Celebrating the Nikola Tesla DayThe Nikola Tesla Association - Genius for the Future organized in Zagreb a three-day event Tesla&friends to mark the first Nikola Tesla Day and Science,Technology and Innovation Day in Croatia as well as the 158th anniversary of Tesla's birth. The event was held under the auspicies of Mr.Josip Leko, President of the Croatian Parliament, Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, the Croatian Commission for UNESCO, the City of Zagreb, the Zagreb Tourist Board and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce-Zagreb Chamber.
The Conference Tesla in Zagreb
The Conference Tesla in Zagreb opened the celebration of Tesla's birthday and the Nikola Tesla Day. The eminent experts, asst.prof. Božo Skoko, D.Sc.,prof. Mladen Martinis, D.Sc., the film director Mr.Roman A. Tolić, Mr.Renato Filipin, Senior Curator in the Technical Museum in Zagreb, Mr.Velimir Abramović,Ph.D., prof.Tomislav Petković, D.Sc. and Mr.Ivan Šimatović, D.Sc., held speeches about Tesla's heritage.
Laying flowers on Tesla's monument
On July 10, the date of Tesla's birth, Mr.Milan Bandić, Mayor of the City of Zagreb, the representatives of the Ruđer Bošković Institute and Ms Dragica Mihajlović, President of the Nikola Tesla Association-Genius for the Future, laid flowers on the monument of Nikola Tesla in Zagreb. The program included the performance of young musicians Matej and Marko Mihaljević and a symbolical release of a white dove.
The Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future Awards
In the evening of July 10, the ceremony marking the first national Day of Nikola Tesla and Science, Technology and Innovation Day as well as the 158th anniversary of Tesla's birth was held at the Esplanade Hotel. On that occasion Nikola Tesla Annual Awards were granted in three categries. Sara Cepić, a student of the high school Sesvete, received the award in the category of Quiz in physics and general knowledge about Tesla. In the category of Creative and innovative product and souvenir inspired by Tesla's inventions the award went to Bernardica Gršić for the souvenir – a stylized image of Nikola Tesla. The firm Genijator was awarded in the category of Tesla's extended activities for their orthohydrogen production system. Mr.Josip Leko, President of the Croatian Parliament, Mr.Milan Bandić, Mayor of the City of Zagreb, Mr.Davor Bernardić, Member of the Croatian Parliament, Mrs. Andrea Doko Jelušić, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia and Ms Dragica Mihajlović, President of the Nikola Tesla Association, greeted the guests at the ceremony in the Esplanade Hotel.
Panel discussions about Tesla's heritage
Within the ceremony at the Esplanade Hotel there were two short panel discussions. The experts Mr.Tomislav Petković, the physicist, Mr.Renato Filipin, Senior Curator in the Technical Museum in Zagreb, Mr.Velimir Abramović, the explorer of Tesla's work and philosopher and Ms Rut Carek, Head and General Secretary of the Croatian Commission for UNESCO as well as pupils of Zagreb primary schools Sara Cepić, Valentin Mabić, Ela Međed and Hrvoje Vraneš, discussed the heritage of Nikola Tesla. The video with birthday greetings „Children of the World to Tesla for his Birthday“, made by the UNDP Croatia in cooperation with the Nikola Tesla Association was shown to numerous guests. Mrs.Helena Bulaja Madunić, the film director, spoke about Tesla as an artistic inspiration.
Demonstation of Tesla's inventions and lecture in the Technical Museum
On July 11 Mr.Renato Filipin, Senior Curator in the Technical Museum in Zagreb held the lecture „Nikola Tesla – the inventor with a view into the future“ in Nikola Tesla Demonstration Room.
Proclamation of the Nikola Tesla Day
The representatives of the Nikola Tesla Association attended the Parliament discussion about proclaiming the Nikola Tesla Day and Science, Technology and Innovation Day in the Republic of Croatia. The proposal to proclaim July 10 to be the Nikola Tesla Day in Croatia was submitted to the Croatian Parliament by the members of the Parliament Ms Mirela Holy, Mr.Davor Bernardić and Mr.Damir Kajin, supported by the member of the Parliament Mr.Zdravko Ronko. They followed the initiative of the Nikola Tesla Association – Genius for the Future that was announced in public two years ago.
