CorD Magazine No.137

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Get Ready!

Saturday 16th April 2016

Belgrade Marathon

Become a Master of Charity!

For the 10th consecutive year, the Belgrade Marathon and CorD magazine will be holding the CorD Charity Masters – a race in which it is more important to be charitable than finish first.

The Charity Masters race will take place in correspondence with the upcoming 29th Belgrade Marathon, to be staged on Saturday 16th April 2016.

We are inviting you to run (or stroll if you so desire) at least 5km to raise money for the charity of your choice.

Over the last seven years, runners in the CorD Charity Masters have raised more than â‚Ź137,000, which has been donated to more than 50 institutions and individuals in need.

HOW TO RAISE FUNDS Each participant should secure sponsorship of at least RSD 400 for every kilometre they run during the race.

HOW TO MAKE A PAYMENT Donations should be paid either to CorD’s special account or directly onto the accounts of the organisations you wish to benefit from your donation.

WHERE TO DONATE Race participants have complete freedom to choose any humanitarian organisation they wish to support. Every CorD Charity Master will receive a certificate and a commemorative T-shirt as proof of their participation.

The results of the race and details of funds raised will be published in CorD magazine, as well as on www.expat.rs and www.cordmagazine.com, while the formal presentation of donations by teams will feature in the June 2016 issue of CorD.

FAQS • How can I apply to compete in the CorD Charity Masters?

- Send an email to office@aim.rs or a fax to (+381) 11 2450 122 with a completed registration form. The closing date for registration is 13th April.

• Who checks how many kilometres have been completed by runners?

- This is a charity race, with each runner expected to calculate the length of their own race. In addition, special judges will be tasked with assisting for half- and full-marathon runners.

• How does one become a sponsor or obtain a sponsor?

- Sponsors can be any individual, company, organisation, association or mission that agrees to pay the runner. Sponsors can also include work colleagues who are willing to collect funds for the charity of your choice. You can obtain sponsorship within your company or from family members, friends etc., whoever wants to join the race. CorD magazine will sponsor the first 10 runners who apply.

• How many participants can compete in the CorD

Charity Masters?

- In agreement with the organisers of the 29th Belgrade Marathon, all participants who apply for the CorD Charity Masters will be accepted.

• Is there a minimum sponsorship level per kilometre?

- The amount of money individuals give to charity is not always the most important factor. Accordingly, there is no set minimum - though RSD400 per km is recommended.

• What percentage of the money raised goes to charity?

- All money raised goes to charity.

• Will CorD Charity Masters run alongside other Belgrade Marathon participants?

- Yes. Members of the CorD Charity Masters team will start the race at the same time as all other runners competing in the 29th Belgrade Marathon.

MORE INFO www.cordmagazine.com

COVER DAVID MCALLISTER, European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia

Now Comes the Harder Part: IMPLEMENTING EU VALUES

CONTENTS

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Along with Serbia’s progress in opening chapters – with 23 and 24 being the next in line – the question of successful implementation of the commitments accepted – in terms of negotiations with Kosovo, foreign policy alignment with the EU and putting adopted laws into practice, including those that secure media freedom – is becoming the key to successful EU integration

REFORMS HAVE BEGUN, TOUGHEST YET TO COME

Professor Dejan Šoškić, Ph.D., Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade

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NOW COMES THE HARDER PART: IMPLEMENTING EU VALUES

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FACES & PLACES

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REALITY TV IS HERE TO STAY

David McAllister, European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia

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IN SERBIA WE FOUND PARTNERS AND FRIENDS Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber

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Reality Culture

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PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA

GLOBAL DIARY

I CAN’T RECALL A SINGLE DAY WITHOUT DANCE

SERBIA GRABS GLOBAL TRENDS

Aja Jung, Ballerina and Director of the Belgrade Dance Festival

Focus

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CULTURE CALENDAR

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

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FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME Mark Pullen

Ilija Dragišić, partner & COO at Buildcon

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BALKAN STATES AGREE FURTHER STEPS TO TURN AWAY MIGRANTS

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CHILL OUT

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WATCH INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE Preview: Baselworld 2016

Migrant crisis

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Fashion

A STRONG PORTFOLIO IS OUR ACE Andrej Beslać, CEO at Carlsberg Serbia Group

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WINNING COMBINATION

BEAUTIFUL SMILE – MORE THAN HEALTH Dr Igor Ristić

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AFTER WORK

MEN’S SPRING FASHION TRENDS Fashion

Goran Reljić, General Manager, Dkfm.L.Tenczer GesmbH

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SPRING FASHION TRENDS: LIGHT FABRICS AND SOFT TONES

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GOOD THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON

March 2016 EDITOR: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs ART DIRECTOR: Jasmina Laković j.lakovic@aim.rs CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Mirjana Jovanović, Miša Brkić, Radmila Stanković, Steve MacKenzie, Zorica Todorović Mirković, Sonja Ćirić EDITORIAL MANAGER: Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen TRANSLATION: Snežana Bjelotomić, MRP Editorial PROJECT MANAGERS: Biljana Dević, b.devic@aim.rs Aleksandra Ebilji, a.ebilji@aim.rs Ljiljana Knežević, lj.knezevic@aim.rs Dragana Radović, d.radovic@aim.rs Nataša trifunović, n.trifunovic@aim.rs EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs GENERAL MANAGER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs FINANCIAL DIRECTOR: Dragana Skrobonja d.skrobonja@aim.rs OFFICE MANAGER: Svetlana Petrović s.petrovic@aim.rs PRINTING: Rotografika d.o.o.

Segedinski put 72, Subotica CorD is published by: alliance international media Makenzijeva 67, 11111 Belgrade 17, PAK 126909, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 2450 508 Fax: +(381 11) 2450 122 E-mail: cordeditorial@cma.rs www.cordmagazine.com www.allianceinternationalmedia.com ISSN no: 1451-7833 All rights reserved alliance international media 2016

Sonja Novaković, Senior Officer for Administration and Marketing at Mirabank

Subscribe NOW and save 10% 11 ISSUES FOR ONLY €39 Call our subscription line +381 11 2450-508, 2450-122 6 |

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COMMENT

Reforms Have Begun,

Toughest Yet to Come Serbia made its last standby arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in early 2015. With this programme our country committed to making significant progress in three important areas: (1) restoring the sustainability of public finances; (2) increasing the stability and resilience of the financial sector; and (3) implementing comprehensive structural reforms aimed at increasing employment and again achieving sustainable high economic growth

BY PROFESSOR DEJAN ŠOŠKIĆ, Ph.D., Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade

T

he first job, i.e. the task of restoring the sustainability of growth and employment. We started this part last year with the adoppublic finances, is an activity aimed at stopping Serbia in its tion of the Strategy for Resolving Problem Loans and special diagnostic tracks and diverting it from the road to public debt crisis, i.e. testing of banks. Certain corrections were also made to tax regulations potential bankruptcy. It practically started last year with the to encourage the writing off of non-performing loans. However, unreductions in wages and pensions, and its initial results are relativefortunately, almost nothing has been done in the area of Dinarisation. ly encouraging – the budget deficit has reduced in the previous year.

Much still needs to be done throughout this entire area, regarding acHowever, at the same time, part of this reduction is due to a lack of the tivities linked to problematic loans and bank regulations, if we want to realisation of the kinds of investments in infrastructure which, by defisee higher rates of economic growth based on higher lending activinition, can raise economic activity. ties. And this is a serious job that still awaits our country in the future.

What it is very important to understand is that the job we started The third part of the programme relates mostly to structural remust continue in the coming years, because our debt to GDP ratio conforms, and primarily concerns the reform and streamlining of public entinues to grow. Since the beginning of 2012, it has increased from the terprises and improving conditions for doing business. This in itself allevel of around 45 per cent to over 75 per cent today, with a tendency so includes the comprehensive institutional strengthening of the ecofor further growth. Hence, further streamlining budgetary expenditure nomic system. This part of the job is probably the most difficult and is necessary, though with simultanetakes time, but with the exception of ously greater investment in the counimproving labour legislation, which We should not exclude the try’s capital infrastructure. In this arhappened more than a year ago, little possibility of a subsequent ea we should implement the reorganhas been done to date in this area. consolidated submission of the isation and rationalisation of the pubThe current IMF mission has come report to the Executive Board lic services, which is mainly still just beto assess the results of the implemening announced. However, in order to retation of the agreed programme. It of Directors of the IMF relating ally redirect Serbia away from the path is certain to insist on results from all to both this mission and the leading to a public debt crisis, it is necthree areas, particularly from the Third next, which can be expected essary to create conditions and enfields, relating to the structural reforms in late spring, i.e. after the sure higher economic growth, because that we have done the least work on so it is only with higher GDP growth that far. Difficulty in the implementation of parliamentary elections we can expect a decline in the relative this programme certainly lies in the fact share of debt in GDP, and a gradual return to the zone of sustainably that the political cycle is interrupted and that parliamentary elections low public debt. And here we should have no misconceptions: the raare expected. In such circumstances, the IMF, as a rule, refrains from tionalisation of public expenditure does not, in and of itself, necessarily extensive public communication regarding the implementation of the lead towards economic growth. programme, in order to avoid the potential use of their views in the poIt is precisely in the interests of encouraging economic growth that litical election process. For this reason, it is realistic to expect that this serious work must be undertaken on two other elements of the provisit of the IMF mission passed relatively quietly, but their findings will gramme with the IMF. The second part of the programme, as it was inistill certainly be important for our country. We should not exclude the tially established, emphasises the resolving of problematic loans in the possibility of a subsequent consolidated submission of the report to banking sector and reduction of the Euroisation of the domestic finanthe Executive Board of Directors of the IMF relating to both this mission cial system, i.e. encouraging Dinarisation. The aim of this part of the and the next, which can be expected in late spring, i.e. after the parliaprogramme is to reduce banking sector risks and promote the growth mentary elections. The reforms have been initiated, but the main reof the crediting activity of banks, as the main motor of economic form tasks, and the toughest, are still ahead of us. ■

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INTERVIEW

Now Comes the Harder Part:

IMPLEMENTING EU VALUES DAVID MCALLISTER EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RAPPORTEUR FOR SERBIA

Along with Serbia’s progress in opening chapters – with 23 and 24 being the next in line – the question of successful implementation of the commitments accepted – in terms of negotiations with Kosovo, foreign policy alignment with the EU and putting adopted laws into practice, including those that secure media freedom – is becoming the key to successful EU integration

EXCLUSIVE

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une sounds like a realistic timeframe for Serbia to open rule of law chapters 23 and 24, confirms David McAllister, European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, in this interview for CorD following the European Parliament’s adoption of the resolution on Serbia that he proposed. This generally very positive resolution

TEST

RUSSIA

KOSOVO

Serbia has adopted important reforms.

Now the thorough implementation of legislation and policies remains a key indicator of a successful integration process

The European Parliament has called on Serbia to progressively align its foreign and security policy with that of the EU, including its policy on Russia. Therefore a gradual alignment is requested

The formation of the Association/ Community of Serbian Municipalities forms a key part of the Brussels Agreement. Both sides should foster its implementation

clearly states that Serbia’s EU accession process is close- The rule of law chapters 23 and 24 should be opened as soon as possible in order to help Serbia to continue on ly linked to the normalisation of relations with Kosovo, its path towards the European Union. I believe that the and that, in the long run, Serbia should align its foreign opening of these chapters in June is realistic. policy with that of the EU, including its policy on Russia.

As the process of opening chapters progresses, so implementation of legislation and policies becomes the key indicator of Serbia’s successful integration process. Chapters 23 and 24 are particularly challenging, as they must secure respect for the rule of law and protect citizens, businesses, state institutions and the economy from crime, says McAllister.

However, he notes, the major challenge in Serbia’s EU integration process is for citizens in Serbia to acknowledge the human side of things – that the path towards the EU means progress towards a society in which respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights are the most cherished and guarded values.

“These are values which are positive for every society and its citizens,” The biggest and most says the EP’s rapporteur for Serbia.

■ Could negotiations on these ■ The European Parliament recently

adopted the resolution on Serbia that you had proposed. Are you satisfied with the final outcome, given that the first version of your text was subjected to 190 amendments?

important challenge of the EU integration process is to convince Serbian citizens that EU accession is not about politicians negotiating behind closed doors.

