Winners announced at the National science communication competition within the STREAM-IT project

On May 6, 2026, the Foundation for Management and Industrial Research organized the National competition within the Mentorship Programme for capacity building in science communication, held at Public Room – Skopje. The event marked the final stage of a several-month-long mentorship programme dedicated to developing science communication skills among young researchers and students from various STEM fields.

The mentorship programme was organized within the framework of the European STREAM-IT project, whose aim is to encourage girls and women to pursue STEM/STE(A)M education and careers through inclusive tools, mentoring, training activities, and creative initiatives. The programme creates an inspiring environment for development, networking, and strengthening the self-confidence of young people in science and research.

Throughout the programme, 12 mentees from different universities and scientific research institutes had the opportunity to work with experienced mentors to improve their communication and presentation skills, with a special focus on science communication – namely, the effective and accessible presentation of scientific topics to the wider public.

During the competition itself, participants presented their scientific topics and research through short presentations before a jury committee composed of experts in science, communication, and innovation, as well as the attending audience. Each participant received immediate feedback from the jury committee with the aim of further improving their communication abilities and public speaking skills.

Following the final evaluation by the jury committee, the three best participants of the national competition were announced.

• First place was awarded to Marija Ivanova for the presentation “Smart bioactive prosthesis for patients with knee osteoarthritis”, through which she will represent Macedonia at the international competition to be held in Budapest within the STREAM-IT project.
• Second place was awarded to Maja Slaveva from the “St. Kliment Ohridski” University – Bitola; Faculty of Security – Skopje, for the presentation “Mind hacking – Cognitive operations of intelligence services and counterintelligence response”.
• Third place was awarded to Filip Trajkovski from the University of Padua for the presentation “Can artificial intelligence predict disease when the rules are constantly changing?”.

The event also featured addresses by Emilija Andonova, Programme Manager, and Mia Botinova Dimitrova, Communications Officer at the Foundation for Management and Industrial Research, who presented the STREAM-IT project, the mentors and jury committee members, as well as the competition evaluation criteria.

In addition to the participants and mentors, attendees included representatives from academia, institutions, organizations, experts, and supporters of STEM education and science communication, creating an opportunity for networking, exchange of ideas, and fostering future collaborations.

At the end of the event, the competition was officially closed with a group photo and final remarks from the organizers, who encouraged participants to continue developing their communication and professional skills and to keep actively contributing to bringing science closer to society.

This program is part of the ST(R)E(A)M IT project, a project which aims to initiate change about the persisting gender inequalities in STEM education, research, and innovation to contribute to the implementation of the ‘The European Manifesto for gender-inclusive STE(A)M education and careers.’  The project aims to overcome the barriers and challenges faced by underrepresented groups in STEM. It focuses on developing innovative, gender- and diversity-inclusive tools for educating young people, particularly young girls. Additionally, the project seeks to mobilize stakeholders from various sectors of STEM education and the R&I ecosystem to create sustainable networks that provide ongoing support to STEM education providers.