When Imagination Meets Code, Knowledge Becomes a Space for All – Without Gender or Boundaries
In anticipation of Girls in ICT Day, the company One, the Ministry of Public Administration, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, and IPC Tehnopolis brought together 150 students from Montenegrin elementary schools. A clear message, that girls belong among codes, stars and ideas, was delivered at the very beginning of this panel through a video by director Gojko Berkuljan. His heroines from the past and present, combining science and imagination, claim that boundaries exist only as long as we believe in them.
Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, emphasized that education is the most powerful tool with which we change the world.
“Dear girls, ask, imagine, doubt, dream, create, be brave and bold and believe in yourselves. Because we believe in you endlessly. Dear boys, I am sure that you will be the support and foundation to your girlfriends, because every girl deserves to be encouraged and supported. Only together can you dream big dreams and create a world where everyone has equal opportunities. Therefore, supporting girls in STEM fields is not a matter of numbers and statistics – it is a matter of the vision of the society we want to live in,” said Minister Jakšić Stojanović.
At the company One, as highlighted at the panel, they believe in the power of knowledge and innovation that arises when different perspectives are combined, when a team includes both girls and boys who are free to ask, make mistakes, learn and create. That is why, as stated by its CEO Branko Mitrovic, it is important for them to hear the message – that knowledge has no gender or boundary.
“This story began a long time ago, when women entered the world of science, programming, engineering. Quietly, uninvited, often without any support. But with the faith and courage not to accept others’ limitations as their own. That is exactly what we want too. Many times I’ve asked myself – how is it that so many girls are brilliant in mathematics, in school, in competitions, yet later so few are in ICT? The answer is simple – we didn’t support them enough. We didn’t show them enough examples that clearly say – not only do they belong in the world of technology, but without their contribution that world will never reach its full potential,” said Mitrovic.
The Ministry of Public Administration plays the main role in the process of digital transformation in Montenegro and plays a key role in creating an environment that encourages the development of skills in this area, innovation and equal opportunities for all, said the state secretary of this department.
“Dear girls, in public administration and generally in the labor market, ICT professions are dominant, so we support you to believe in yourselves and achieve your dreams. When there is motivation and talent, there are no boundaries or divisions,” said Naim Gjokaj from the Ministry of Public Administration.
Djordjije Malovic, director of IEC Tehnopolis, emphasized that he is proud that this institution is contributing to the campaign, but that he is also doing so personally, as a father.
“This year, IEC Tehnopolis is a partner in a campaign that has already traditionally been carried and promoted by the company One. I believe that will become part of that tradition as well, because our experience in educational work with the youngest should be a guarantee of significant contribution. The fact that girls in ICT are in focus points to the fact that, through another role, the parental one, I too will have to educate myself further, so I can be an equal conversation partner to my daughters when it comes to choosing their future professions,” he emphasized.
A special moment of the panel was marked by two exceptional girls – Itana Zvizdojevic and Iva Otaševic – who, through their engagement in STEM fields, have already become role models to their peers, showing that girls are boldly taking on the role of change leaders. This is confirmed by the Innovation Fund, which, as part of its program to promote innovation culture, implements numerous activities across the country.
“As the mother of a girl who is enthusiastically discovering the world of technology, I often wonder what opportunities we can create if we recognize and support them in time. Through the programs of the Innovation Fund, girls and young women in ICT get the chance to learn, create and lead – whether through workshops, camps, robotics schools or as leaders of innovative projects. These are not just educations – they are the first steps toward self-confidence, knowledge and the feeling that they belong in the world of innovation. And that is why I believe – girls are not just the future of ICT. They are already the present. It is our responsibility to support them!” said Bojana Femic Radosavovic, director of this institution.
The panel was closed with just such a robotics workshop, which offered an opportunity to learn, but also to discover new interests. Perhaps on that very day, in that moment, a new curiosity was born in a child – one that will lead them to worlds we haven’t even imagined yet.