Our EU accession is about people

- Yes. The European Parliament adopted a balanced and realistic resolution on Serbia. All 751 members of the European Parliament are entitled to table amendments. That said, and compared to other reports and resolutions, 190 amendments aren’t many.

■ The resolution recognises Serbia’s efforts to fulfil the criteria for EU membership. Do you believe that, as you suggested, negotiating chapters 23 and 24 will be opened by June?

chapters, which are believed to be the most difficult, help in the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, which are identified in the resolution as problem areas requiring more progress in Serbia?

- The negotiations of chapters 23 and 24 cover a wide variety of aspects of justice, domestic security, fundamental rights and the fight against corruption and organised crime.

These chapters are to be opened early in the process and closed at the end, to allow maximum time for solid track records to develop with the aim of reforms being irreversible. When countries respect the rule of law, their citizens, businesses, state institutions, and the economy as a whole, are protected from crime.

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Furthermore, there is no functioning state without an independent judiciary. Serbia has adopted important reforms. Now the thorough implementation of legislation and policies remains a key indicator of a successful integration process.

■ The European Parliament

shares the view that Serbia’s EU integration process should be linked to and dependent on progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. How would you evaluate the current state of that process?

- Serbia’s EU accession process is linked closely to the normalisation of relations with Kosovo. Serbia is engaged in the normalisation process and finalised key agreements on 25th August 2015. These agreements marked another significant step forward towards further normalising relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Both sides must now move forward with the full implementation of all agreements already reached, in good faith and in a timely manner.

■ The government in Pris-

- Kosovo applied for UNESCO membership to become its 196th member.

This objective could not have been reached in the framework of the BelgradePristina dialogue. At this stage, it is important that Kosovo’s failed bid for membership does not hamper the dialogue. Moreover, cooperation and efforts for the protection of cultural heritage must continue.

■ Were EU members there-

Chancellor Merkel is a reliable partner for transit countries like Serbia and promotes an effective, fair and sustainable mechanism within the EU for burden sharing with regard to asylum-seekers and refugees on our continent

tina has not satisfied its obligation to create conditions for the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, a fact that has caused discontent in Belgrade. Serbian officials have stated that the reaction from Brussels to such a violation of the agreement has been mild. What do you think about that?

- The European Parliament’s resolution on Serbia, as well as the resolution on Kosovo, clearly state that both sides have to implement previously reached agreements. The formation of the Association/Community of Serbian Municipalities forms a key part of the Brussels Agreement. Both sides should foster its implementation.

■ During the European Parliamentary debate on the Res-

olution on Serbia it was suggested that Belgrade should 12 |

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not have blocked Kosovo’s admission into UNESCO. In response, officials in Belgrade asked why EU member states supported Kosovo’s attempt to take the cultural heritage debate to this UN organisation, while a comprehensive dialogue about these relations is being simultaneous led under the auspices of the EU. Could this not have been a topic for one of the rounds of the talks in Brussels?

by showing their strong support for Kosovo’s independence, despite the status-neutral dialogue in Brussels? It seems that all dialogue ultimately boils down to the issue of recognising the independence of Kosovo?

- Due to five member states (Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Greece and Cyprus) not recognising Kosovo’s independence, this issue remains at the centre of controversial debates; also in the European Parliament.

The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is about the comprehensive normalisation of relations. This is the term used in the conclusions of the European Council and in the negotiation framework. At the end of the negotiations, a legally-binding agreement has to be reached.

■ This time you have once again not missed the chance

to draw the attention of Serbia to the need to harmonise its foreign policy with that of the EU, especially when it comes to the relationship with Russia. If this is an obligation that should be implemented gradually, ending with membership in the EU – which is still a long way off

for Serbia, why are you so insistent on this issue?

signal. The resolution is very clear on this: “[The European Parliament...] considers conducting joint Serbia Russia military exercises as regrettable”.

- The European Parliament calls in its resolution on Serbia to progressively align its foreign and security policy with that of the EU, including its policy on Russia. We ■ You have warned about the problems facing the mehave therefore made it clear that a gradual alignment dia in Serbia and stated that freedom of expression must is requested. However, EU not be undermined. Do you accession is a process and see willingness among the Media freedom is a constituent requirements cannot be members of the governelement of democracy that cannot met overnight. ment with whom you con■ In the resolution you sug-

be achieved merely by adopting laws. It is also about creating a friendly environment for an independent media

gest that a single military exercise with Russia was particularly concerning, even though there have been numerous examples of military cooperation between Serbia and NATO. Why is this so important?

- Serbia’s cooperation with NATO is most welcome and I am aware that Serbia has traditionally strong ties with Russia. However, after the illegal annexation of Crimea

by Russia and the events in eastern Ukraine, SerbianRussian joint military exercises don’t send out the right

verse regularly to devote attention to these shortcomings?

- The Serbian Parliament has adopted very good media laws that now need to be implemented. However, media freedom is a constituent element of any democracy that cannot be achieved merely through the adoption of laws. It is also about creating a friendly environment for an independent media.

■ Will the European Parliament monitor election processes in Serbia and, if so, how?

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- I expect the procedure to be the same as during the early parliamentary elections in March 2014. At that time, following an official invitation from the Serbian authorities and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE deployed a limited election observation mission to monitor the elections.

■ The Government of Serbia received praise from the EP for its approach to the migrant problem and you have proposed a continuation of the financial assistance for accommodating and handling refugees.

What do you expect from Serbia in this area?

■ Is it possible that Germany could change its position on the further acceptance of refugees and close its borders?

- Many proposals are on the table. I am convinced that the German Federal Government will find a way to reduce the influx of migrants while at the same time fulfilling its legal and humanitarian obligations.

■ To what extent has the Schengen Zone come under threat and are we approaching a juncture at which some EU members, like Greece, or EU candidate states, like Serbia, could find themselves omitted from this socalled visa-free regime?

- In recent months, the flow of refugees and migrants has reached an unprecedented scale. Many refugees enter the European Union via the “Western Balkan route”, passing through Macedonia and Serbia. I would like to commend the efforts of the Serbian government, as well the Serbian people, to cope with this extraordinary situation. Better sooner than later, Serbia should be part of a common European solution.

■ The wave of refugees also caused problems in your country – not only in terms of security, but also on the political front. To what extent has the influx of refugees impacted negatively on the popularity of Chancellor Merkel?

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The European Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. These are values that are positive for every society and its citizens

- In 2015 some 1.1 Million migrants and refugees came to Germany. This is unprecedented and many citizens worry how our country can cope with the persisting influx. Chancellor Merkel is working hard to find sustainable political solutions in regions in conflict, such as Iraq, Syria or Libya. She is a reliable partner for transit countries like Serbia and promotes an effective, fair and sustainable mechanism within the European Union for burden sharing with regard to asylumseekers and refugees on our continent. Only a common European solution can provide the answer to the diverse internal and external cross-border challenges we face.

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- On a continent where nations once shed blood to defend their territories, today borders only exist on maps.

The creation of the Schengen area is one of the greatest achievements of the EU. It should be irreversible. A Europe without internal borders brings huge benefits to our daily lives, to our societies and to the economy. We ought to remain committed to Schengen but, as a consequence, our external EU borders must be secured in a more effective way. That would obviously also be beneficial for Serbia. Visa liberalisation for Serbia was an important step for the country on its path towards the European Union and is not brought into question.

■ In Serbia there is great ap-

preciation for your positive intentions and friendly attitude towards the country for which you are EP rapporteur. You say that Serbia is faced by years of hard work.

In your opinion, what will be the biggest challenges as the EU integration process advances?

- The biggest and most important challenge is to convince Serbian citizens that EU accession is not about politicians negotiating behind closed doors. Our EU accession is about people. The European Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. These are values that are positive for every society and its citizens. ■

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INTERVIEW

In Serbia We Found

PARTNERS AND FRIENDS CHRISTOPH LEITL PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTRIAN FEDERAL ECONOMIC CHAMBER

Serbia is on the road to the EU, and on that road it needs investment and support, and we will do everything to help, because we are part of the European family. Austrian companies in Serbia have met with trust and readiness for long-term partnership. It is also important that people in Serbia have confidence and corresponding expectations of us, which we want to satisfy

E

ven though the two most important topics of the recent Austrian economic meeting in Belgrade were two messages of foreign minister Sebastian Kurz on sharing the burden of the refugee crisis on the Balkan route leading to Austria and Austrian assistance to Serbia in the accelerated opening of chapters, other messages were heard at the event that are equally, if not more, important in the long-term, such as the unbroken interest of the Austrian economy to maintain the position of number one investor in Serbia and selfless assistance in the transfer of knowledge – including, amongst others, through assistance in establishing a new system for the functioning of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and creating a solid foundation for the introduction of dual education. “In Serbia we have found partners and friends,” said Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, in this interview for CorD, thus summarising in one short sentence the depth and solidity of Serbian political and economic links to Austria.

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February’s joint arrival in Serbia of Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz and Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, also represented an example of the joint appearance of Austria’s economic and diplomatic missions, which has made this small country a large exporter with a network of 110 offices that – according to the standards of the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation – is considered the world’s best organised chamber network. This was also among the topics CorD discussed in this interview with Mr Leitl.

“We at the chamber are responsible for economic policy, but we also have a close and direct relationship with Austria’s diplomatic network, and this can be seen in the example of this visit, explains Leitl. “We came here together to produce something good. Austria is a small country and we must join forces in order to succeed.”

During the visit of this senior Austrian delegation, Minister Kurz and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić presented an action plan for cooperation between the two countries in the current year, which envisages Vienna’s continued official support for Belgrade on the road to the EU, with the aim of opening further chapters, as well as continuing cooperation with regard to the refugee crisis.

According to the joint action plan, 2016 will be used to open a large

INVESTOR

SUPPORT

SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP

More than 500 Austrian companies are present in Serbia, with total investment of €2.7 billion in the last 14 years. According to the statistics of the National Bank of Serbia, Austria is the biggest investor in Serbia

Austria has 110 offices all over the world and if some Austrian company needs contacts, information, preparations for making a deal or support in the realisation of works, our missions are there to support them

Thanks to social partnerships with trade union organisations, we negotiate each year with a variety of industries on salary increases, so that part of the profits of enterprises are transferred to employees

number of further chapters, especially 23 (fundamental rights) and 24 As far as the reform of the chamber system in Serbia is concerned, (justice, freedom and security), but also chapters 5 (public procure“through compulsory membership in the Chamber you can expect Serbia ment), 15 (energy), 25 (science and research) and 26 (education and to have a much better position at the European level. This is an extremely culture), as well as the continuation of regimportant point in this process that you can ular bilateral political consultations at the count on in the coming years”, says Leitl.

Through compulsory deputy foreign ministers’ level.

Our interlocutor expects the Chamber membership in the Chamber In the context of further European to be a strong and eloquent fighter when it you can expect Serbia to integration, the role of the Serbian Chamcomes to the reduction of bureaucratic obhave a much better position ber of Commerce and Industry is also exstacles, while on the other side it is expected at the European level. This is to support the government in the process of tremely important and it will – with the help of the transfer of the knowhow of the an extremely important point implementing the reform agenda.

Austrian Chamber – play a significant role The action plan envisages support in in this process that you can in paving the way for the economic policy the development of dual education. A Memcount on in the coming years orandum of Understanding was officially of Serbia in the EU. “It’s important for us to signed by Serbian Minister of Education, provide appropriate assistance and support to countries that want to build economic policy structures, and in Science and Technological Development, Srđan Verbić, Minister Kurz that we make our experience and knowledge fully available,” says Leitl. and the presidents of the chambers of commerce of the two countries,

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Marko Čadež and Leitl.

Asked how satisfied the Austrian Chamber is with the initial results of the experimental stage of the introduction of dual education in Serbia, in which it was involved, Leitl stated briefly that we are only at the beginning of this process, but that it is also extremely important for Austrian companies whose investments would not be sustainable if they were not supported by the appropriate qualified staff, but also for Serbia, because more investment and new jobs means prosperity for the whole society.

More than 500 Austrian companies are present in Serbia and –

- Austria has 110 offices all over the world and if some Austrian company needs contacts, information, preparations for making a deal or support in the realisation of works, our missions are there to support them. We have one such representative office here in Belgrade. For such a developed network of representative offices ready to provide assistance to companies, we gained recognition from the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation that our network is the best in the world. Thanks to that, we can at any time support our small businesses, with minimal costs and maximum efficiency.

