Projects 2012 - The Nikola Tesla association | Genius for the future

 

 

At the Association's initiative and in cooperation with the Croatian Association of Inventors the first workshop was held under the title "How to develop the creativity and innovative spirit of each individual". The lecture and the workshop, with emphasis on emotions as a vital assumption for creativity, were held by well-known Croatian psychologist Ms. Tanja Pureta. Due to enormous interest of the public, the second workshop took place in March with the same title but this time it stressed the importance of ideas and the journey of ideas. The workshop was led by another renowned expert Ms. Nikoleta Vujović, specialist in psychorientology and the director of the Silva Method Croatia School.

The Association is planning to continue organizing the workshops with the aim to promote and encourage the creativity and innovativeness in individuals.

 

The traditional opening ceremony for the Competition for the Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future Award took place on March 9, 2012 at the Faculty of Textile Technology in Zagreb. The competition was open for three categories – the quiz in physics and general knowledge about Nikola Tesla for elementary and secondary school students and university students; for innovation products; and the extended work of Nikola Tesla.

 

In 2012 the Association Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future was joined by new members who are prominent persons of the Croatian scientific and social life, to mention only Mr. Davor Jandrijević, Croatian physicist, Mr. Davor Bernardić, President of the Zagreb City Assembly, Ms. Silvia Londera, renowned Croatian journalist and director of Media Service, and Mr .Zvonimir Frk-Petešić from the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2012 the Association had about 70 members, both active and associate members, friends and admirers of Nikola Tesla.

The work and activities of the Association became known even outside the Croatian borders, which resulted in cooperation with the American associations, like The Tesla science Foundation. Thanks to this cooperation, the Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future Association will present itself at the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Tesla's death, which will be marked at the gathering at the Hotel New York, in New York. Ms. Dragica Mihajlović, president of the Nikola Tesla Association will give a lecture. The Association stirred the interest of the foreign media as well. So, the British daily newspaper The Guardian carried the statement of Ms. Mihajlović about the mission and activity of our Association.

 

It has been the third year that the Association marks the birthday of Nikola Tesla by the event called Tesla & Friends, which was held on July 10th in the Esplanade Hotel in the company of notable persons from scientific, political and social life. The celebration was open by addresses of Mr. Milan Bandić, Mayor of Zagreb, Mr. Davor Bernardić, President of the Zagreb City Assembly, and Ms. Anderja Doko, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia. In the framework of the program a roundtable was held where Croatian and foreign scientists took part. The contributions on the topic of Tesla's inventions were offered by Mr. Goran Marjanović, independent researcher in engineering from Belgrade, Mr. Mladen Martinis, PhD, senior research scientist from the Ruđer Bošković Institute, Mr. Renato Filipin, curator of the Technical Museum Zagreb, and Mr. Davor Pavuna, physicist, who was unable to attend but had prepared a video material as his contribution. For the first time the roundtable was organized with the youngest Tesla's admirers; the students of the Zagreb elementary schools spoke about Tesla's inventions. Among them was the world's youngest Nikola Tesla's admirer – three-year old Sara Teslak from Rijeka.

 

Within the celebration of Tesla's birthday on July 10, the winners received the Nikola Tesla – Genius for Future Award in three categories. In the category of the quiz on physic and general knowledge on Nikola Tesla the winner was Petra Tumir, pupil of the Elementary School Kralj Tomislav. In the category Creative and innovative product, usable objects or souvenir inspired by the personality and work of Nikola Tesla, replica of a Tesla invention - the award went to Tino Herljević, high school student from Zagreb, for the project of solar thermal generator STG1. In the category of Projects from Tesla's extended activity the award went to the Croatian entrepreneur Mr. Djuro Horvat and the Company Tehnix for the environmental project MBO-T modern waste management technology.

 

On the day in the eve of the celebration, on July 9, in the premises of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in Zagreb a conference took place on "Relevance of Tesla's inventions and patens that made the modern world and unknown Tesla's inventions as solutions for the problems of the world today". The conference hosted a number of scientists and innovators from Croatia and Serbia. Mr. Goran Marjanović, innovator and Tesla researcher from Belgrade, and Mr. Mladen Martinis from the Ruđer Bošković Institute from Zagreb, spoke about various Tesla' inventions. Also, on July 11, Mr. Renato Filipin held a lecture in the Zagreb Technical Museum about life and work of Nikola Tesla with demonstrations in the Museum's Demonstration Cabinet.

 

The president of the Nikola Tesla Association Ms. Dragica Mihajlović, wishing to make a special confectionary as homage to Tesla, has designed a sweet named "Tesla's lightning balls by Esplanade". It is a dessert with ingredients typical for Tesla's native region of Lika. The confectionary can be tasted in the Zagreb Esplanade Hotel. The intention and wish of the Association and its president is that the Tesla's lightning balls become a Croatian branded and world renowned sweet, similarly to Austrian Mozart balls.

 

In 2012 the Nikola Tesla Association - Genius for the Future launched several important initiatives and projects that are currently underway. The initiative was introduced to proclaim the Nikola Tesla Day in Croatia on the day of Tesla's birthday, July 10, as well as the initiative that this day be proclaimed as the International Day of Science. The idea was made known to Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations during his visit to Croatia. Also, official proposals were sent to the competent institutions in Croatia and abroad. The Association officially proposed to the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present Nikola Tesla as Croatian eminent person at the ceremony on the occasion of Croatia's accession to the European Union.

At the Association's initiative, the Technological Center of the Zagreb Fair, founding of which was announced by Mr. Davor Bernardić, President of the Zagreb City Assembly and Mr. Goran Maras, Minister of Entrepreneurship, will bear the name of Nikola Tesla.

The Association's other projects were made known to the competent institutions, like the idea of the museum and souvenir shop in the Zagreb city center, called Tesla Corner, and the construction of the Memorial Center Đuka – Mandić – Tesla, mother of the ingenious mind from Deringaj, birthplace of Tesla's mother.

Also, an initiative was launched to arrange the Nikola Tesla Park in Zagreb dedicated to all Croatian inventors, and the design of the park was made by the president of the Association together with the Tehnika Company from Zagreb.

In cooperation with the Croatian and Serbian scientists it was suggested to establish the Tesla Institute in Croatia, which would gather the Croatian and world scientists in the field of physics and other scientific fields, who would continue to work on Tesla's researches and discoveries, primarily in the field of energy. The realization of these projects will bear great significance for Croatia, helping it to become recognizable in the world as home country of one of the world's most outstanding minds, but also as a country of knowledge and innovations. The establishing of the institute would make the country much more visible in the world scientific community.

 

In 2013 the Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future Association will continue to realize the planned projects and designs. Apart from participating in the celebrating the 70th anniversary of death of Nikola Tesla in New York, the Association will organize, in accordance with its tradition, the celebration of Tesla's birthday in Zagreb in hope that on July 10, Croatia will celebrate the first Croatian Tesla Day and the first International Day of Science.