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The realisation of the Memorandum created conditions to make the college curriculum compliant and train staff fit for the Pančevo Refinery requirements. The ceremonial launch of the automatics classroom was attended by Nikola Ćurčin, headmaster of the “Nikola Tesla” Electro technical College in the town of Pančevo, Vladimir Gagić, director of NIS Refining Block, guests and friends of the College. Within its “Power of Knowledge” corporate programme, NIS has facilitated the outfitting of an automatics classroom with a view to improve conditions for study in this education institution. Automatics classroom is now equipped with 12 personal computers, cine-projector and FESTO Edu kit intended for exercises in automatic management and other exercises intended for measuring flow, pressure and temperature of fluids. This device simulates conditions in a real working environment and perception of real conditions in process industry. Other than that, as a result of cooperation with NIS and consultations with engineers in the Pančevo Refinery, the Electro technical College has updated and adapted curriculum for the “Process Management Electrical Technician” department, with a view to improve conditions for training the staff required by the Pančevo Refinery. By adapting the curriculum and equipping the work space, conditions have been created for training the staff required by the Refinery, thus facilitating dual education. In the recent period, the NIS Company has donated funds with a view to equip classrooms in another two vocational training schools in the town of Pančevo, specifically: the “23rd of May” Technical Engineering College got a smart classroom and an environmental laboratory, while the “Pančevo” Mechanical Engineering College got a mechatronics classroom. Vladimir Gagić, director of NIS Refining Block Vladimir Gagić, director of NIS Refining Block, pointed out that the Pančevo Refinery uses state-of-the-art resources when it comes to automation and refinery processing, and that it is a real value for students to see how this looks in reality. "The Pančevo Refinery is continuously developing; we pass the path of an accelerated modernization. In 2012, the MHC project put us on a par with refineries in the neighbouring countries. However, we did not stop there. Many projects have been implemented in the meantime and now we are working on the "Bottom-of-the-Barrel" project, which will put us in front of many refineries in Eastern Europe, and I believe in Western Europe as well. What is important for us is that in addition to the new equipment and processes we are introducing, we also have staff who can work with that equipment and so we changed education profiles, making them suitable for us”, Gagić added. Nikola Ćurčin, director of the „Nikola Tesla“ Electro technical College Nikola Ćurčin, director of the „Nikola Tesla“ Electro technical College in the town of Pančevo pointed out the importance of the Pančevo Refinery in terms of industrial operations. It provides an opportunity to students to complete their vocational practice in the Refinery and an importance of modifying education profiles. “The cooperation already bore some fruit. Specifically, demand for joining the “Process Management” department grew significantly, which this year entrance exams evidently demonstrated. Quality pupils enrolling in the colleges will become our quality technicians and engineers. The donation that has arrived today is a didactic tool that will improve teaching. This tool is related to the process industry and, besides basic knowledge, enables the control, programming and simulation of what is seen in some control rooms, real processes. It is essential to demonstrate to the young people that they have a prospective”, Ćurčin said. Within its “Power of Knowledge” corporate programme, the NIS Company has been cooperating for seven consecutive years with education and scientific institutions in Serbia and abroad, with a view to facilitate science and education, and make college curricula compliant to market requirements. In its quest to streamline conditions for study of pupils and students, and as part of its “Power of Knowledge” corporate programme, the NIS Company has so far outfitted more than 50 classrooms and laboratories in schools and at colleges in Serbia. NIS was the first business to be granted a prestigious “St. Sava” Prize, awarded by the Ministry of Education, science and technological development of the Republic of Serbia for contribution to the education development.