■ Does this mean then that the chamber has a large database of contacts? How much of a priority is this area for investment and development, and can the Austrian Federal Chamber be considered the most powerful representative of the state in terms of economic diplomacy?

- My answer to both questions is – yes. We insist on that and we do have such a database. We also have a lot of people on the ground that are present on the scene, and these people, representatives of the chamber in different countries have also, one could say, embedded their roots here in Serbia too, and the fruits of their work are placed at the disposal of Austrian companies.

As for economic diplomacy, yes, we are responsible for the economic policy part, but we also have close and direct cooperation with Austria’s diplomatic network, which can be seen in the example of this visit to Belgrade, because at the same time with me here is the Austrian minister of foreign affairs, who heads this diplomatic network, and myself, on the other hand, as the head of the economic policy side. We came here together to create something good. Austria is a small country and we have to join forces in order to succeed.

■ How important is the kind of transfer of knowledge established between with total investment of €2.7 billion in In a country where Austria the Austrian Federal Chamber and the the last 14 years – Austria is, according to is the number one investor Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the statistics of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), the biggest investor in Serbia, Industry within the framework of the we are obliged to enable which is proof that Austrian companies companies that have invested activities of the Austrian chamber? have a lot of confidence in this country, - It’s important for us to provide approprihere to obtain the appropriate ate assistance and support to countries that says Leitl speaking to CorD. professional personnel that want to build economic policy structures, and The desire of both parties is for the foreign trade exchange that is balanced (in they need, while on the other in that we make our experience and knowledge fully available. And in a country where 2015 Serbia exported goods worth €306 side further developing that Austria is the number one investor we are million Austria, with imports totalling country’s education and also obliged to, on the one hand, enable comaround €480 million) to be raised from training system panies that have invested here to obtain the around €800 million in both directions to appropriate professional personnel that they around a billion euros. need, for example in the IT sector, while on the other side further developing Leitl also attended the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Geography and Vocathat country’s education and training system. Because, what’s the point in all tional Higher School of IMC University from Krems, Austria. these investments the economic and social aspects are not successful if in the “Serbia is on the road to the EU, and on that road it needs investment country where we are present? and support, and we will do everything to help, because we are part of the European family and we want to invest together, in order to be more ■ How satisfied are you with the current pace of knowledge successful on the global market,” says Leitl. transfer of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce in the process of reform of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia. What exactly ■ How does the chamber’s assistance to companies look in can we expect from these changes? practice when it comes to increasing their exports?

- You can expect a stronger companion for the Serbian economy that will 18 |

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certainly represent the interests of this economy, and will raise its voice in order to ease procedures and reduce bureaucracy. Through compulsory membership in the Chamber, you can expect a much better position for Serbia at the European level. This is an extremely important point in this process that you can count on in the coming years.

to reduce taxes. And when it comes to the other element, we do not go for increasing efficiency through the reduction of wages, because cutting salaries would also mean reducing purchasing power and that would not lead us in a positive direction.

■ How has Austria resolved the issue of the shared interests of central and regional chambers of commerce? In Serbia today regional chambers operate very independently. How possible will that be after reform has been carried out according to the Austrian model?

- First, the presidents of regional chambers are represented in the federal chamber and they make decisions together that then apply to all. Secondly, our regional chambers are also very independent and that does not represent a problem at all, because their tasks are clearly divided.

Provincial and regional chambers are primarily tasked with being a service for members and establishing direct contact with companies, while the federal chamber is responsible for representing interests at the federal level in the field of legislation, The joint arrival of the heads of as a representative of the Austrian economy in Europe, but also in all Austrian diplomacy and the federal matters concerning foreign trade reeconomic chamber is an example of lations and exports.

■ In this context, and the context of this economic gathering, how would you evaluate the interest of Austrian companies in this market?

- The fact that Austria is the number one investor in Serbia confirms the interest of Austrian companies in this market. In Serbia we have found partners and friends, and that is very important for the economy – trust and readiness for long-term partnership. Austrian companies in Serbia have come across both of these elements to a large extent. It is also equally important that people in Serbia have confidence and corresponding expectations of us that we want to fulfil.

■ How do negotiations between the Chamber and the Government look, given that one represents narrower interests – of the business community the joint action of these two networks – which are not always in line – diplomatic and political. “We came ■ How are possible disputes with the interests represented here together to produce something resolved in such a system? For by the government – namely example, in Serbia local governthe wider interests of society? good,” says Leitl ments and their chambers are - General wellbeing is dependent engaged in attracting the same foreign investors and their inon economic development and this is an area where the economy and terests are conflicting. the government do not differ. The government and the business community are both interested in growth and employment, because that means - The fact that there is a fight over investors is not a bad thing, quite the contrary. We live in an era of market economy and competition is its natural elewe will have more revenue for the country. Moreover, thanks to social ment. We also have that in Austria, where individual federal states compete partnerships with employees and their trade union organisations, we over where to locate some foreign investment. But at the end of the day a negotiate each year with a variety of industries on salary increases, so decision on that will be made by the investor and not the chamber, and from that part of the profits of enterprises are transferred to employees and that side there is no reason for conflict. the growth of the welfare of the whole society.

■ Was that also the case when you debated the flexibility of ■ In the context of all these changes, how would you assess the jobs and the possible lowering of wages in order to increase current success of dual education, in which Austrian compaflexibility, or in the event of the redistribution of the tax burden nies also participate successfully? from the economy to the whole population?

- We are at the beginning, as always in life – we are always at the begin- Regarding the latter, you’re quite right. Our government is also very ning. I cannot say whether I am satisfied or dissatisfied. ■ restrained regarding this issue, although in many areas it was necessary

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HOPE

GLOBAL DIARY

“In a world which yearns not only for our words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill!” - Pope Francis

BRITISH MPS PANCAKE RACE ▶ British parliamentarians and journalists took part in the

19th Annual Parliamentary Shrove Tuesday pancake race at the Houses of Parliament. The race was held in Victoria Tower Gardens, close to London’s Houses of Parliament.

This event can get pretty tense and the competition this year was again fierce. According to the strict rules of the competition, contestants had to complete a lap of Victoria Tower Gardens without dropping their pancake while wearing an apron and hat to be in with a chance of winning the prestigious Magnificent Tin Cup. Labour MP for Ealing, Steve Pound, captain of the House of Commons Team, claimed victory. The race was sponsored by Rehab, a charity that works to empower people living with disabilities to be more independent.

TWITTER TAKES ACTION AGAINST TERRORISTS

SUPERDRY FOUNDER TO SELL OFF €70MLN TO 'PAY FOR DIVORCE' ▶ Founder of Superdry, Julian Dunkerton, is to sell of €70 million of shares to ‘pay for his divorce’.

Dunkerton, from Cheltenham, UK set up his fashion chain eleven years ago. It will be the first time he has sold shares in the company since it was listed on the stock market six

▶ Last month Twitter announced

it would be stepping up its efforts against extremist groups by shutting down 125,000 accounts.

This is the first time Twitter has disclosed how many terrorist promoting accounts it has shut down, Financial Times reports.

In the announcement the company states that 125,000 accounts have been shut down since the middle of 2015, most of them being ISIS-related.“ As the nature of the terrorist threat has changed, so has our ongoing work in this area,” Twitter says in the statement. In order to suspend accounts, Twitter relies on users to flag those that violate the rules.

The company says it has now added staff to the team that then review these accounts.

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years ago. However, he will still be left with a 27 per cent stake in the company worth €374 million - making him the largest shareholder.

SAMI REINDEER HERDERS WON HISTORIC LAND USE CASE ▶ A village of Sweden’s ethnic Sami reindeer herders has won a 30-year legal battle for exclusive rights to hunting and fishing across a swathe of Arctic Sweden. The district court in the Swedish town of Gallivare, 7 miles inside the Arctic Circle, ruled that land use

gion, with about 20,000 thought to live in Sweden. According to the UN, the Sami are the only official indigenous people in Scandinavia.

rights stripped from the tiny Sami village of Girjas in 1993 should be restored.

“It’s a great victory for the Sami population in Sweden,” said Matti Berg, the chairman of the village, The Sami are an ethnic group related to the Finns who have herded reindeer across northern Scandinavia and Russia’s Kola peninsular for thousands of years. There are are approximately 100,000 still living in the re-

TURKISH AIRLINES OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF “BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE” MOVIE

Europe’s Leading Airline announced its partnership with Warner Bros.

LOVE STORY ▶ Toshiyuki Kuroki and Yasuko Kuroki are dairy farmers from

Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan and have been married for 60 years.

After 30 years of marriage, Mrs Kuroki suddenly lost her sight. It was devastating for the couple, who had risen every morning to tend to their cows while bringing up three children.

Depressed, Mrs. Kuroki sealed herself away from the world. Her husband wanted to give her something she could enjoy, and he found the answer after he saw people admiring their pink shibazakura flower. He thought that if he planted more, people would come over to their house to keep his wife company. Moreover, the flower has a sweet scent that she could enjoy. And so he quit his dairy farm and began to plant a garden for her. Soon, the garden began to surround their house. It’s open to the public and attracts thousands of visitors every year. And most importantly, it’s put a smile back on Mrs Kuroki’s face.

BROTHERS

“We are not competitors but brothers, and this concept must guide all our mutual actions as well as those directed to the outside world.” - Orthodox Patriarch Kirill

STORM

“The times we live in are stormy and unpredictable, with all the crises raging around us.” - Donald Tusk, President of the European Council

DELHI TO HOST WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL ▶ The World Culture Festival 2016 is a celebration of The Art of

Living’s 35 years of service, humanity, spirituality and human values. It will take place on March 11-13 in New Delhi, India. The festival will celebrate the diversity in cultures from across the world while simultaneously highlighting the unity as a human family. Spread over a venue of 1000 acres and expected to be attended by 3.5 million people from 155 countries, the World Culture Festival will be one of the biggest cultural gatherings in the recent times.

It will have a seven acre stage to seat artistes, dignitaries and guests with an objective to bring a wide variety of music, dance and other art forms from India and across the globe on one platform. Also, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will lead a ‘Peace Meditation’ on all three days.

Pictures on the highly anticipated action adventure film which pivotal scene unfolds aboard a 777 Turkish Airlines plane. Iconic Super Heroes will be facing off for the first time on the big screen when the film comes to cinemas worldwide beginning March 25, 2016. Drawing inspiration from the film, Turkish Airlines has created an array of experiences, beginning with an invitation for travelers to “book” flights to two Newest U.S. “Destinations”.

Gotham City and Metropolis.

Turkish Airlines currently flies to 113 countries, more than any other airline, with flights to 284 destinations – now including the home cities of Batman and Superman.

10 Things You Should Know Before Starting Your Business 5. Get Organized.

6. Read Good Books.

7. Meditate.

8. Take Time On Important Decisions.

9. Don’t Assume Things Will Magically Work Out. 10. Keep a records

▶ Here are 10 things you should know before you start your new business adventure.

1. Put Your Family First.

2. Don’t Go Into Debt.

3. Find Mentors.

4. Don’t Work Weekends.

IMF RE-ELECTS LAGARDE

Managing Director Christine Lagarde to a second five-year term, starting on July 5.

Lagarde, the only candidate nominated for the post, was elected “by

▶ The International Monetary Fund on February 19 said its board re-elected

consensus,” the IMF said in a statement. Lagarde, who took over the post in 2011, has overseen an easing of Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and has implemented changes to give greater influence in the Fund to emerging markets including China and Brazil.

RENEWED FATWA ISSUED TO KILL SALMAN RUSHDIE ▶ Threats against British author

Salman Rushdie have been renewed

with the announcement of a $600,000 reward for his assassination by Iranian news outlets. The British Indian author angered some in the Muslim world by writing The Satanic Verses, seen by them as blasphemous.

More than 20 years after the initial demand for his death in February 15 1989, 40 state-run media outlets in Iran have joined together to offer the

reward for his execution. One of the biggest contributors was Fars News Agency, connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which donated one billion Rials (nearly $30,000). This is the biggest push to assassinate Rushdie since the fatwa was first issued in 1989.

