Andrеj Kіѕѕа, President of Slovakia, pays a visit to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Last Friday, Slovak President Andrej Kiska, along with a delegation from Slovakia, visited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for discussions on innovation, entrepreneurship, and online learning.
President Kiska, an electrical engineer by training with no previous political experience, gained prominence as a businessman in Slovakia's consumer credit industry. His visit to MIT marked a significant step in his efforts to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Slovakia.
During the visit, Kiska and his delegation engaged in discussions with several MIT experts, including Sherwin Greenblatt, the director of MIT's Venture Mentoring Service, and Sanjay Sarma, MIT's director of digital learning. The discussions centred around edX and MITx, two online-learning platforms, and the global success and overall value of innovative approaches to online education.
The discussions also included a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, with Maren Cattonar of the MIT Deshpande Center and Fiona Murray and Vladimir Bulovic, co-directors of the MIT Innovation Initiative, among the experts present. A notable moment during the discussions was when Kiska asked the members of the MIT community what they would do to increase innovation and entrepreneurship if they were Slovakia's president.
Philip S. Khoury, the Ford International Professor of History and associate provost, and Bernd Widdig, director of international affairs, provided an overview of MIT's global connections and international ties. The overview included information about MIT's diverse campus community and partnerships such as the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology.
The visit also served as an opportunity to discuss how to make Slovakia more competitive. There was broad agreement that collaboration among the government, corporate sector, and universities was key to this process. Representatives of Slovakia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ministry of Finance, consulates in New York and Boston, and members of the Slovakian media were present during the visit.
Peter Kmec, the Slovak ambassador to the U.S., joined Kiska during his visit to MIT. The discussions during the visit are expected to contribute significantly to the ongoing efforts to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and online learning in Slovakia.
- The discussions at MIT with experts like Sherwin Greenblatt and Sanjay Sarma emphasized the global success and overall value of innovative approaches to online education, particularly through platforms like edX and MITx.
- Maren Cattonar of the MIT Deshpande Center and Fiona Murray and Vladimir Bulovic, co-directors of the MIT Innovation Initiative, shared insights on entrepreneurship and innovation during the meeting.
- President Kiska requested the members of the MIT community to share their ideas on how they would increase innovation and entrepreneurship if they were Slovakia's president.
- The importance of collaboration among the government, corporate sector, and universities was highlighted during the visit as a means to make Slovakia more competitive.
- Partnerships such as the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology were mentioned in the overview of MIT's global connections and international ties, presented by Philip S. Khoury and Bernd Widdig.
- The ongoing efforts to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and online learning in Slovakia are expected to benefit significantly from the discussions during President Kiska's visit to MIT.
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