LINKgroup and Nordic Business Alliance to partner on education initiatives
High quality education is the only path to a better life for us and future generations. This is the motto of LINK group, which is a pioneer in online education
Dr Svetlana Belic Malinic, Academic Director
www.link-group.eu
Upwards and onwards, LINKgroup’s school concepts reimagined education to meet the needs of the 21st-century learners. Its Alliance gathers 20 educational institutions in 12 locations across the world. In Serbia, Savremena Secondary and Primary School, International School and IT High School set foundations for tertiary education institutions, ITS School and Faculty for Contemporary Arts. In the USA, the newly acquired Allison Academy offers a premium education in Miami. On the other hand, upskilling and reskilling are offered in ITAcademy, BAcademy and InternetAcademy, while the Institute for Contemporary Education disseminates innovative trends in education and teacher training. LINKgroup has forged partnerships with and received accreditations by some of the most influential companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and Autodesk, and institutions like the British Council, Pearson VUE, Chartered Management Institute, Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), European Council for Business Education (ECBE) and the University of Cambridge, among others.
This December, LINKgroup was part of the Serbian delegation at the education-themed week at Expo2020 in Dubai, where 192 countries promoted their culture, art and science. This was an opportunity to talk about change-making education, which keeps LINKgroup at the forefront of innovation. Our guest is Dr Svetlana Belic Malinic, Academic Director, who shared with us the
vision of education in Serbia and beyond.
1.LINK group has almost 25 years of experience in vocational, informal and formal education. How is your educational system organised?
LINKgroup pioneered online education in Serbia, preparing people to succeed professionally. We proudly provide hundreds of online courses globally, which are designed and delivered by academics, learning specialists and experienced educators along with the support team of design and video production. From inception to delivery, there's a synced workflow which ensures that each student completed their education successfully. On the other hand, our flagship school concept embeds the latest pedagogical trends in education where we strive to prepare students for the future, providing them not only with knowledge but also with skills that are in demand. Let me share with you an interesting piece of information: in our International School, we have students from around the globe and some of them are among 1% of the best Cambridge students in the world. We scaffold them on their academic path and provide a premium education, which prepares them for the future.
2.There are twenty educational institutions that operate under LINK Educational Alliance. What educational profiles and levels do you offer to students?
We respond to the new European initiatives emphasising upskilling and reskilling by offering educational services both horizontally and vertically. Our students can start developing their skills in our primary and secondary schools and then seamlessly integrate upwards to our tertiary educational institutions. Reskilling is available at our academies, which offer diverse professional development programmes and certifications related to IT and business. We have created schools for a new age, new people and new leaders, who are courageously stepping towards professional success and confidently getting around in the digital world. Right now, we offer more than a hundred, and counting internationally-recognised diplomas and certificates. We incessantly look for new opportunities in ensuring the best possible competences.
3.In your primary school “Savremena” you implement a new educational concept. Why is this concept so striking and exceptional?
The latest trends in education uphold curiosity, self-discovery, wellbeing and safeguarding as core values in schooling. As there are no systemic solutions for these issues in Serbia, we decided to learn from the best in education - Finland. Our collaboration with the Finnish educational experts from New Nordic Schools led to a new concept, which merges the elements of the phenomenon-based education and the elements of the Serbian core subject syllabuses. Our students explore the concepts of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by getting on their own quests for knowledge. Their learning paths are highly personalised so that every child develops a love of learning while investigating the phenomena of their interest. In other words, our goal is not only to teach them concepts but also to let them learn how to learn through self-discovery. We show them where to look but not what to see.
4.Given that innovations are at the core of your business, please share with us your impressions from your recent visit to Dubai Expo2020?
Meeting the like-minded at the Expo2020 encouraged us to keep reinventing education. The education-themed week featured the greatest minds in education, learning and knowledge, who created a platform to reconnect, reimagine and rewire. We had a privilege to personally attend the RewirEd Summit along with the state heads, ministers and policy-makers. We strengthened our beliefs in the future of education at the Knowledge & Learning BusinessForum, where amazing people shared their visions. The power of the World Majlis and its variety of perspectives inspired us to rethink our role in education. One of the most inspirational sessions was at the Finland pavilion, where the happiest nation of the world enlightened the ways how to teach happiness. This was truly impressive and inspirational.
5.How do you think our joint efforts can make an impact on the future of education and long-life learning?
It is high time schools relocated from the industrial age to the 21st century. With Europe heading digital in many ways, we have to adapt our educational philosophy to new demands. This paradigm shift is widely discussed today yet it can be easily overridden with visionary leadership. We have no time to waste while waiting for this to happen. This is the very reason why we have to create an Educational Task Force, which would bring together experts from the Nordic countries and beyond, who would support our reforming efforts with their expertise. With the lessons learnt from the Nordic countries and implemented through diverse projects in Serbia, we are bound to promote the core Nordic values and create an environment which would foster ideation and innovation ecosystems, where students and teachers will be agents of change. Positive change.