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FOCUS

Serbia Grabs

GLOBAL TRENDS Serbia has the potential to grab some global trends when it comes to digitisation, modern agriculture and energy efficiency, becoming a regional leader in air traffic and refraining from counterproductive banking choices

In this Focus we asked general managers of leading companies and banks about the issues that correspond to major global trends and are also reflected on the local Serbian market. We asked bankers whether Serbian banks will follow the trend of their counterparts elsewhere in the world by introducing negative interest rates on savings, and how far we can go with the digitisation of the services banks offer clients. In the same vein, we asked some of the most prominent industry leaders to tell us about Serbia’s prospects for agriculture, air traffic and energy efficiency, through the lens of their everyday experiences of the global and local markets. The answers we received may well serve both their counterparts in the Serbian economy and the broadest public.

TOPIC: NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES & CITIZENS’ SAVINGS

Not an Option for Serbia  Although banks in certain countries have decided to introduce negative interest rates, taking into consideration the conditions on the domestic market, that is not a realistic scenario for Serbia

profitable manner through short-term financing. ntroducing negative interest rates to the When talking about the banks in countries that have decided Serbian financial market would most proto adopt the negative interest-rate strategy, we will see what kind bably cause a decrease in the overall interest in VALERIY OVSYANNIKOV savings, which is not our goal. of outcome these negative interest rates will have on the global EXECUTIVE BOARD economy. It has not only been introduced by European countries Our clients expect a return on their invesCHAIRMAN, SBER BANK SERBIA like Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden, but recently also Japan, tment, at least enough to counter inflationary while the U.S. Federal Reserve effects. AcSystem is about to stress-test a cepting and paying interest on Accepting and paying interest on case scenario in which the inteclient deposits is a basic banking client deposits is a basic banking principle and, as a traditional rest rate on the three-month U.S. principle and, as a traditional bank, bank, we feel obliged to conTreasury bill will be negative in Q2 of 2016, and then drop to -0.5 tinue this tradition. With good we feel obliged to continue this per cent and remain at that level planning, these funds can always tradition until Q1 2019. be disbursed back to clients in a

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TOPIC: REGIONAL RACE IN AIR TRAFFIC

We Have the Most Aces up Our Sleeve  Nikola Tesla Airport is the only airport in the region that will have direct flights to the United States, and that will probably be five flights per week

ith full justification we expect that the numpassengers will continue in 2016, at a rate of about three per cent.

In accordance with responsible business operations, which includes ber of passengers – especially transfer papreparations for the continued expansion of air transport, during the ssengers – will increase substantially. Intensive SAŠA course of this year we will continue the investment cycle started in preparations are underway in cooperation with VLAISAVLJEVIĆ 2015, based on the outstanding financial results achieved in the last national airline Air Serbia and all relevant instituACTING GENERAL DIRECTOR OF two years. In the previous period we also made numerous investments tions, in order for the national carrier to receive BELGRADE NIKOLA TESLA INTERNATIONAL in the adaptation and renovation of infrastructure and the procurefinal approval from the U.S. aviation authorities.

AIRPORT For us, this is an excellent opportunity to repositiment of equipment aimed at increasing passenger comfort and imon ourselves as the most important transit point in this part of Europe. proving services, as well as increasing our operational capacity and This is also an excellent opportunity for business, the economy and commercial content. In addition to striving to provide passengers and tourism, both for Belgrade and Serbia as a whole. airlines with quality service at the level of the best airports, Nikola TeThe number of passengers at Nikola Tesla Airport has increased by sla International Airport is ideally positioned relative to the other airabout 1.7 million in the last six yeports in region, as it sits on the croars, or as much as 54 per cent. The The number of passengers at Nikola ssroads of major aviation routes number of passengers at Nikola between the East and the West.

Tesla Airport in 2015 increased to a Tesla Airport in 2015 increased to The aforementioned argurecord 4.77 million, with a continuing ments give us the right to believe a record 4.77 million, with a contithat the leadership position of Ninuing trend of passenger growth trend of passenger growth by three per cent. Estimates indikola Tesla Airport will continue to by three per cent be a fact in the coming years. cate that growth in the number of

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TOPIC: BANKING SECTOR AND DIGITISATION

Consumers Want the Best of Both Worlds  The digital culture in Serbia doesn’t differ much from the rest of Europe – most notably when it comes to the Millennials generation, who have the same digital habits and preferences worldwide. We are now in the decade when the generation of millennials begins to actively use banking services, which need to be adapted to their tastes, so the digital transformation of banking services is no longer an advantage, but rather will soon become a necessity

redit Agricole Srbija, as the local repretions etc. This means that we have already started redesigning basic sentative of the Credit Agricole Group – processes on the basis of the customer journey methodology /online CHAIRMAN OF THE one of Europe’s leading financial institutions – customer boarding, collection of deposits, lending processes and EXECUTIVE BOARD decided to implement cutting edge banking payment transaction processing.

OF CREDIT AGRICOLE SRBIJA solutions for the local market and offer them In digital transition, as in any other form of transition, it is important to progress step by step and to measure achieved results cato its clients. As one of the main postulates of refully. We have already taken a couple of first steps and, knowing Credit Agricole’s business is to keep customers in the focus and the spirit of people in Serbia and their affinity for new technologies, meet their needs, at the right time and in the right place, digital we can expect digital banking to be accepted as a natural financial banking can be done anytime and anywhere! reality in Serbia in the not-so-distant future.

The bank has already introduced its Cap Digital project, which we Nevertheless, the digitisation of banking services will not reduce have developed with the world’s most prominent consultants. This clients’ need for traditional banproject is increasing the awareness of management and all king practices, on the contrary – it The bank has already introduced its will enable us to provide clients employees regarding digital innovations in the market, as well with more comfort and speed in Cap Digital project, which we have as changes in customers’ expetheir use of financial services, as developed with the world’s most ctations regarding channels, well as new features that traditioprominent consultants nal banking cannot provide. products, transparency of condiBRUNO CHARRIER

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TOPIC: SERBIAN FOOD PRODUCERS AND MULTINATIONAL RETAIL CHAINS

Consolidation Leading to More Competitive Export Prices  Company Delhaize Serbia, owner of retail chains Maxi, Tempo and Shop & Go, cooperates with a large number of domestic producers and always strives, together with them, to respond to the needs of customers with a wide range of products and excellent service

JELENA KNEŽEVIĆ VLAHOVIĆ

order to receive adequate support in the planning of their market s a company that has high safety and qualiperformance and the promotion of their products. ty standards, we demand that manufactuDELHAIZE, VICE Having learned from examples of other markets, I would recomrers respect the production principles that guaPRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF CATEGORY rantee the security and safety of products. This is mend that the state bring together small producers of traditional MANAGEMENT also one of the conditions defining their competiproducts, which have quality, but not enough resources to appear on a market, in order to establish a clustered Serbian Private Brand, tiveness on foreign markets. At the same time, they also have to adjust under which they would jointly perform. In a desire to enable domeconstantly to the needs and desires of consumers in terms of product characteristics, monitoring trends in packaging design and packaging. stic producers to familiarise themselves with business practices in Visits to international trade fairs, seminars or retail chains is also other countries and present their services, we have organised meeimportant. That allows you to get acquainted with new technologies tings with our colleagues who work outside the borders of Serbia that optimise production processes and result in lower costs. In adwithin the Delhaize Group. Likewise, with regular annual audits we work hard to further educate madition, consolidating production can lead to lower cost and thenufacturers and give them some The advice is also for producers recommendations on how to imrefore more competitive export of traditional products to connect prices, in such a way that smaller prove their business processes. In with the state in order to receive domestic manufacturers could this way, they know that they can join forces to perform on the adequate support in the planning of count on our support in finding market. The advice is also for the best ways to increase competheir market performance and the producers of traditional produtitiveness on both the domestic promotion of their products and international markets. cts to connect with the state in

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TOPIC: ENERGY EFFICIENCY & THE DOMESTIC CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

Investors and Citizens Recognise True Benefits  Considering that the greatest part of energy consumption in residential buildings goes for heating and cooling (up to 58 %), it is certain that this topic deserves special attention.

aesthetic demands of investors. As a socially responsible company, Knauf onsidering that the greatest part of energy provides for the continuous education of different target groups, particiconsumption in residential buildings goes for heating and cooling (up to 58 per cent), it is certapating in professional meetings and supporting various projects in energy TODOR efficiency, which allows us to give a boost to improving energy efficiency in in that this topic deserves special attention. Energy DELOVSKI CEO AT KNAUF ZEMUN building management and to become synonymous with the construction efficiency in the construction industry has a great industry regarding this topic. Every day more investors and citizens who impact on the very quality of buildings, energy savinrecognise the benefits of energy efficient building turn to Knauf for help gs and living comfort. This is the reason why Knauf, as a manufacturer of and support in selecting the construction materials, pays special attention to this particular toEvery day more investors and citizens appropriate system for their buildinpic. By developing and producing gs. We approach every request with who recognise the benefits of energy great attention in order to meet the construction materials that repreefficient building turn to Knauf for expectations of investors individusent an integral part of energy-efficient systems, Knauf provides ally, and to help in the realisation of help and support in selecting the systemic solutions that are reliable to improve energy effiappropriate system for their buildings measures and functional, meeting the highest ciency in the construction industry.

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START-UP

Innovative Solutions for

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ILIJA DRAGIŠIĆ PARTNER & COO AT BUILDCON

The idea is for Buildcon to become a standard and powerful tool that really contributes to improving construction projects at the global level. Behind the company’s efforts are two powerful accelerators in the form of Seedcamp and 500Startups, as well as domestic construction companies seeking modern solutions to improve their competitiveness

B

y joining two investment funds, Seedcamp and 500Startups, Buildcon became the second investment in Serbia to succeed in doing that. A decisive role was played by the understanding shown by the people leading these accelerators for the opportunities that the construction industry offers as a solution that this start-up develops. In this interview for CorD, Ilija Dragišić, partner and COO at Buildcon, talks about how, with his classmates and colleagues, he took part in developing the idea of a new tool for improving the management of construction projects.

■ What is at the essence of Buildcon’s applications and what kinds of solutions does it offer?

- Buildcon is a web and mobile application for managing, monitoring and implementing construction site tasks. It enables instant connection between an office and construction site, providing insight into the progress of works and consumption of resources. Using Buildcon eases communication for engineers, as well as monitoring positions, good organisation of documentation in one place and easy availability at any time, via the internet. All this results in easier compiling of reports for a given period chosen by engineers: simply by dragging and 26 |

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dropping photos and adding comments, they can very quickly end up with a finished report, ready for printing or sending via email.

■ How did you come up with the idea to create an application intended for the construction industry, given that the team members come from various branches of industry?

- The idea came from Janko Stojanović, Buildcon director, based on his personal experience and work in the field. This enabled him to realise that certain construction project processes could be improved. His parents are both civil engineers who worked on a number of major projects both in the country and abroad, while his younger brother is studying civil engineering. It could be said that Janko’s daily existence since childhood has been immersed in the theme of construction.

Igor Milanović, Janko Stojanovicćand I are classmates from school, from the 12th Gymnasium High Schools, and for the last five years I have been a partner with Igor in DIMIS, a company for the creation and improvement of brands. During meetings and conversations about how we can cooperate, we came up with the idea of creating Buildcon. Đorđe Filipović, our fourth partner and CTO, is owner of program development company 30 Hills. He joined us at

the stage when it was necessary for that which we had imagined to come to life and gain its own functionality.

■ How would you explain the key advantages of Buildcon in comparison to Oracle Primavera and Microsoft Project?

- Our idea is for Buildcon to be an extended arm for these programs and no kind of substitute. As such, we cannot talk about advantages with respect to them, because they are practically two extremely high quality solutions for shaping project dynamics and it would be tough for anybody to threaten them at some future period. What we do is to import project dynamics into our application from these two programs and we are thus a tool that relies on them and becomes an extended arm on the ground that enables proper documentation and monitoring of resources, in order for such data to be returned at a dynamic whereby engineers then have a clear overview of the progress of their project. They can already see progress through Buildcon, but when the data is sent back they have a better overview of the status of works and that allows them to make the right decisions on time.

tening to advice from the Director of Marketing at Google or Apple’s sales director is a priceless value that these accelerators provide, and therefore being at the centre of the action is the key to the development of products and operations on the international market.

