Target area:	Linking Higher Education & Society
Sub-target area:	Human Resource Development
Target countries:	Austria, Serbia
Duration:	May 2007 - May 2008
Partners:	Dr. Zoran Đinđić Fund (Serbia)
Budget line:	Austrian Development Cooperation
Amount (€):	309.600,00

Project description

The three year’ project "Experiencing Europe: Serbian Young Professionals in Austria – Zoran Đinđić Internship Programme" aims at supporting the socio-economic development of Serbia by increasing the employability of the Serbian youth on the one hand and the understanding of European integration on the other.

The key element is to give each year up to 50 excellent last-year students and young graduates from Serbia the opportunity of gaining – through internships – three months of career relevant vocational experience in Austrian companies and institutions. The interns come from various fields of studies such business administration, law, political science, electronic/ civil/ mechanical engineering, architecture etc., and are placed in Austrian companies and institutions according to their focuses and interests.

Each year – starting in May 2008 – up to 50 participants are selected for the three month’ internships starting either in September or January of the respective year. In addition to this internship module, a two-week introductory module is organized in the framework of which the interns are made familiar with European and Austrian issues on the one hand and with the German language on the other hand.

Through this project the interns are able to establish auspicious ties with potential future employers and – as a result – to increase their employability on the Serbian labour market and to gain relevant experiences in an international environment. At the same time the awareness of the potentials of South-Eastern Europe (of Serbia in particular) being on the one hand a promising commercial partner and on the other a source of excellent human capital among the participating Austrian companies and institutions is considerably enhanced and the knowledge transfer between Austria and SEE (Serbia in particular) is encouraged. Simultaneously, by providing young people from Serbia with valuable experiences in an EU member state, the pro-European ideas in the country is supported and the potentials of Serbia as a possible future member of the EU is spread among the Serbian population.

Experiencing Europe is designed and implemented under the auspices of the Dr. Zoran Đinđić Fund, prepared and implemented by WUS Austria, and financed by the ADC.