Introductory Module of “Experiencing Europe” in Belgrade
For the second year, excellent young professionals from Serbia are offered the opportunity of spending three months working as interns in Austrian companies and institutions in the frame of “Experiencing Europe”. The programme is implemented by the Dr Zoran Djinjdic Fund and WUS Austria and financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation. In the run-up to the internships, the 43 selected participants attended the Introductory Module from August 25 to September 5 in Belgrade.
The preparatory programme consisted of an intensive German language course held at the Austrian Institute in Belgrade and a two day seminar about European Integration and the role of Zoran Djindjic in the democratization of Serbia organized in the premises of the Austrian Cultural Forum on August 30 to 31.
The lecture circle was officially opened by the departing Austrian ambassador in Belgrade Mr. Gerhard Jandl and the president of the Dr Zoran Djindjic Fund Ms. Ruzica Djindjic.
This year’s lecturers were:
- Srdjan Majstorovic from the Government European Integration Office,
- Vladimir Medjak from the Government European Integration Office;
- Pierre Dybmann from the European Delegation Office in Belgrade;
- Vojin Dimitrijevic from the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights;
- Latinka Perovic, Historian;
- Miroslav Prokopijevic, Economist;
- Milica Delevic, professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Belgrade University.
On
the last day of the Introductory Module, the Dr. Zoran Djindjic Fund
organized a farewell cocktail for this year’s and previous
participants.
Ms. Ruzica Djindjic expressed her great pleasure to
welcome the Serbian President Boris Tadic, the Prime Minister Mirko
Cvetkovic and the Charge d'Affaires of the Austrian embassy in
Belgrade, Ulrike Hartmann.
The event took place in the villa of the Serbian National Bank. The interest of the media was respectable: Several Serbian TV stations and reporters were there to interview the speakers, project partners and participants in the program. Around 80 guests came from the Serbian public and private sector and from the Austrian companies having branches in Serbia and providing internships for the participants.
The event was opened by a very cordial speech of Boris Tadic who expressed his appreciation for Zoran Djindjic’s work for the Serbian Republic and underlined the importance of this project for the young professionals.
The vice president of the Dr. Zoran Djindjic Fund and Minister of Trade, Mr. Slobodan Milosavljevic, stated in his speech that knowledge is the most important thing the participants will bring to Serbia once they return from their internships.
Ms. Ulrike
Hartman also addressed the guests saying that for the Austrian embassy
in Belgrade, this is one of the most important projects because it
brings together the promotion Serbia’s EU integration and the promotion
of employment with a special benefit for the younger generations.
The final speaker was Igor Bozovic, participant in the programme, who
underlined the meaning of such the project for the interns and for the
Serbian youth in general and who also thanked the organizers for their
professional work.
After the official part, the participants had the possibility of getting in contact with the keynote speakers as well as with other prominent guests, such as Minister Vuk Jeremic, Minister Nebojsa Bradic, governor of the Serbian National Mr. Radovan Jelasic, the Austrian Ambassador in Belgrade Clemens Koja and the US Ambassador in Serbia Cameron Manter.