■ You have more than 50 users and clients from different continents. Which would you highlight as being the biggest feather in your cap?

- For now those are mainly medium-sized companies seeking solutions that will improve their operations. I could not mention any famous name, but we are in the process of reaching agreement on cooperation with several large domestic companies.

■ By joining the two investment funds – Seedcamp and 500Startups – you became the second investment in Serbia to succeed at this. How did this process unfold?

- Prior to the Seedcamp and 500Startups accelerators, we participated in several start-up competitions, both in Serbia and abroad, each time improving our presentation. We established contact for 500Startups from San Francisco at the Belgrade Venture Forum, where the mentor of this accelerator, Mr Ed Speigel, who also happens to be a civil engineer, listened to our presentation and immediately understood the essence of our applications and the problems it solves, and we agreed very quickly on the terms of Domestic construction investments. As for the Seedcamp accelerator from companies are more London, they called at the same time as we began than ready to use discussions with San Francisco. We applied for modern solutions in their investment via the website f6s.com, scheduling a Skype interview at which we explained the their operations, and idea and the phase in which we find ourselves, and they recognise that as a at which we agreed to launch cooperation.

■ In addition to the financial aspect, how much can these funds help you develop your product and expand your operations on the international market?

competitive advantage.

We have Buildcon can help them significantly in that respect

- It should be understood that these are not classical investment funds but rather accelerators, and these are exactly the type of investors who invest in the early stage, when a business itself is underdeveloped and its survival is uncertain. That requires a lot of courage, but the principle according to which they work is such that, in addition to cash investments, they organize daily intensive training programmes and work with mentors over a period of three to four months, thereby reducing the risk for their investment. For example, 500Startups has mentors who have worked, or currently work, for the biggest technology companies and most successful start-ups in the world, and that happens every day during the duration of the programme. Lis-

Our assumption that companies that do not represent large systems will more easily accept our solution, and be willing to work with us to improve the app and share their user experience, proved to be correct. I think this is a good and safe way for our product to come to fruition fully and add value to our clients.

■ What about domestic investors? To what extent are local investors considering investing in start-ups as pos-

sible profitable ventures?

- Domestic investors exist and certainly invest in start-ups. People who have had contact with the IT sector are more likely to opt for this type of investment, although of course not all startup companies are IT-orientated. Both domestic and foreign funds monitor the start-up scene in Serbia and seek companies in which they could invest. If an individual investor has no contact with start-ups, they can always invest their money in these funds, which further allocate funds and select the best opportunities for investment. I would hereby like to encourage investors to invest in domestic companies, because they really have fantastic ideas that have global potential.

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■ How important is the IT sector and the creation of start-ups as the bearer of innovation and the creation of added value, i.e., the country’s GDP? What do statistics in Serbia show?

■ What is the response of companies in our country, given the situation in the construction industry? Do they recognise the ben-

- I think it’s very important, because the vast majority of IT companies in Serbia are export-orientated, which has a direct impact on increasing the country’s GDP. I also think that the highest average salary in Serbia is in the IT sector and in this way and living standards are raised. What is important for any country is the knowledge that its people possess; it’s incredibly important to constantly learn and invest in education, because knowledge is what separates the successful from the unsuccessful, and enables the application of intelligent solutions that contribute to the advancement and development of business and, ultimately, society as a whole.

- Our companies are, for now, at an advantage in comparison to foreigners, at least as far as Buildcon users are concerned. This is a result of our decision to initially focus our promotional activities on the region. In discussion with Serbian companies, we concluded that they are more than ready to use modern solutions in their operations, and they recognise that as a competitive advantage, and it is crucial to be as competitive as possible in a situation where the real estate market is stagnating. Buildcon can be just the solution that will improve the process of communicating and monitoring activities on the ground, and ultimately save time and money. And in that way companies are able to optimise their prices and adapt them to market conditions.

efits of your software?

■ Are you planning new projects and will they be directed towards the same industry?

- For the next two years we will be focused fully on the development and improvement of our products. We have a plan whereby functionalities are next in line for us to implement in Buildcon.

Likewise, on the other side we listen to and gauge any feedback from our users and want Buildcon to progress in the direction of easing the work of engineers on construction sites. The idea is for Buildcon to become a standard and powerful tool that really contributes to improving construction projects at the global level.

■ Considering previous experiences to date, what advice would you give to young people who are trying to offer their own ideas to the market through start-ups?

■ How much has yours and Igor’s work at a branding agency contributed to your success?

Our idea is for Buildcon to be an extended arm of Oracle Primavera and Microsoft Project that enables proper organisation of documentation and monitoring of resources, which helps engineers develop a clear overview of the progress of their project on a construction site

- Working at a branding agency is somehow the perfect position for familiarising yourself with various types of businesses and the challenges they face and possible solutions. That’s because in order to create a particular brand you must be well acquainted with the essence of every job. So, that business side helped us a lot when it came to applying some of the solutions when launching the new company. The development of the Buildcon brand itself went through our process of creating brand identity, from brand research, brand positioning and coming up with a name, to creating a visual identity and applying it to business documents, promotional materials and digital media.

I think that this approach helped us make gains on seriousness when it came to presenting our ideas, and that it was a bonus point that contributed to us more easily establishing communication with investors, on the one hand, and users, on the other. It is always good to opt for a disciplined approach and communication with the market, rather than leaving the formation of the brand to chance, if you can influence something and by so doing reduce the risk.

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- As I noted, what makes the difference between successful and not so is knowledge; the more young people educate themselves in the direction they need to develop their own businesses, the easier it will be for them to understand what they need to do in order to be successful. Today knowledge is readily available, with practically everything located on the internet and, provided you have access, you can educate yourself on your own initiative. Most of the challenges you need to face when launching a company have described solutions, and that’s all available online. The advantage of learning via the internet is that it happens in real time and you can instantly share your experience and receive feedback about what functioned and what didn’t. On the other hand, while you learn from books you should consider that someone had to write that book, then it had to be edited and checked, printed and distributed, which takes time until it reaches your hands, and it is possible that a better solution has been found and is under discussion right now. I would conclude that investing time in knowledge and learning via the internet can provide an advantage for young people to make a successful company. ■

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MIGRANT CRISIS

Balkan States Agree Further Steps to Turn Away Migrants Overwhelmed by a wave of refugees and what they call indecision in the EU, Austria and its southern neighbors along the Balkan migrant route agreed to tighter border controls at a meeting held in Vienna on February 24 and warned that sooner or later they will have to shut their doors entirely

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from the meeting of foreign and interior ministers s Vienna pursued measures to stem a flux, but the UN refugee agency said the barriers to in Vienna, held a day before an EU interior miniscontinuing migrant influx, neighbourmovement imposed by Western Balkan states fly ing Hungary’s anti-immigrant govters’ gathering in Brussels. in the face of basic refugee protection rights. ernment announced it would hold a Austria accused Germany of sending mixed “(These) restrictions probably go against referendum on EU plans for mandatory migrant messages on immigration. It said Berlin should deeven European rules and regulations and certainly against basic refugee protection laws,” Filippo cide between backing Greece in letting migrants quotas that it has already rejected.

Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, continue their journeys into Europe and telling othThe moves appeared to deal further blows to a er countries not to let too many people through. told reporters in Athens.

German-led quest for an EU-wide solution to a crisis threatening the bloc’s cohesion, though Austria Austria has mainly served as a conduit into Austria was unrepentant, despite rebukes has argued that what it is doing will spur others to Germany for migrants but has absorbed a simifrom Germany which is pushing for a much-delayed European response to the crisis, including lar number of asylum seekers relative to its much eventually agree a common European strategy. As processing of migrants as they reach Greece and smaller population. migrants cradling young children blocked a motorway in central Greece demanding onward pasan agreement with Turkey to slow the exodus of Public anxiety about the influx has contributsage to Macedonia, Greece’s migration minister ed to a rise in support for the far-right opposition, people from there. said the border crackdown was causing a “mini and Vienna’s coalition government has taken an “There is still no European solution in sight,” humanitarian crisis” on its soil. increasingly hard line on immigration despite iniAustrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz told reporters in Vienna. “For that reason, it is necestially throwing open the country’s borders. Austria Hosting a meeting with Balkan states straddling the main migrant route into the heart of sary for us to take national measures.” announced mid of February that it would limit the Europe, to which Greece was not invited, Austria EU leaders will hold a special migration sumnumber of asylum claims at its southern border, said national controls were necessary in on the main migrant route, to 3,200 and the absence of measures embraced by introduce a daily cap on asylum claims Austria says it is overwhelmed all 28 EU members to stem the tide of there of 80, prompting criticism from the by the influx, but the UN refugee people into Europe from the Middle East European Commission. Kurz complained agency said the barriers to and Africa. A joint statement issued on that Greece had failed to stop migrants movement imposed by Western Feb 24 by the 10 countries in attendance from travelling on towards Austria and in Vienna said participants had agreed to Germany and said a lack of political will Balkan states fly in the face of improve cooperation and turn away “miwithin the EU had prevented the introducbasic refugee protection rights grants not in need of international protion of coordinated bloc-wide measures tection”, though that term was not defined. mit with Turkey on March 7, European Council to deter migrants from coming.

“The migration flow along the Western President Donald Tusk and European Commission “There is no readiness (in Greece) to reduce Balkans route needs to be substantially rePresident Jean-Claude Juncker said on Feb 24. the flow,” Kurz said, describing a recent meetduced,” said the statement by Austria and couning of EU foreign ministers. “The interest on the In Budapest, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said tries along the migrant corridor between it and Greek side is only in transporting refugees as Hungary would hold a referendum on European Greece, such as Serbia and Macedonia. quickly as possible towards central Europe.”

Commission plans for mandatory migrant quotas Austria, last stop on route to Germany for hun“We all believe in a European solution. We are applied to each member state, an initiative his govdreds of thousands of migrants has set off what it ernment has rebuffed. He has said migrant quoalso all working towards a European solution,” tas would redraw the ethnic, cultural and religious calls a “domino effect” of national border controls Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner map of Hungary and Europe. Greece filed a ralimiting the flow of people northwards. The small told reporters. “There is just one question: when re diplomatic protest with Austria for excluding it Alpine republic says it is overwhelmed by the inwill this European solution come?”. ■ 30 |

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MARCH BUSINESS LEADER’S MEETING POINT

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ANDREJ BESLAĆ CEO at Carlsberg Serbia Group

GORAN RELJIĆ General Manager, Dkfm.L.Tenczer GesmbH

A Strong Portfolio is Our Ace

Winning Combination

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DR IGOR RISTIC Centre for Dental Aesthetics and Implantology

Beautiful Smile – More than Health MARCH

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Standard Logistic d.o.o.

Bulevar Milutina Milankovića 25b; 11070 Beograd, Srbija Tel: +(381) 11 41 43 410; Fax: +(381) 11 61 33 192 e-mail: office@standard-logistic.com; www.standard-logistic.com MARCH | 137 | 33

INVESTMENTS

LOCAL

NEWS

“We have improved the business environment and achieved much in the field of encouraging investments - I expect and urge investors to come to Serbia and see for themselves that we are a serious partner.”— DUŠAN VUJOVIĆ, Serbian Finance Minister

NELT

GORENJE

New Member of the UN Global Compact Nelt has joined the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative within the framework of the United Nations Global Compact, which aims to build socially responsible businesses and markets. By becoming its member, Nelt accepts the obligation to harmonise its activities with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

Plans to Expand Production in Valjevo

Gorenje has further plans for the expansion of production capacity in Valjevo and the improvement of manufacture, Franjo Bobinac, the chairman of the

Managing Board and the CEO of Gorenje, said at a meeting with the management of the City of Valjevo.

At the meeting organized to mark the 10th anniversary of Gorenje’s operations in Serbia, Bobinac and Branko Apat, a member of the Gorenje Managing Board, said that they were satisfied with cooperation with Valjevo authorities as well as with the business results of their factory in Valjevo.

WIENER STÄDTISCHE OSIGURANJE

Wiener Städtische Osiguranje has Provided Free Training for Children With Diabetes According to statistical data, Serbia is, unfortu“Nelt’s policy of social responsibility is based on ethical business and the desire to facilitate the creation of a better environment for employees, partners and the wider community, in addition to achieving good business results and a high level of environmental responsibility,” said Marko Milanković, manager for Corporate Communications at Nelt Group.

