Completed projects
ADA – Advanced Data Analytics in Business (2018-2022)
A 4-year project funded by the European Commission (project No. EACEA 598829-EPP-1-2018-1-RS-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP) under its Erasmus+ program, with the objective to develop and implement master study programs in advanced data analytics at three different universities in Serbia. In addition, the project develops and implements a lifelong learning program in business analytics for professionals in different fields.
Vladan Devedzic leads the development and implementation of the master study program Advanced Data Analytics at the University of Belgrade, Serbia.
YNSPEED – Youth new personal & employable skills development (2019-2022)
A 3-year project funded by the European Commission (project No. 2019-3-RO01-KA205-07798) under its Erasmus+ program, with the objective to develop 4 new MOOC courses targeting young people. The topics of these 4 courses are: artificial intelligence, sustainable development, learning English with technology and fake news. that are nowadays already informally recognized by some employers (another long-term aim of the project is to make efforts for validating such kind of informally acquired competencies) fostering youths’ employability, too. Thus, the YNSPEED project addresses open and innovative practices for informal learning using digital platforms, tools and materials. These topics are recognized as a foundation of essential skills in modern economy. Thus by developing such skills and getting the corresponding certificates informally recognized by some employers, the project fosters employability of young people. Simultaneously, the YNSPEED project addresses open and innovative practices for informal learning using digital platforms, tools and materials.
Vladan Devedzic leads the development of the artificial intelligence MOOC.
StudES – Effective teaching for student engagement & success in a digital learning environment (2020-2022)
A 2-year project funded by the European Commission (project No. 2020-1-RS01-KA226-HE-094538) under its Erasmus+ program, with the objective to contribute to transforming current learning environments into more effective ones for both teachers and students. The project does it by developing a Roadmap for enhancement of digital readiness in higher education, a Teachers Training Program “Advanced teaching for students’ engagement, wellbeing and success in a digital learning environment: Mind the gap!”, and Quality standards and guidelines for effective teaching and learning in a digital environment. Vladan Devedzic contributes in all these activities.
INTELIS – Infrastructure for Technology Enhanced Learning in Serbia (2011-2020)
A long-term project funded by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. The project focus was on technological, organizational, administrative and social aspects of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) in Serbia. The main objective of this project was to clearly define, categorize, and enhance these infrastructure aspects of TEL in Serbia in accordance with the established EU standards in TEL. All earlier efforts and activities in this area were isolated and had achieved no major impact. Vladan Devedzic was the project coordinator. The project included 9 partner institutions from different universities in Serbia and involved 120+ teachers and researchers.
TRAIN – Training and Research for Academic Newcomers (2014-2019)
An international project funded by the King Baudouin Foundation (proj. agreement 2015: H22000/203563). The objectives of the TRAIN program are to develop, implement and evaluate a structured professional development training program consisting of 7 modules for new academics (PhD students, assistants, junior professors, post-docs of not more than three years work experience) at four Western Balkan universities (University of Sarajevo, University of Belgrade, University of Novi Sad and University of Montenegro). Through the program the new academics build the knowledge, skills, motivation and confidence to enhance their own practice in ways that will improve student learning, their own research and their contribution to society and industry. The program also aims to improve collaboration among new academics, expanding their networks and enhancing their capacity for educational leadership, enabling them to positively influence the change.
In this project, Vladan Devedzic is one of the trainers from the University of Belgrade. His major responsibilities in the project include giving training seminars to young academics from the University of Belgrade in how to write applications for Erasmus+ grants.
GRASS – Grading Soft Skills (2014-2016)
A 3-year international research project, developed under the umbrella of the flagship European funding programme in the field of education and training, the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) (project reference number: 543029-LLP-1-2013-1-RS-KA3-KA3MP). The project focused on representing soft skills of learners of various ages and at different levels of education in a quantitative, measurable way, so that these skills can become the subject of formal validation and recognition.
