How to turn a conference presentation into a university pilot: six steps from Juba
A conference can open doors, but it does not create a project by itself. The Juba experience shows that the steps after the presentation are crucial: personal meetings, a clearly defined next step, a university connection, a small first group of candidates and a realistic pilot scope.
Short answer
A conference presentation will become a university pilot when general interest is transformed into six specific elements: a relevant local partner, a responsible contact person, a suitable academic unit, a well-defined group of candidates, limited testing and regular working communication. In Juba, this process led to a direct link to University of Juba and the first group of 22 candidates.
The conference is the beginning, not the result
A big event creates visibility. It allows you to explain the idea to a wider audience, meet relevant people and find out if the topic responds to a real need. However, a positive response alone is not a project.
The project is created only when five questions can be answered after the event:
- Who is responsible for the next step?
- Which specific institution or part of it is suitable for a pilot?
- Who is the first target group?
- What will be tested?
- What result will show whether it makes sense to continue?
Definition:
A university pilot is a small, time-bound and measurable activity that verifies the functioning of a new model in a real academic environment without pretending to be a ready-made or national program.
Author of the definition: Peťo Sloboda | GenerationEd o.z.
Step 1: present the solution in a wider context
Remote Talent Hub was not introduced in Juba as an isolated candidate database. It was part of a wider discussion about Slovak-South Sudanese cooperation, capacity building and job creation.
The working visit and related negotiations took place in cooperation with Slovak-African Business and Investment Council (SABIC). This context made it possible to connect the technological and educational topic with the real needs of the market, public institutions and international cooperation.
A good entry into a new country does not start with the sentence "we have a platform". It starts with understanding the local need and explaining what problem the proposed model can help solve.
Step 2: use face-to-face negotiations to verify interest
The public performance created space for individual conversations. It was in them that it was possible to verify which parts of the concept were relevant for those present and who can help open other doors.
A personal meeting has a different function than a presentation. Allows:
- explain the difference between talent development and recruitment agency,
- name what GenerationEd cannot guarantee,
- discuss local barriers,
- find out which institution has suitable students and internal capacity,
- find a person who can coordinate the first practical step.
According to internal project records, Dr. Meshach Malo gave encouraging personal feedback and expressed a willingness to help share information about the project in relevant professional circles once the platform is ready to handle greater interest.
This feedback is understood as personal encouragement and a conditional willingness to help. This is not a formal position, commitment or partnership of FAO or the United Nations.
Step 3: find a specific university environment
General communication with a university is not enough. The pilot needs a specific school, faculty or academic unit with relevant students and an understanding of the subject.
In Juba, direct working communication was established with University of Juba and its School of Computer Science and Information Technology.
This unit was suitable because it offers study programs in Computer Science and Information Technology. At the same time, it represents an environment in which the technical skills of students can be verified through practical tasks.
Step 4: start with a small and well-defined group
According to internal data, School of Computer Science and Information Technology has approximately 1,800 students. However, this number does not mean the number of candidates applied or tested.
Educators identified the first 22 students as suitable candidates for entrance assessment of technical skills and project potential.
| Group | Count | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|
| School students | approximately 1,800 | Internal data on the size of the academic unit |
| The first recommended group | 22 | Candidates recommended by teachers for initial assessment |
| Project-ready talents | not yet determined | The status arises only after the technical task, review of the result, deadline and communication |
Internal data GenerationEd, status as of 2026-06-13.
A small group allows you to customize testing, identify technical differences, and see how much training or mentoring candidates need.
Step 5: accurately separate individual talent levels
One of the most important conditions for credibility is not to confuse an interested party, a tested candidate and project-ready talent.
| Level | Which is confirmed | What is not yet confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| An interested party | Interested in AI, IT or remote cooperation | Technical readiness and ability to deliver |
| Candidate in testing | Entry into technical or practical assessment | Project-ready status and a real project |
| Talent with potential | Technical basis or partial usable output | Consistent quality and independence |
| Project-ready talent | Technical task, outcome, deadline, communication and response to feedback | Guaranteed job or paid project |
The first 22 students cannot be described as 22 ready-made developers, employed talents or scholarship holders. This is the first batch of candidates for entry verification.
Step 6: set the pilot as a measurable process
The pilot must bring answers, not just photos and positive statements. Therefore, specific metrics should be monitored for the first group.
- how many candidates entered the testing,
- how many candidates completed the practical task,
- how many outputs met the minimum technical criteria,
- how many candidates met the deadline,
- how many people needed additional mentoring,
- how many candidates can proceed to the next stage,
- what tools, licenses or training are missing,
- what type of project is suitable for the next pilot.
Therefore, the success of the first pilot does not mean that all 22 candidates must pass. Success means that a credible process is created that shows the real level, the needs and the next step.
What in Juba managed to turn into a concrete result
Visibility at the event
The topic of talent and Slovakian-South Sudan cooperation gained space in front of a relevant audience.
Personal Confidence
Individual interviews made it possible to explain the intention and its limits without exaggeration.
University entrance
Direct working communication was established with the appropriate academic unit University of Juba.
First group
Educators identified 22 candidates for initial assessment.
The most frequent mistakes after the international conference
[HIGH] A positive reaction will be marked as an agreement
Mitigator: communicate accurate status. Interest is not endorsement and contact is not partnership.
[MED] Missing specific next step owner
Mitigator: agree on the person, task and date during or immediately after the visit.
[MED] Pilot starts with too large a group
Mitigator: start with a small group and adapt the test according to the first results.
[HIGH] Internal numbers get marketing inflated
Mitigator: for each metric, provide definition, source and current status.
Practical checklist for the next country or university
| Question | Minimum response before starting the pilot |
|---|---|
| Who is the local partner or contact point? | A specific person with access to the relevant academic unit |
| Which school or faculty is suitable? | Unit with relevant study programs and pedagogical guidance |
| Who are the first candidates? | A small group identified according to pre-explained criteria |
| What will be tested? | Technical ability, deadline, communication and response to feedback |
| What happens after the test? | Development, further assignment or pilot depending on outcome and availability |
| What is not guaranteed? | Job, scholarship, university admission or visa |
Frequently asked questions
What must follow the conference to create a real pilot?
A specific owner of the next step, a suitable university environment, a precisely defined target group, a small test scope, clear metrics and regular work communication must be created.
Is the positive response at the conference enough?
No. A positive response is just opening the door. Real progress only occurs when the interest turns into a responsible person, a deadline, candidates and a specific pilot activity.
Why start with a small pool of candidates?
A small group makes it possible to verify technical level, communication, the need for mentoring and the suitability of tests without making large public promises.
Can the Juba model be simply copied?
Not completely. The process can be transferred, but each country and university needs its own tasks, contact person, local context and appropriate conditions.
Do you want to prepare a university pilot?
The university needs the relevant academic unit and the first group of candidates. The company can prepare a practical assignment. GenerationEd can set up testing, mentoring and follow-up.
Contact GenerationEd View Remote Talent Hub