Marijana Pavlović, President of the Board of the Global Compact in Serbia, said “We are pleased that Nelt has joined the frontline of socially responsible companies and organisations”.

nately, ranked first in Europe in terms of cases of diabetes in children under the age of 14. In view of the important role of physical activity in the prevention and control of this disease, Wiener Städtische osiguranje has supported the project Sport against diabetes. This project will enable children with diabetes to have free training once a week in football, badminton, zumba or kids school of sports. Present at these trainings will be doctors who will provide advice on healthy nutrition to parents and children. These training sessions will be available to primary school pupils in three cities – Kragujevac, Novi Sad and Belgrade, and the project will be implemented by the Sports Club Vašarište from Kragujevac.

Also, the organisers will participate in physical education classes in two primary schools in each of the cities included in this campaign. The goal is to motivate children to regularly attend physical education classes, but also to work on preventing discrimination of these children by their peers and their surroundings. In addition to this, teachers will be educated on the problems of diabetes and how to react if they have in their class children with this condition. In the following years, this project is planned to include a large number of cities in Serbia.

HELLENIC SUGAR

Reducing Pollution While Increasing Competitiveness Based on the agreement between 200 nations at the climate summit in Paris, as well as other international obligations, Serbia plans to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 9.8 per cent, compared with 1990 levels by 2030. The biggest problem in Serbia is the burning of coal, which is used by thermoelectric power plants, but also industry.

Shutting down coal-fired power stations is not an option for now, as it would endanger the country’s energy stability, but coal from industrial plants can certainly be eliminated, and can be done so with significant savings by increasing energy efficiency.

One example is Crvenka Sugar Factory, which operates as part of Greek

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group Hellenic Sugar and was three years ago declared the absolute winner in energy efficiency according to the EBRD. “As a socially responsible company, we pay great attention to environmental protection, and that’s why we use natural gas as our main energy source. We are simultaneously increasing our energy efficiency and our competitiveness by reducing input costs, of which energy is one of the largest.

Crvenka Sugar Factory used a €2 million loan under the programme to promote energy saving and solutions in the field of renewable energy sources in Serbia in order to reduce outgoings. We consider, however, that the state, on the basis of the commitments it has undertaken, should stimulate companies that pollute the atmosphere less.,” says Christos Alexopoulos, Hellenic Sugar Serbia spokesman.

DID YOU KNOW

EFFICIENCY “If we are efficient and successfully implement the IPARD II programme, we will have about €400 million invested in Serbia’s rural development in a few years.” — SNEŽANA BOGOSAVLJEVIĆ-BOŠKOVIĆ, Serbian Agriculture Minister

TOENNIES LEBENSMITTE

Toennies Lebensmitte to Invest up to €300mln in Serbia

German meat industry giant Toennies Lebensmitte plans to enter the Serbian market with up to €300 million of investments for a period of five years. Serbian Prime minister Aleksandar Vučić met with Toennies Lebensmitte’s co-founder Clemens Toennies, who confirmed the company’s interest in the country.

An agreement with Toennies Lebensmitte is expected to be signed in June, Vučić told reporters after the meeting. Toennies stressed that he has no intention to repatriate the company’s profit from Serbia – it would be reinvested in pig breeding instead.

According to Forbes magazine, Clemens Toennies owns 50% of Toennies Lebensmittel – a company with annual revenue of around $6 billion.

EMBASSY OF DENMARK

‘The Danish Business Club’ Launched

‘The Danish Business Club’ was Launched at the Embassy of Denmark in Belgrade. The purpose of the Club is to serve the businesses of its members and create a platform for information sharing and dialogue with relevant Serbian stakeholders. Furthermore, the Club will facilitate networking and the exchange of best practices among its members.

“Last year we saw a significant increase in Danish exports to Serbia and we are proud to say that this trend is continuing in 2016. Progress in the EU accession negotiations together with the improvements in business environment all send a positive sign to potential investors,“ said Morten Skovgaard Hansen, Head of the Embassy of Denmark

The donkey farm located inside Zasavica village produces donkey cheese that has a price tag of €1,000 per kg, setting the new world record for the Most expensive cheese, according to the World Record Academy

Placements & postings appointments@aim.rs

H.E. KYLE RANDOLPH SCOTT U.S. Ambassador to Serbia

Ambassador Scott graduated from Arizona State University in 1979 and is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counsellor. Prior to arriving in Serbia, he served as State Department Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Washington, D.C. He previously served as Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General Milan (20112014), and as Director of the Office of Russian Affairs (2009-2011). He has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the OSCE (2005-2009), Political Minister Counsellor at the U.S. Mission to the EU (2003-2005), Political Counsellor at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest (1999-2003) and as Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow (1996-1998). Scott has also served as a National Security Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford, California (1994-1995), Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv (19911994), Economic Officer at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva (1987-1990) and Political and Economic Officer at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York (1984-1987). Since joining the Foreign Service in 1980, his other assignments have included serving as an International Economist in the Bureau of International Organisations and as a Consular Officer in Zagreb, Croatia.

His foreign languages include Serbo-Croatian, Russian, Italian, Hungarian, Hebrew, German and French.

ISABEL CRISTINA DE AZEVEDO HEYVAERT New Brazilian Ambassador to Serbia

H.E. Isabel Cristina de Azevedo Heyvaert graduated from the University of Brasilia in 1976 with a degree in business administration, followed by a degree in international relations from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “Rio Branco Institute”.

From 1987 to 1990 she served as Second Secretary at the Brazilian Embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and in 1990 she was appointed Consul at the Consulate General in Milan, Italy.

In 2000 Ms Heyvaert was the First Secretary in Maputo, Mozambique, and from 2001 to 2005 she served as the First Secretary at the Embassy of Brazil in Lisbon, Portugal. From 2005 to 2007 she was Counsellor in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and between 2007 and 2009 Ms Heyvaert was Counsellor of the Brazilian Delegation to the ONU in New York.

Prior to her arrival in Serbia, she served for five years as ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Commission.

H.E. VLADIMIR GASPARIČ

Slovenian Ambassador to Serbia

H.E. Vladimir Gasparič (65) earned an economics degree from the University of Ljubljana, before starting his professional career in 1978 as the Director of the Consortium for International Economics at KOTO Ljubljana. In 1980 he was appointed Second Secretary at the Yugoslav Embassy in China and in 1984 was appointed Head of Representation of SMELT International for the Far East, based in Beijing.

In 1996 he was appointed Vice-President of SMELT, based in Ljubljana, and in 1997 he served as Slovenian ambassador to Singapore. From 2000 to 2004 he held the position of ambassador to China, after which he became Deputy Secretary General at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2007 he was appointed Minister plenipotentiary and deputy chief of mission in Japan, and from 2010 to 2011 he was Director General of the Directorate for Economic Diplomacy at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to Serbia, Mr. Gasparič was Slovenian ambassador to Montenegro. He speaks fluent English, German and Serbo-Croatian, as well as basic Chinese. He is a married father of one son.

H.E. KASIM ASKER HASAN

New Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Serbia Dr Kasim Asker Hasan (59) graduated in chemical technology from the University of Baghdad, followed by post-grad studies at the University of Sarajevo’s Faculty of Metallurgy. In 1989 he received his Ph.D. from the University of Aachen, Germany, where he served as an assistant scientist.

His professional posts in Germany include project engineer for Krupp-Polysius, network expert for STS Data systems, CAD and IT management consultant for Systaix and general director of Tam Tools.

Ambassador Hasan started his diplomatic career in 2009 as an Ambassador at the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by the post of Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Hungary (2010-2013) and Head of Communications and Information Technology & Economic Department/MOFA Iraq (2013-2014).

From 2014 to 2015 he served as Head of the Africa Department at the Iraqi MOFA. He speaks English, German, Turkish and BCS, and is a married father of four children.

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CORPORATE ANDREJ BESLAĆ, CEO AT CARLSBERG SERBIA GROUP

A Strong Portfolio is Our Ace A variety of high end and affordable types of beers, constant upgrading of the offer and rising exports are helping Carlsberg post good results and navigate its way through a declining Serbian beer market

during that period help you when it comes to running the company today?

- I think that my work experience in Carlsberg, not only in Serbia but working on foreign projects too, gives me a great advantage in understanding the internal system of the company’s operations. When you work in different sectors in an organisation, you gain a much more precise and wider picture about all the processes within that organization; how they are interconnected and how

trust and understanding from the first day in my new position.

■ You started managing the company at a time when the purchasing power of the people in Serbia is continuing to decline.

- Yes, the purchasing power of consumers here is declining and this can also been seen in the overall consumption of beer, which dropped by approxihe Carlsberg Company has mately 30 per cent in the last five years. been operating successfulIn such a situation, all beer companies ly on the Serbian market for a have been searching for the best way full 12 years and during this peto remain sustainable and, if possible, riod has managed to build a stable busiboost their operations. If we are talkness system, which has been constanting about Carlsberg, our trump card ly upgraded. In this interview Andrej is the portfolio of our products. I Beslać, the company’s newly apWith a declining Serbian can say with certainty that, for years pointed CEO, discusses Carlsberg’s market, Carlsberg’s trump card now, Carlsberg has been a pioneer in plans on the local market. terms of innovations in the beer segis its wide portfolio of beers, ment. Today, we offer to our con■ What goals did you set for yourbeginning with domestic sumers a wide portfolio of beers of self at the beginning of your term? lagers like Lav, Dundjerski different tastes and characters, be- My primary goal is for the company ginning with domestic lagers like and Merak, to special beers to remain on a good path, to continLav, Dunđerski and Merak, to speue being one of the biggest players like Guinness, San Miguel, cial beers like Guinness, San Miguel, on the beer market, to provide quality Brooklyn or Erdinger Brooklyn or Erdinger. Also, in addiproducts, to be a desirable employer tion to beers, Carlsberg is the first and, of course, a responsible member company to offer ciders in Serbia, which changes in one segment influence all of the community in which we operate. have quickly become very popular and other segments. On the other hand, the continue to be successful year-on-year. people I am working with have been my ■ In the last 11 years, you have worked However, and despite these additional colleagues for many years and, in that in key positions in the company. How activities, the fact remains that it is very respect, there has been a high degree of much does the experience you gained

T

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difficult to maintain volume and profit at the expected level. In that respect, exporting to Carlsberg’s other markets does help a lot with the total balance.

In 2015 alone, Carlsberg Serbia exported approximately a quarter of its total annual production.

■ At the same time, Carlsberg also started revising its global strategy. How will this new decision impact on your operations in Serbia and Montenegro?

- Due to the fact that Carlsberg has been facing huge global challenges in the last two years, with the biggest problems pertaining to our biggest market - Eastern Europe, the company is currently revising its existing strategies, which – once revised – will result in consolidated operations and foundations for further development. As far as the local market goes, we are certainly going to adapt to potential changes of our current business model, but in a way that we see as being the best fit for the domestic market.

■ It seems that, back in the day, beer was just beer, while today there is a whole range of different beer-based products. There is also a growing trend in micro-brewed beer and we even have beer sommeliers now. What caused these changes?

- The growing popularity of craft beer or, as we in Serbia call it, artisan beer, has

How does the implementation of this law look in practice?

- One of the positive aspects of the new Law on Land Conversion is that there is now legal security in this segment, meaning that the issue of land ownership is resolved. Furthermore, this law contributes, to an extent, to better regulation of the land market. It is true that the law was passed only recently, but we do hope that it will be implemented promptly and efficiently, otherwise there is always going to be a possibility of encountering problems when applying for building permits which, potentially, can slow down additional investments.

This surely wouldn’t be good for investments on the domestic market.

■ The Carlsberg Foundation has been providing scholarships for top students, as well as opportunities for successful graduates to gain work experience.

- One of the most important segments of the socially responsible behaviour of the Carlsberg Company is investing in science and education. We ■ How has the Serbian marOne of the most important have two ongoing student proket changed since 2008, and in segments of the socially jects – providing scholarships which way has it become segresponsible behaviour of the for the best students of the mented, in terms of the product Carlsberg Company is investing in University of Novi Sad’s Faculty range and purchasing power?