INCOMING – Interdisciplinary Curricula in Computing to Meet Labor Market Needs (2012-2016)
A 4-year international project funded by the TEMPUS IV programme of the European Union (proj. No. 530155-TEMPUS-1-2012-1-EE-TEMPUS-JPCR). The project objective was to initiate capacity building for interdisciplinary studies at universities in Serbia, to be offered both in English and in Serbian, at all three levels of study (BSc, MSc, PhD), and in at least one of the following three modes of study: face-to-face mode, distance learning, and blended mode. To do that, the project has developed, accredited, implemented and evaluated several interdisciplinary study programmes, at four different universities in Serbia. By developing and implementing these programmes, the project has enhanced employment opportunities for graduates of the new programmes, targeting specifically Serbian labor market needs in interdisciplinary computing.
DL@WEB – Enhancing the Quality of Distance Learning at Western Balkan Higher Education Institutions (2010-2013)
A 3-year international project, funded by TEMPUS agency (project SM 511126-2010), with the objective to improve the quality and relevance of distance learning (DL) at Western Balkan higher education institutions. This implies easier inclusion of partner country institutions into European Higher Education Area through improvement, development and implementation of accreditation standards, guidelines and procedures for quality assurance (QA) of DL study programs at national system levels in Western Balkan countries. Vladan Devedzic is the representative of the University of Belgrade in the project consortium. His major responsibilities in the project include analysis of existing European practices and principles for QA in DL, and building capacity for securing adequate resources for QA of DL in the Western Balkan region.
OP4L – Online Presence for Learning (2010-2012)
A 2-year international project, funded by the European Commission within its SEE-ERA.NET PLUS program (project ERA 115/01), with the objective to provide support for advanced, context-aware Learning Process Management (LPM) within Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) as the increasingly important paradigm in online education. The project relies on using Social Semantic Web technologies to generate recommendations for learners, based on their current learning contexts and the state of online presence of members of their social graphs (i.e., network of online connections). Vladan Devedzic is the project coordinator.
IntelLEO – Intelligent Learning Extended Organizations
(2009-2012)
A 3-year international ICT project, funded by the European Commission under its Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) (project No. 231590). It is a Specific Targeted Research Project (STREP) in the area of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). The project objective is to develop intelligent technologies to support learning and knowledge-building activities in an Intelligent Learning Extended Organization (IntelLEO). IntelLEO is a new paradigm representing a community that emerges as a temporal integration of two or more different business and educational communities and organizational cultures (industrial, research, and educational). Vladan Devedzic is the representative of his department in the project consortium and the leader of the research team from his department. His responsibilities include participation in specifying an ontological framework to support the IntelLEO paradigm, as well as in defining, specifying, and carrying out a business case that demonstrates the paradigm.
M.Sc. Curriculum in E-Learning (2007-2009)
A 2-year international project, funded by TEMPUS agency (project JEP-41016-2006), with the objectives to enable high-quality and specialized education in the field of e-learning and to establish the new M.Sc. studies in e-learning according to the principles of the Bologna declaration. Vladan Devedzic is the representative of his department in the project consortium. His responsibilities include participation in defining the principles of M.Sc. studies in e-learning, the curriculum development, and its dissemination and sustainability.
Soul Web (Software that Underlies Learning on the Web)
(2008-2010)
A 2-year national project, funded by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. The project objective is to develop a number of simple, open-source software tools and applications to support Web-based learning. Examples include context modeling tools Web-based learning, a tool for intelligent classification of learners based on multiple assessment sessions, and a tool for dynamic generation and use of personlized learning objects. Vladan Devedzic is the project leader.
DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR BASIC HEALTH AND PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICES IN SERBIA (2006-2008)
A 2.5-year international project, funded by the European Union and managed by the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR), with full support of the Government of Serbia and relevant professional institutions and organizations. The primary objective of the project is to introduce Electronic Health Records (EHR) in the health system of Serbia. EHR is a set of standardized information, in electronic form, about the health and treatment of each individual patient “from cradle to grave”, supplied by health providers throughout the health system, and other data sources (such as public administration institutions), and others, providing health-related demographic data. Vladan Devedzic is the senior developer in this project. His major responsibility is design of the EHR-based business model to be used as the core of the health information system in Serbia.
