Creative Catalyst: The role of Universities in Empowering Creative Industries

An international conference that dealt with the role of universities in the process of creating and empowering creative industries was organized within “Connect for Creativity” project. Conference entitled “Creative Catalyst” was focused on creativity, interculturality and development of skills for the future, and was held on December 5th and 6th at Abdullah Gül University, Kayseri, Turkey. 

The conference gathered numerous experts, leaders, professors, educators, decision-makers and creative hub representatives from Turkey, Greece, UK and Serbia, who researched and discussed through a series of panels, presentations and workshops about what the role of higher education in the creative economy could be.

Nana Radenković, our Co-founder and Program Manager, presented Nova Iskra at the conference through participation in the panel Skills for the Future, which started a discussion about the role of higher education in creative economy and how creative industries could take over an active role in creating and developing education of the future. The discussion’s participants were also experts from the UK, Serbia, Greece and Turkey: Rozina Spinnoy (Director of Belgium Design Council), Vasilis Avkidos (Panteion University, Economic and regional development Department) and  Burak Asiliskender (Abdullah Gül University, Department of Architecture). 

Nana Radenković also held a workshop entitled Collaboration as the Source of Frustration for conference participants.

“Connect for Creativity” is a two-year project led by the British Council Turkey, in partnership with ATÖLYE and Abdullah Gül University from Turkey, bios from Greece and Nova Iskra from Serbia.