- In the last seven years, the science and education, and we have of Law, Faculty of Economics and Faculty of Technology, domestic beer market has been been doing this successfully for which is carried out via our constantly declining, with the years Foundation, and our Future fall amounting to 30 per cent Leaders Programme, through in 2015. If we compare the year which we have been hiring some of the been happening for quite some time now 2015 to 2014, the market did grow by best students to do a two-year work in European countries, and especially on some six per cent, according to reports placement at the company. Although the American market. When it comes to compiled by AC Nielsen, but considerfinancial assistance is very important Serbia, consumption of so-called special ing that we experienced severe floodfor young people during their student types of beer is still not at that level, but ing in 2014, this growth cannot be years, I personally think that having exit is growing. Today Serbian lovers of this viewed as a significant recovery. perience of working for an internationkind of beer can find three different types In terms of industry trends, in the al company is of immeasurable value to of craft beer in our portfolio – Brooklyn last year or so there were two predomfuture experts in any segment. Our acLager, Brooklyn East IPA and Sorachi Ace. inant trends in Serbia, which are chartivities should not only set a good exacteristic for the markets dealing with ample, but also become an everyday ■ Following the adoption of the land economic challenges – we have cheappractice in terms of companies coopconversion law, investors like Carlsberg er beers and premium beers which carry erating with educational institutions in in Serbia, which up until then only had higher prices, while the mainstream beer the country. ■ the right to use land, can now own it. segment is declining.

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REGIONAL

NEWS

SUPPORT “We will actively argue for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s candidacy for membership of the EU. We will also support Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. Of course, we will insist on the fulfilment of criteria. We will be strict, but fair.” — MIRO KOVAC, Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs

CROATIA

First Electro-Diesel Train

The first train with an electro-diesel engine made its first journey last month between Zagreb and Varaždin. Made by Koncar – Electric Vehicles, it can reach a maximum speed of 120 km/ph, has 167 seats and standing room for 175 passengers. The first electro-diesel train has four pairs of double doors, two ramps for wheelchairs, a section for bicycles and CCTV. The train will operate on route Zagreb - Zabok – Varaždin, which transports more than two million passengers annually. The new train is part of a new fleet ordered by Croatian Railways. 32 electric trains, including 12 trains with an electro-diesel locomotive, will join the current fleet in a projected valued at 1.63 billion kuna (€213,718).

MONTENEGRO

Internet Domain .me Tops 1 Mlllion

Montenegro’s internet domain .me has topped one million registrations in the year in which the country is celebrating 10 years of independence, reports CdM. According to the Ministry for the Information Society and Telecommunications, the total number of registered domains amounted to 1,014,867, representing annual growth of 28.36% in 2015.

FYR MACEDONIA

Skopje and Štip Named Top Cities for Investment According to the rankings conducted by the Financial Times for 2016/2017, Skopje has been named first in terms of ‘Cost Effectiveness’ and is among ten best cities in terms of ‘Foreign Direct Investment Strategy’ in the category of small European cities The city of Štip was also named first according to ‘Cost Effectiveness’ and is among ten cities for foreign direct investment in the category of micro

ALBANIA

New Concessionary Bid for the “Road of the Nation” European cities. The ranking indluded data from 481 locations in Europe collected in five categories: economic potential, labour environment, cost effectiveness, infrastructure and favourable business climate.

HUNGARY

Central Bank Sees Threat From Bomb Attacks, Migration

Hungary Central Bank governor GYÖRGY MATOLCSY

Hungary’s central bank, already facing criticism for a spending spree ranging from real estate to fine art, is now beefing up its security force, citing Europe’s migrant crisis and potential bomb threats among the reasons. The National Bank bought 200,000 rounds of live ammunition and 112 handguns for its security company.

Additional protection is needed due to the rise of “international security risks” including bomb and terror threats and migra-

tion, Governor Gyorgy Matolcsy said in a written response.

The security measures added to public scrutiny of the running of the bank, which under Matolcsy earmarked 200 billion forint ($718 million) to set up foundations to teach alternatives to what he called “outdated neoliberal” economics. Another $108 million fund used for buying fine art including a painting by Titian also drew criticism from opposition parties, as did a series of investments in office buildings and villas.

Source: Bloomerg

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The tender for the maintenance and exploitation of the Road of the Nation opens for the third time. In an announcement published in the international newspaper the Financial Times, Albanian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, declares that its aim is to offer a concession for the construction, functioning, maintenance and rehabilitation of the highway linking Milot to Morina, part of which is known as the Road of the Nation, because it links Albania to

Kosovo. The highway is part of the Albanian network of national roads and consists of the greatest road engineering project built in the country. By linking Milot, around 60 km to the north east of the Port of Dorres in the Adriatic Sea, with Morina on the border with Kosovo, the road makes up for the central section of the Kosovo-Albania highway, which links Durres to Pristina.

In order to secure the bid, participants must leave a €250,000 guarantee. The open tender will take place on 25 April 2016.

Source: ibna

BORDERS

DID YOU KNOW: BEER

“We monitor all possible routes that could be used by refugees. Tirana will secure its borders in cooperation with its neighbours, but currently Albania is not thinking about closing them.” — DITMIR BUSHATI, Albanian Foreign Minister

Worldwide, 20,000 brands of beer are brewed in 180 styles, from ales, lagers, pilsner and stouts to bitters, cream ales and iced beers

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Austrian HETA to Sell Hotel Holiday Austrian HETA asset resolution announced a public tender for the sale of the famous Hotel Holiday in Sarajevo. At the beginning, this is a call for submission of the intent for participation.

The hotel will be sold with associated. The public tender emphasised that the subject of sale are only specified parcels of real estate and buildings, where the mortgage was established as security for claims of HETA. The hotel was built in 1983 before the Olympic Games in Sarajevo when it hosted many athletes and special guests. During the war it was damaged, but it started operating again after the war.

ROMANIA

Different Minimum Wages Depending on Region Following the meeting with with trade unions and employers, the Labor Ministry proposed that minimum wage should be different based on Romania’s development regions.

The minimum salary could also be established in the negotiations between unions and employers, and not be established by the Government anymore, according to another proposal made during the meeting.

The country has imbalances, and needs several minimum salaries. Bucharest is very different from the north-east region, said Dumitru Costin, National Union Bloc leader.

Placements & postings appointments@aim.rs

BRIGADIER GENERAL CESARE MARINELLI New Head of the NATO Military Liaison Office in Belgrade

Brig. Gen. Marinelli (55) joined Italy’s Army Military Academy in 1980 and was commissioned to the 3rd LANCE Artillery Battalion in 1984. He attended the Italian Staff College during 1994 and 1995, then soon after took the Command and General Staff Officer Course at Fort Leavenworth (U.S.). In 1996 he was promoted to the rank of major, and in 1997 to lieutenant colonel, at which point he returned to Italy as a senior officer at the Army General Staff – Operations Division. In 1998 he served as G1 of the Multinational Division SE in SFOR in Bosnia. In October 2000 he was assigned to Italian Land Operational Forces HQ in Verona, where he served for five years.

After serving in Afghanistan as chief of the advanced planning team to CJTF 180, he was promoted to the rank of full colonel in 2004, taking over command of the 5th FA regiment “SUPERGA”. For the next three years he was assigned to HQ SACT as Expeditionary Operation Integrated Capability Team Leader, then in 2009/2010 he was Deputy Commander of the Granatieri di Sardegna Infantry Brigade.

He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in January 2010. In 2011 he was assigned to Kabul, Afghanistan, and in 2012 he moved to ISAF Joint Command as Chief of Combat Support, before being assigned to the Italian Defence General Staff as Deputy Chief of the 3rd Division “Military Policy and Planning” and then, in July 2013, assigned to the Army General Staff as the Deputy Chief of the 3rd Division “Force Employment/Army Operations Centre”.

Brig. Gen. Marinelli graduated from the Scientific Lycée and holds a degree in Strategic Sciences from The University of Turin, a degree in Political Sciences from the University of Trieste and a 2nd level Master’s Degree in Strategic Sciences, also from the University of Turin.

He speaks Italian, English and French and is a married father of two children.

INGEBORG OFSTHUS

new CEO of Telenor Srbija

Ingeborg Øfsthus has been CTO of Telenor Serbia since September 2012, and CTO of Telenor Montenegro and Serbia as of February 1, 2013. She has held technology management positions in Telenor Operations in Germany, Thailand and Norway. In addition she has worked in various Telenor Group positions including establishing and leading the Telenor Group CTO forum. She has been with Telenor since 1998.

Ingeborg has experience from starting two greenfield mobile operations, and has amassed extensive experience across both network and IT domain in her various roles.

Ingeborg holds a Master of Science in Electronic Communications from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Her many years serving in different countries have added valuable knowledge about working across multiple cultures.

DEJAN MARKOVIĆ

new director of Schneider Electric for Serbia and Montenegro Dejan Marković (41) has been promoted from the position of director of the energy sector at Schneider Electric, where he served for ten years.

Marković graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Department of Energy, at the University of Priština in 1999. He gained work experience at EPS’s thermal power plant Kosovo B in Obilić, JP Elektroistok in Belgrade, as well as through various projects under the auspices of international organisations in the field of electrical energetics. Marković has also gained practical work experience as a project manager at Schneider Electric in France.

Former director Dragoljub Damljanović has taken over the position of director of energy and services in the region of Southeast Europe.

BULGARIA

Railway to Link China and Europe An agreement for a fast railway connection between China and Europe passing through the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas will be signed in March. This was announced by the mayor of Burgas, Dimitar Nikolov, after a meeting with deputy chairperson of China’s National Development and Reform Commission Ning Jizhe last month. The railway connection is aimed at

cutting to a minimum the time of delivery of container shipments from China to Europe.

The railway will service the whole of Europe and is expected to improve the quality of logistics.

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INTERVIEW

GORAN RELJIĆ, GENERAL MANAGER, DKFM.L.TENCZER GESMBH

Winning Combination The model of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce that Serbia is adopting may help the country move closer to its diaspora and professional, educated Serbs who are recognised worldwide out today as its European characteristics and what are its “Balkan” features?

- Neither Europe nor Serbia are the same as they were ten years ago, but somehow they seem closer to each other than before. As for me, I especially like the mix of European discipline and Serbian creativity and innovation. This is my “dream team”.

S

Serbian-Austrian friendship and economic cooperation are solid and getting better every day, and I am confident that both sides will contribute to that progress, says Goran Reljić, General Manager of Dkfm.L.Tenczer GesmbH.

■ Do you feel that the arrival of Austrian, German and other European investors has an impact on business ethics in Serbia?

- Austria has always been a leader in trusting Serbia and Serbian businessmen. We should not forget that Austria was among the first to come to help Serbia’s flooded areas. In my opinion, Austria is always with Serbia. Unfortunately, business ethics in Serbia are still not at the expected level and many things must be improved. Austrian and European businessmen are coming to Serbia as partners, not as conquerors, as it is often treated in practice.

vived and will survive in the future, because there is no more time to wait and no more room for excuses.

I am very happy to see that there are revitalised and preserved Serbian brands that manage to find their consumers on the European market.

■ Are Serbian companies adequately aware of the importance of packaging in terms of quality and successful marketing?

- Yes, I am absolutely sure about that. Serbian manufacturers have clearly realised that packaging is an important and integral part of the product, and they approach this issue really responsibly, striving to be innovative.

■ How many Serbian companies follow the trends of the cyclical economy in terms of packaging?

■ The Serbian Chamber of Commerce & - The materials and structures of modern packIndustry will soon transform in line with the aging are changing on a daily basis, so to speak, model of the Austrian Economic Chamber. and my company’s activities are focused preciseHow important was membership in the ly in this direction. Our mission is to provide Austrian Chamber for your business, both raw material and technology to the Serbian at home and on foreign markets?

Our mission is to provide raw - A strong chamber of commerce means a material and technology to the packaging industry in order for it to be able to compete with strong international manustable and prosperous economy! I offer my Serbian packaging industry facturers in the industry. It is our obligation compliments to the Serbian Chamber of so it can compete with strong to make Serbian products more competitive Commerce, which has made the right decision in opting to follow the successful international manufacturers in and attractive, where packaging has a very model of work of the Austrian Chamber of important place and plays a vital role. the industry Commerce.