Quiz in Physics and General Knowledge about Tesla
The Quiz in physics and general knowledge about Tesla for pupils and students of Zagreb elementary and secondary schools and universities was held on March 12 at the Textile Technology Faculty in Zagreb. The elementary school pupils Ivona Lučić, Hrvoje Vraneš, Marija Baković and Valentin Mabić, secondary school students Sara Cepić, Filip Martinović and Lucija Ćurković and university students Vedran Ivanić, Branko Đurđević and Saša Vrcelj were the finalists of this year Quiz. On April 2 they attended the final tests related to the general knowledge about Nikola Tesla at the Textile Technology Faculty. During the opening program, Ms Sandra Bischof, Dean of the Textile Technology Faculty in Zagreb, greeted the competitors and prominents guests, amoung the others, the representatives of the Croatian Association of Innovators, the UN in Croatia, the City of Zagreb and the Embassy of Serbia in Croatia. Mr.Marko Bubaš, President of the Association of Innovators, spoke about the importance of rousing creativity and innovative spirit in education and society in the modern world. Mr.Davor Bernardić, Vice President of the Zagreb City Assembly, Mr.Don Hudspeth, Dean of RIT Croatia, Mrs.Andrea Doko Jelušić, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia, Mr.Velimir Abramović, well known explorer of Tesla's work and philosopher and Ms Dragica Mhajlović, President of the Nikola Tesla Association, discussed the same subject as well as Tesla's heritage and its role in the modern world. The last year winner of Nikola Tesla-Genius for the Future Award Tino Herljević, a student at RIT Croatia and Josefina Matea Krtalić, a pupil of elementary school Kralj Tomislav from Zagreb made the short performance „Interview with Tesla“.
Meeting of Expert Commission for Nikola Tesla-Genius for the Future Annual Award
The expert commission for Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future Annual Award selected the finalists on March 17.Two projects were nominated in the category of Creative and innovative product, usable objects or souvenir : the stylized image of Nikola Tesla made by Bernardica Gršić and the project of the elementary school Sveta Klara „Nikola Tesla is our teacher“. In the category of Tesla's extended activity, such as environmental protection, renewable energy resources and projects related to rousing creativity and innovative spirit, the nominated projects were the CO2 neutralization device of the firm Genijator and the project „Let's get intoduced to Nikola Tesla“ made by the kindergarten „Šarena loptica“. The nominees in the Quiz in physics and general knowledge about Nikola Tesla were Hrvoje Vraneš, the eight class pupil of the elementary school Kralj Tomislav, Lucija Ćurković, the first class student of the high school Sesvete and Sara Cepić, the third class student of the high school in Sesvete.
Cycle of lectures on theme „How to develop creativity and innovative spirit of each individual“
In cooperation with the the Croatian Association of Innovators and Croatian Association of Technical Culture, the Nikola Tesla Association organized a cycle of lectures on the theme „How to develop creativity and innovative spirit of each individual“. On April 9, the lecture „Development of creativity as the key of development of each child“ was held by Ms Vesna Mlinar, the art high school teacher. „Some other mathematics“ was the inspiring lecture given by Mr.Toni Milun, the hight school mathematics teacher on March 19, and on Februry 26 Mrs Vesna Bosanac, D.Sc., the well known nutritionist and co-author of the innovative computer program for creating the menu „Diet Program“, had the lecture named „Balanced and various diet – a pledge of creativity“.
Opening Ceremony of Competition for Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future Award
The opening ceremony of the Competition for the Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future Award took place on January 27 in the Technical Museum in Zagreb.The competition was officially open by Ms Vesna Kusin, Deputy Mayor of the City of Zagreb. The competition opening was attended by the representatives of the City of Zagreb, Mr. Davor Bernardić, Member of the Croatian Parliament and Vice President of the Zagreb City Assembly, Ms Mirela Holy, Member of the Croatian Parliament, Ms Nataša Turbić, Head of the Gračac Municipality, Ms Markita Franulić,Direcor of the Technical Museum in Zagreb as well as other eminent persons. Mr. Davor Jandrijević, the eminent physicist, held the lecture on Tesla's transformer.
The representatives of the Association visited the Croatian President
The representatives of the Associationvisited the Croatian President, Mr. Ivo Josipović, PH.D. on December 13, 2013. During the reception they presented the plans and program of the Association for the year 2014 and emphasized their initiative to proclaim July 10 as the Nikola Tesla Day in Croatia and the International Science and Innovation Day. President Josipović supported both initiatives.