator of the Pupin’s Challenge project is the regional Association “Cirkuliranje,” which, along with its partners, is now organizing the third finale of the Pupin’s Challenge season. A broader social initiative – Cirkuliranje has been active since 2016 with numerous projects aimed at improving and preserving the culture of the wider Banat region, with the goal of creating lasting values.