WELCON – EUROPEAN WELDING CONSULTANT TOOL (2006-2007)
A project financed by the EUREKA network for market-oriented, industrial R&D, aiming at developing a virtual environment that shall be used as a hub for consulting services and education in the damain of welding technologies. WELCON will enable development and uploading of relevant electronic content throgh a specific content server, easy navigation and content search, as well as reusability of domain-related content in other applications. Vladan Devedzic is the leader of the group of researchers and developers from three academic institutions in Serbia that participate in the project. The duties of the Serbian participants in the project include R&D activities related to development and maintenance of the WELCON Web portal, content structure, parts of the content itself, the content server, and the content navigator.
PRO LEARN (2004-2007)
A ‘Network of Excellence’ project financed by the IST (Information Society Technology) Framework 6 programme of the European Commission, dealing with technology enhanced professional learning. The project focuses on questions of European importance and stresses a better integration of research efforts. It initiates and improves cooperation between various actors of academia and industry in the area of technology enhanced learning, particularly supporting multinational co-operation. The GOOD OLD AI research group, coordinated by Vladan Devedzic, is an associated partner in the project. The group’s duties include R&D activities related to personalized adaptive learning, online experiments, learning objects, metadata and standards, PROLEARN virtual competence centre, and PROLEARN academy.
ARIADNE (2003-present)
The ARIADNE Foundation creates tools and methodologies for producing, managing and reusing computer-based pedagogical elements and telematics supported training curricula. In particular, the Foundation has created a network of knowledge pool servers containing a large number of different learning objects and supported by different Web-based learning and management tools. The GOOD OLD AI research group, coordinated by Vladan Devedzic, is a member of the Foundation. The group maintains a local knowledge pool server and contributes to ARIADNE through its R&D activities.
E-LEARNING CENTER FORMATION
A short-term project within the Partnerships for Tomorrow Program Phase II (PTP II), funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and administered by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. The main objective was the establishment of a permanent center for eLearning in Belgrade, to serve as a dissemination point for online learning and technology-based education. It included several meetings of all parties interested in institutional collaboration and participation in the project. The project was coordinated by experts from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and FON – School of Business Administration, University of Belgrade, Serbia. Vladan Devedzic organized the meetings and initiated and coordinated the local efforts related to establishing the e-Learning center.
WEB INTELLIGENCE AND E-LEARNING (2005-2007)
A 3-year project, co-funded by the Government of the Republic of Serbia and industry partners. Vladan Devedzic is the project leader and coordinator. The project objectives include defining flexible generic software architectures for building systems and adaptive software tools to support E-Learning using WI technologies, as well as building specific software applications and tools to demonstrate the benefits that E-Learning systems can have from using WI technologies. It is expected for such applications and tools to be integrated with existing Web-based applications developed by the project participants from industry. This project is also supposed to enable transfer of results from similar European research projects to which researchers from this project already actively participate.
RESEARCH COMMUNITY WEB PORTALS (2005)
A 1-year project funded by the Government of the Republic of Serbia. Vladan Devedzic is the project leader and coordinator. The project objectives include development and implementation of research community Web portals in the areas of artificial intelligence and e-Learning. Such research portals are Web portals that provide research groups, university boards, managers of higher education institutions, and other decision makers in science and government with the latest information on important topics in research and public policy. They can also ensure for quick and efficient channels of communication by supporting and sustaining personal relationships and contacts between individual researchers and research groups. Thus research portals can serve as ongoing virtual conferences and platforms for dialogue between the scientific community, government, and the general public. The experience acquired through this project can be used to efficiently build research portals in other knowledge areas as well.
