Data, mobile apps, security... This is also what the first year of partnership with Google DSC UNIZA was like

At GoodRequest, we believe that education is important. We believe that education is what brings sustainable growth and success. Therefore, we try to share our knowledge in different ways, or to support the communities that do such activities. Since when we started, when many of us were still students, we have been cooperating with universities, organizing educational events or professional lectures that will bring students a closer look at practice. DSC clubs that bring together technology fans are a great place to share knowledge.

The first and so far the only DSC club in Slovakia was established in the middle of 2020 at the University of Žilina. Since then, we have also been his main partner. Thanks to the student club, students interested in technology can develop their knowledge, discover new areas, meet new people with the same interests or share their knowledge.
 

What did we do with DSC in the first year?

The DSC club celebrated its first birthday. That also bring space for a retrospective. So what did we do during the pilot year? We had 4 online events called Online Talks. These were attended by 11 different speakers from 8 different companies. Of course, there was also the GoodRequest team and a number of great topics.
 

Online Talks #1

In the first talk you could get to know the DSC and FRI Club academy. In addition to that Oliver from Payout introduced the Elixir language, our Android lead Jozef Kňažko focused on the future of the Android UI Jetpack Compose, and Anna Sobolová from Hypérie closed the first episode with the topic of Agile & Scrum.

Online Talks #2

The second part dealt with a still popular and current topic in the world of technology - security. Once again, you could hear our Jozef Kňažko, who was dedicated to the security of Android apps. An English-speaking speculator - Tibor Csiba from Accenture - also appeared in this part for the first time, introducing the principles of quantum computers and the state of quantum programming 🔢

Online Talks #3

So far, by far the most packed part of Online Talks🚀 , which looked like a small conference. This talks were opened by Ján Valentik from IBM, who focused on Flutter and multiplatform development of mobile apps. Before the break, it was Martin Adamko's turn to share his experience with React Native. The designers could also hear from Elizabeth from the Pixel Federation who spoke about improving UX in the gaming industry. Our experienced PM Tomáš Vrabček revealed what to think about after the end of the development of the mobile application. The event was closed by sales and business development expert Denis Rasulev.

Online Talks #4

The last part of the season was devoted to data and their use. Talks were opened by Ľuboš Rabčan with the topic of Visual Analytics. Our DevOps lead Dušan Dragula, who was talking about REDIS, was also a part of the online talks. Business analyst Michal Slávik spoke about Power Bi and its use in the company. In addition, the concept of Online Talks has expanded to include the Panel Discussion - thanks to it, this part is one of the most popular ones. 💪
 

The Results? 

The main role of GDSC is knowledge sharing and bringing practice closer to the students, so we believe that these activities are beneficial for the community. So what are the results? More than 1,880 views with a total viewing time of more than 630 hours. In the feedback participants were mentioning the broadening of horizons and practical tips to life most often. 
 

What awaits us in the future?

GDSC remains and plans to expand its community. This is mainly due to cooperation with other Slovak universities or the expansion of its activities. From the new year, students will be able to become part of the club thanks to open applications and thus gain the opportunity to participate in community projects at home and abroad.

In addition to the popular Online Talks, you can also take part in information events on the Google Solution Challenge and take part in this initiative aimed at 17 goals of sustainable development 🌍.

We look forward to further collaboration and believe that we will help students and technology fans start their careers.