Libra-net (16): Picking up where we left off
In memoriam, a S(c)iesta reboot, plus some Science for Kids announcements and pop culture recommendations
In September 2023 we said goodbye to Aleksandar Stikov, patron of our foundation, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and a sports journalist who holds the record for most words spoken on national radio. Aleksandar died after a brief but harrowing battle with COVID, leaving behind a legacy that will be celebrated in newsrooms and sports communities alike.
Six month later, we are sharing with you a rare recording that puts a face to Aleksandar’s recognizable voice. The recording was captured during his acceptance of the Golden Ladybug (Златна Бубамара) lifetime achievement award in 2011.
Below is а transcript of Ace’s acceptance speech:Имав убава динамична, слушана кариера. Спортот е навистина планетарен феномен, постојано во подем, со сѐ поголем број натпреварувачи, креативци, стручњаци, финансиери, и коментатори секако, но најмногу ги има оние најверните, поборници и симпатизери. Дозволувам и да не е сѐ така, можеби сум и пристрасен, но во секој случај бев, а и во ова трето доба останувам следбеник на неверојатната универзалност на спортот. Во тој поглед сум посебно врзан за нашиот македонски спорт, во сите 42 години во македонското радио како репортер/коментатор, заедно со генерации на извонредни професионалци и во редакција за пример. Благодарам за наградата и посебно за укажаната чест да ги најавам предводниците, новите предводници на нашиот квалитетен спорт, на кој е и посветен овој дел на 15-тата Златна Бубамара.
2. We are rebooting the S(c)iesta meetups that got started in 2020 and helped keep us sane during the pandemic. Realizing that Zoom fatigue is real, we decided to revamp S(c)iesta with an in-person format and a new logo created in collaboration with famed graphic designer Zoran Kardula.
To kick things off, on March 27 at 15:00 Macedonian time we will welcome Dr. Kiril Gashteovski, S(c)iesta co-founder, senior research scientist within the Human-Centered AI group at NEC Laboratories Europe, and research fellow at the UKIM Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research. The title of Kiril’s talk is:
"Tell me a fact and I'll learn: methods for factual information consumption from large textual corpora"
The S(c)iesta will take place at the FINKI Amphitheater, it will be moderated by Valentina Gecevska, the UKIM prorector for science, and will also be broadcast online. To register for the event, please fill out this short form:
https://forms.office.com/e/AcrZvSw2fk
3. We organized a leisurely S(c)iesta in the Emirates during Nikola Stikov’s two month sabbatical at NYU Abu Dhabi. The board of Foundation KANTAROT visited Nikola on the beautiful NYU campus, we caught up with our Emirati supporters, and we also organized a small downtown gettogether in our hotel suite featuring ajvar, rakija and Smidgin.
Nikola also gave a lecture at NEOM in Saudi Arabia (post for subscribers only) and is currently on a two-month sabbatical at Juntendo University in Japan. The leisurely S(c)iestas will continue in Tokyo, where Nikola is currently residing with his family. If you are in Japan, please get in touch, we would love to meet you!
4. On a related note, the ResearchNet portal that we started in collaboration with the UKIM Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research is alive and kicking. The portal features over 40 job announcements and collaboration opportunities for researchers that have ties to Macedonia. We encourage you all to check it out and to submit an announcement that will be circulated with the S(c)iesta community.
5. Check out this beautiful video from the second Science for Kids conference!
We are slowly getting ready for the third Science for Kids conference that will take place in October 2024. In the meantime, we are holding NZD workshops and partnering up with the French Institute (IFS Skopje) to promote the French language among elementary school children.
And now for some paywalled book, music and movie recommendations, courtesy of Nikola Stikov