Report on Participation
The Preschool Teacher Training and Medical College in Vršac participated in the World Talent Conference – WTC 2026 (https://www.worldtalentconference.org/), held from 26 to 30October 2026 in Kisumu, Kenya, for the first time on the African continent. This major international event, dedicated to the promotion of talent, the development of human potential, and the exchange of innovative ideas and experiences, brought together several thousand participants from different countries, featuring presentations of dozens of projects in the fields of science, education, technology, the arts, entrepreneurship, and social engagement. The conference programme included plenary presentations, project presentations, workshops, exhibitions, and other forms of talent showcase, encouraging the international exchange of knowledge and experience.
As part of the plenary conference programme, on 27 October 2026, in the TATU Hall (Raila Odinga Memorial Hall), within the international interdisciplinary session entitled “International / Interdisciplinary Talent Cohort Presentations”, a joint online presentation delivered live by representatives of the College from Vršac, entitled Contribution to the Affirmation of Giftedness: An Institutional Model of Gifted Support, took place at 2:00 p.m. local time. The presentation was delivered on behalf of the project team by Ivana Đorđev, PhD, Professor of Vocational Studies and Coordinator of the College’s Participation in the Conference; Radmila Palinkašević, PhD, Professor of English and Coordinator of the International Cooperation Team; and Danica Veselinov, PhD, Professor of Vocational Studies and Director of the College. The project team also included Academician Professor Grozdanka Gojkov, PhD, Professor Aleksandar Stojanović, PhD and Professors of Vocational Studies Tanja Nedimović, PhD and Jasmina Stolić Pivnički, PhD.
The presentation focused on an institutional model of support for gifted individuals, built upon more than three decades of the institution’s scientific, educational, and professional activities, with the International Round Table on Giftedness, organised since 1995, serving as its central element. The model encompasses nine interconnected developmental principles, including continuity of scientific dialogue, interdisciplinarity, institutional learning, resilience and adaptability to change, international cooperation, integration of research and educational practice, and the cultivation of shared academic values. Six institutional components were also identified: scientific research and publishing, higher education, professional development and educational practice, projects, international networks and partnerships, and the promotion of diverse talents and potential. The central metaphor of the model is the Round Table as a permanent centre of scientific dialogue and the living core of an institutional ecosystem. The model emphasises the importance of integrating scientific, educational, and professional activities to ensure sustainable support for gifted individuals, while allowing its principles to be adapted to different educational and cultural contexts. In addition to delivering the presentation, representatives of the College followed live streams of selected conference sessions.
The College’s participation in the conference was made possible through the invitation and support of Professor Humphrey Oborah, one of the key figures involved in organising the conference and the founder of the African Talent University. Professor Oborah participated in the 32nd International Round Table on Giftedness, held in Vršac in July 2026, and also serves as a reviewer for the international scientific journal Research in Pedagogy (https://research.rs/). The presentation at WTC 2026 contributes to the international visibility of the College in Vršac and the recognition of its long-standing scientific and educational work. At the same time, it represents an important step towards strengthening intercontinental academic cooperation.
Additional Information and Materials
Photographs: Screenshots from the recorded presentation by representatives of the College, submitted to the conference organisers, as well as from the live stream of the closing part of the conference programme.
