Skopje, 23 April 2025 (MIA) — Ss. Cyril and Methodius University's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering received Wednesday a donation of industrial equipment from LTH Castings Ohrid foundry to improve the learning environment and practical teaching conditions for undergraduates.

The donated equipment is worth around EUR 70,000 and will be part of the faculty's Production Process Laboratory. 

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering dean Zlatko Petreski, state university rector Biljana Angelova and Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska all thanked the Ohrid foundry, urging other companies in the country to follow suit and help public education via donations.

Petreski said this was "a serious cooperation" with the company. He said the donation improved the faculty's ties with the industry sector and would improve the quality of their program.

He described the donation as "serious equipment for permanent use for teaching and laboratory exercises and undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate research."

"This is maybe a good start to an in-depth cooperation with this company. I sincerely hope this is the beginning of a better relationship between the industry sector and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering," Petreski said.

Angelova said the Ohrid foundry had recognized the value of the state university's alumni, adding that one of the main priorities of the educational institution was to cooperate with the real sector.

Although this cooperation was mostly based on practical teaching, she said, donations of industrial equipment were also important "because our students will be able to develop creativity, be innovative, translate their ideas into product prototypes and become much more familiar with the real process."

Janevska said the Ohrid foundry's donation showed "good synergy between industry, i.e., the private sector and higher education" which she said would contribute to better quality education and practical training for students, helping them to find their place in the workforce.

The education minister urged other socially responsible companies to "follow this example and work together for the benefit of society." 

"The private sector, the industry, needs well-trained staff who can immediately be involved in production processes or other activities," she said. mr/