ONLINE LEARNING: COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY (2004)
A short-term project within the Partnerships for Tomorrow Program Phase II (PTP II), funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and administered by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. The project objective was to bring together experts from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and FON – School of Business Administration, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, in looking into models of successful professional training solutions that will help faculty develop online programs and courses primarily at the graduate, but also at the undergraduate level. Vladan Devedzic helped in strengthening the collaboration between the two institutions and establishing good foundations for the development of mutually beneficial online education programs in the areas of organization, management and information systems.
GOOD OLD AI PORTAL (2004-present)
The project objective is to develop and maintain an authoritative Web portal in the area where the broad fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Software Engineering (SE) intersect. The portal centralizes access to information, applications, educational contents, and services for researchers, developers, and other users interested in artificial intelligence systems and knowledge engineering. It delivers a consolidated view that lets users access the most important electronic resources related to AI & SE, establish efficient communication, and exchange all relevant information. Vladan Devedzic coordinates all the activities in the project.
FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM IN SERBIA (2003-2004)
The project was funded by the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR), with the objective to develop a new model of the Health Information System (HIS) in Serbia and pilot it in certain medical regions. Specifically, the project results included the definition and agreement on a minimum health data set for integration in the new HIS, a unique patient identification and a coding system to classify all relevant health information. Vladan Devedzic was an IT consultant who helped develop data models and use cases for HIS to include identification of patients, providers and facilities, health insurance identifiers, data on medicines’ prescribing, dispensing and use, basic medical data of patients, and social data.
COMPUTING CURRICULA SOFTWARE ENGINEERING (CCSE)
(2001-2004)
A long-term international project carried out by a joint task force created by Educational Activities Board of the IEEE Computer Society and the ACM Education Board. The goal was to create the software engineering volume of the revised curriculum guidelines for undergraduate programs in computing. Vladan Devedzic was among the project volunteers. A part of the project was to define the knowledge area of software engineering. Within that part, Vladan Devedzic was a member of the group KA3-Design. Another part focused on pedagogical issues. Within that part, Vladan Devedzic chaired the group for International adaptation (Group 4).
TEACHING BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS (2002-2004)
A 2-year, international project, funded by TEMPUS agency (project JEP 16067), with the objective to unify curricula for teaching business information systems across universities in Serbia (ex Yugoslavia) and focus the curricula on certain important and promising developments identified from the perspectives of academia, industry, and research funding agencies in EU and North America. The project consortium members included several universities from from Serbia, University of Brighton, UK, and Centre for Research and Technology – Hellas (ITI–CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece. The project’s starting points in defining the reference model for business information systems curricula were the corresponding curricula from EU universities and the official IEEE/ACM guidelines.
INTELLIGENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS (2002-2004)
A 3-year project, co-funded by the Government of the Republic of Serbia and industry partners. Vladan Devedzic was the project leader and coordinator. The project objectives included application of intelligent software technologies and Internet technologies in engineering, manufacturing, education, business information systems, and knowledge management. The project results achieved are used by both the project participants from academia and industrial partners.
HANDBOOK ON SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERING
(2000-present)
A large, 3-volume reference book covering all the important aspects of software engineering and knowledge engineering, edited by Professor S. K. Chang, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA. Vol.1 appeared in 2001, and Vol.2 in Mid 2002. Vladan Devedzic was a member of the Advisory Board and the author of three chapters. Vol.3 is expected in 2005. Vladan Devedzic is a co-author of one chapter, and was a member of the Advisory Board.
OBJECT-ORIENTED INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS (1996-2000)
A 5-year, government funded project. Results achieved include development of an object-oriented model of knowledge bases (OBOA), and an object-oriented model of intelligent tutoring systems (GET-BITS). The OBOA model has been used to develop an object-oriented model of intelligent manufacturing systems, and an object-oriented model of intelligent reasoning. All these models were presented worldwide at scientific meetings, conferences and journals. Based on them, several practical software tools, components and systems were developed.