21.04.2020.

Minister Vulin: Thanks to the innovative platforms that the Military Academy has designed, we have not missed a single class

Today the Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin attended the presentation of a distance teaching and learning platform in the Simulations and Distance Learning Section at the National Defence School of the University of Defence.

During the presentation, Rector of the University of Defence, Lieutenant General Goran Radovanović, Assoc. Prof., PhD, the Commandant of the Military Academy, Major General Bojan Zrnić, Prof., PhD, and military school teachers presented to the Minister of Defence the way the platform works and its capabilities when it comes to the teaching process, and the cadets of the Military Academy presented what they have learnt via video-link and showed that they are studying and working hard, even though they are currently out of school.

After the presentation, Minister Vulin pointed out that during the state of emergency, military education has shown how adaptable it is and how quickly it can react and enable its students to continue their regular education.

- Thanks to distance learning platforms, and especially the innovative platforms that the Military Academy has designed for our users, we have not missed a single class. All our students have received regular education, learned everything they would normally have learned, and are ready to bring their education to an end - said Minister Vulin.

According to him, there are certainly some specific features of military education, such as various training activities, practical work, familiarization with weapons and the use of weapons, which will be done on time in accordance with the relaxation of preventive measures and the recommendations of medical experts.
According to the Rector of the University of Defence, Lieutenant General Radovanović, the University has taken all the measures to accomplish its tasks in accordance with the Government’s decision to declare a state of emergency in the Republic of Serbia.

- Our task is to educate cadets and secondary school students, as well as trainees of all other types of courses. I am pleased with the results achieved. I am also pleased with the engagement of our cadets and trainees who use the distance learning platform on a daily basis which truly enables our cadets to work outside the classrooms. In the forthcoming period, in accordance with the relaxation of measures during the state of emergency, we will carry out the practical part of the training - emphasized General Radovanović and expressed his certainty that these classes of students, cadets and trainees of the General Staff and Command and Staff Courses will receive all forms of education in accordance with the 2020 curriculum.

Head of the Simulations and Distance Learning Section, Colonel Goran Šimić, Assoc. prof., PhD pointed out that the purpose of today's presentation is to show the process of military training and education at the University of Defence in a state of emergency and that the classes run smoothly.

- We have used all our capacities and, with the support of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, we have a 24-hour distance learning platform for students, cadets and trainees of all types of courses. There are 401 subjects and courses on the platform, 3,965 teachers and course trainees. At any given time, we have between 150 and 210 users or 700 to 1,000 users on a daily basis.

In addition to classes on the platform, we also use alternative forms for video conferencing and video monitoring of students ’work using certain applications. We apply everything that modern technology has to offer in order to keep the teaching process at the University uninterrupted during these seven weeks - said Colonel Šimić.