The President of Western Balkans University, Prof. Ferdinand Gjana, participated in the Western Balkan Engineering Leadership Forum (WBELF), held at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Belgrade, from October 31 to November 1, 2024. WBELF is a regional academia-industry event developed by the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) and the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES), with membership comprising university rectors and deans from around the world. The forum was organized with funding from USAID and in partnership with ACDI/VOCA and the Serbian🇷🇸 Chamber of Commerce (SCC).
This event provided a unique platform for leaders and stakeholders from academia, industry, and government to gather and address educational and business challenges related to building a sustainable ecosystem of skilled engineering talent. With a focus on developing experts, innovators, and leaders who are prepared for a rapidly evolving business landscape driven by automation and AI advancements, WBELF created an ideal environment for forward-looking discussions.
The forum served as a dynamic platform with two primary goals: to update engineering curricula to better prepare graduates for AI-centric workplaces, and to ensure the sustainability of high-quality engineering talent across the entire talent ecosystem. This approach benefits academia, enterprises, and societies alike, fostering a resilient pipeline of engineering expertise for the future.