INFO: As an Austrian businessman, I can only say that ■ Is Serbia sufficiently utilising the potential offered by the strong Serbian diaspora in I am privileged to be a member of such a profesBUDINSKYGASSE 4/6 sional, active and progressive chamber of comAustria, in terms of strengthening economic 1190 VIENNA AUSTRIA merce. On the basis of my personal experience, ties between the two countries? goran.reljic@tenczer.at I believe that the Austrian Economic Chamber - No, I think there are many more possibilities ■ How has the structure of your business represents a competent, informative and eduof support from the Serbian diaspora than are partners in Serbia changed since the onset of cational organisation that facilitates the needs currently utilised by Serbia. You could be usthe global crisis, given that some local players ing the model of the Austrian Federal Economic of domestic businesspeople in the country, as in the food and chemical industry withdrew Chamber in order for the Serbian economy to well as their performances on foreign markets. from the market? be able to move closer to its diaspora and professional, educated Serbs who are recognised - The economic crisis forced us to do even more ■ You have been present on the Serbian market for a long time. What would you single worldwide.■ and to create new value. Only the strongest sur40 |

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CORPORATE CENTRE FOR DENTAL AESTHETICS AND IMPLANTOLOGY

Beautiful Smile – More than Health Modern people are starting to care more and more about their dental health and this is something that the population in our region is also becoming aware of increasingly. We – at the Centre for Dental Aesthetics and Implantology (CDEI) – help them to find what fits them best, and give them a beautiful smile that opens the door to the professional world and advancement we think this clip also brings modern dentistry closer to the wider public, eliminating inDR IGOR RISTIĆ grained prejudices, presenting a life philosoentistry has changed more in phy and an amalgamation of science and art. the last ten to fifteen years than Our patient in the video clip is a fain the previous hundred in many mous Serbian artist who saw this passion aspects. in us and recognised that we share a comBack in the day, the main reason for mon trait – creativity. She went through all visiting the dentist was an acute dental stages of the treatment and allowed us to problem and pain, or, to a lesser degree, record them in chronological order. searching for suitable prosthetic solutions The clip starts with the initial diagnosis, to compensate for missing teeth. our consilium devising a treatment plan, Now, more than ever, patients visit denbefore progressing to the utilisation of photographs and the Digital Smile Design tists to have an aesthetic or functional prob(DSD), consultation and presenlem resolved, or to prevent potential problems (such as the irregular tation to the patient, visual estiOur committed and professional position of teeth or irregular develmation of the model of the future team is passionate about reaching dental reconstruction and its cliniopment of the jaw), as well as varthe highest goals in dentistry and to cal implementation in the end. The ious other orthodontic problems. the satisfaction of our patients Nowadays braces are no longer clip also shows how we did the final used to correct dental problems onimplants and ends with the photoly in children and teens: over 50 per cent of pagraphs of our end result. care a lot about their dental health for severOur intention was to show that we have tients coming for orthodontic treatment are al reasons. Your smile is something that peoa committed and professional team that is actually adults. And this is the best possible inple notice first. This is something that is bepassionate about reaching the highest goals vestment in their future oral health! coming increasingly aware to people in our of dentistry and that you can find such a Furthermore, technologies and materiregion. With just a small change made to the team in Belgrade, hence the video contains shape of the tooth, we can completely alter als that are available today were unheard images of our city. We are also very grateful the personal dynamic of an individual. We are of a decade or two ago. We are now able for the recommendations of our colleagues here to help them find what fits them best, to adhere to the principle of minimal invaabroad, who viewed the clip and were inor to help them regain the smile they used to siveness and, with insignificant or non-exhave. All of this also implies that a beautiful istent damage to natural teeth, completely spired to undertake similar projects and realsmile can open the door to the professionchange one’s smile visually. Our work has ise the vision of the modern dental practice. become more precise; we use magnifyThe most important thing for us is our paal world and advancement. Our extensive exing glasses and microscopes and, in a visperience and our everyday work can be seen tients realising that we can do a lot for them, in a short video clip which you can find on and that we have encouraged them to conual sense, the materials resemble natural the official website of the Centre for Dental tissue more. In the field of implantology, tact the dentist in the first place. This fulfils Aesthetics and Implantology – www.drristic. and with the help of 3D x-ray, we can now our mission and makes us happier and more com. In addition to presenting our activities, plan implantations to the minutest detail. motivated. ■

D

With this in mind, the expectations of our patients have grown much bigger in the last decade, particularly as a result of the media accentuating the perfectly healthy body, including the perfect smile. No longer are patients happy with just an implant being integrated into the bone. Today, the prosthetic part of the implant has to look like a natural tooth, and anything else is considered a failure. With the help of intraoral scanners, we, at the CDEI, can make a crown in less than 60 minutes.

Alongside all of this, there is a psychological phenomenon whereby modern people

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NEWS

TARGET “Our objective is rate below but close to 2%. Our horizon to reach the target has been lengthened... due to developments out of our control: emerging markets, oil prices, etc. “

WORLD

— MARIO DRAGHI, President of the European Central Bank

MOROCCO

Massive Solar Power Plant in The Sahara

Morocco has officially turned on a massive solar power plant in the Sahara Desert, kicking off the first phase of a planned project to provide renewable energy to more than a million Moroccans.

The Noor I power plant is located near the town of Ouarzazate, on the edge of the Sahara. It’s capable of generating up to 160 megawatts of power and covers thousands of acres of desert, making the first stage alone one of the world’s biggest solar thermal power plants.

When the next two phases, Noor II and Noor III, are finished, the plant will be the single largest solar power production facility in the world.

NORWAY

Norway to Assist Kenya in Developing its Petroleum Sector Kenya has requested assistance from Norway in developing its petroleum sector.

Through the programme Oil for Development, Norway will support Kenya in improving management of its natural resources and protection of the environment.

CHINA

State Grid Pushes for 'Global Energy Internet' State Grid Corp, one of the world’s biggest utility companies, is pushing to build a global energy network, which is expected to attract investment of $50 trillion by 2050 through a new unit.

Also the largest electric power transmission and distribution company in China, State Grid established a company at the end of last year to develop what its President Liu Zhenya called a “global energy Internet” through a massive electricity grid sharing renewables from all over the world.

“It will be a Beijing-based company with offices in New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Johannesburg,” Liu Zhenya said.

The global expansion of State Grid started in 2010, when it acquired a major stake in Brazil’s electricity grid.

BØRGE BRENDE, Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs

“The objective is for the oil and gas resources to benefit the country and its people,” says Børge Brende Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

10 THINGS

A BUSINESS CAN DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL

RUSSIA

Small Breweries Gain Market Over the past five years, the share of local brands in the Russian beer market has increased from 14.9 to 26.5 per cent, as recession forces more consumers to opt for cheaper goods, the Kommersant newspaper reported.

According to data from Denmark’s Carlsberg, Russia’s beer market shrank by 10 per cent last year. Russia’s consumption of beer in 2015 was at its lowest level in 12 years, with 50 litres consumed by an average citizen per year, according to data from the Baltika brewing company.

Local producers managed to increase their market share because they can lower their prices.

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1. Make sure your website is super Google friendly 2. Be aware that profitability and cash flow is not the same thing 3. Constantly educate yourself 4. Define your niche market community and dare to be different 5. Hire the right people in the right positions 6. Use a synergistic approach with modest changes in multiple areas can increase your profitability 7. Remember your mobile customers 8. Overcome fear, but that doesn’t mean being fearless 9. Become an expert in your specialized niche/community 10. Planning and strategizing

TITANIC

DID YOU KNOW

“The EU is like the orchestra playing on the Titanic.”

Fast food restaurants use yellow, red, and orange because those are the colors that stimulate hunger

— MATTEO RENZI, Italian Prime Minister VIETNAM

Pratt & Whitney, VietJet Sign $3bln Engine Deal Engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney has signed a $3.04 billion contract to sell engines to budget airline VietJet Air, Vietnam’s first privately owned carrier.

The engines will be installed on 63 A320 and A321 planes ordered by VietJet under the contract signed at the Singapore Airshow VietJet has a fleet of 34 A320 and A321 planes and has plans to buy or lease a total of 107 aircraft over the next decade, receiving 10 to 12 new jets a year. The airline said it wants to expand routes to cover all of Asia-Pacific.

The airline has arranged credit for previous deals from French lender BNP Paribas SA and also from other sources, including Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Company.

INDIA

Ericsson Ties up With Idea Cellular Indian Idea Cellular company announced an agreement with Swedish communication technology multinational Ericsson to deploy 4G network across select Indian telecom circles which serve over 40 million subscribers.

The agreement includes the transformation of Idea Cellular’s existing mobile radio access and core network infrastructure across nine circles for 2G and five circles for 3G - enabling Idea Cellular to deliver superior mobile broadband experiences including faster mobile data speeds and better smartphone performance to its subscribers. The contract covers equipment, software and a range of professional services, including project management, systems integration and supervisory managed services for 4G/LTE across select circles for a period of two years.

TURKEY

Schneider Eyes Market Leadership Under Turkish Brand

AZERBAIJAN

Tekfen Wins Tender for TANAP Turkish company Tekfen won a tender for construction of compressor and measuring stations for the Azerbaijan’s TransAnatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP).

Tekfen will build the stations during a period of 39 months after signing of a contract.

The company won the tender by offering the highest price for the contract - $457 million.

TANAP project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to the western borders of Turkey. The initial capacity of TANAP is expected to reach 16 billion cubic metres of gas per year.

Around six billion cubic metres of this gas will be delivered to Turkey and the remaining volume will be supplied to Europe.

EGYPT

Renewable Energy Sector Eyes $1 bln Investments

A year after its acquisition of İstanbul-based Günsan, Schneider Electric has set its sights on being the market leader in the Turkish electrical switch production industry.

Günsan operates 65 branches in the domestic market and exports to 50 countries, Günsan CEO Stephane Nuss told a press conference, adding that the company’s exports amount to more than $50 million a year.

Nuss, noting that Günsan has the secondlargest market share in the industry, said, “Our goal is to be number one in providing electrical solutions to Turkey’s housing market.”

Egypt is set to attract direct foreign investments of $1 billion in the renewable energy sector during the current year, Dr Sherif Oteifa, said Minister of Investment advisor.

The advisor made these comment during Egypt Energy Investment Summit that take place between 16th and 18th February in Cairo. He added that the total expected amount of the foreign investments during 2016 in Egypt’s energy sector is estimated at $8 billion.

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CORPORATE ALEKSANDRA BILBIJA, DIRECTOR OF LAGERMAX AED D.O.O.

Recognisable Quality Lagermax Serbia provides the most efficient solutions for the transportation of all sorts of goods in Europe and beyond. Major international corporations recognise our company as part of a renowned international concern, utilising our services in Serbia

L

agermax is a privately-owned concern which, thanks to its unique entrepreneurial qualities, guarantees reliability and quality.

Through our own hard work, we endeavour to make our services economically successful and, above all, useful to our clients. As an international concern, we offer highly professional logistical and systemic services and are partners to our clients, while simultaneously helping them to fulfil their obligations in an environmentally friendly, harmless, safe, positive and affordable way – says Aleksandra Bilbija, Director of Lagermax AED d.o.o.

panies face today, particularly in the countries where Lagermax operates?

- The development of the logistics industry, of which Lagermax is a part, closely follows the development of the EU countries, which can be seen primarily through services relating to the outsourcing of the logistics part of companies’ operations. It is the outsourcing that proved to be an inevitable method to manage processes and costs in serious companies, which are focused on generating higher profit.

A decision to outsource is taken only following thorough analysis and with a re-

The Lagermax concern is

and will expand their business, in addition to taking over the business of smaller logistics companies that will be unable to keep pace with ever-increasing market demands. The fact that Lagermax AED Serbia is part of an international concern is a great advantage for us, because oftentimes when large international corporations come to new markets they pick logistics companies that can provide the same quality as that which they receive in other countries where they do business.

It is these large corporations that have established cooperation with Lagermax Serbia following a referral from our branch offices in Europe.

■ What kind of services do you proknown for its large-scale vide to your clients in Serbia? Could outsourcing projects, in which ■ Considering the strength of the economic ties between Austria and you tell us something about the many companies entrusted us the rest of the region, how much company’s service portfolio? with managing their logistics, does this kind of synergy contribute - In line with our clients’ demands, to increased interest in your services?

Lagermax offers the most efficient because that is our speciality - Thanks to the Trade Department of solutions for the transportation of the Austrian Embassy, Austrian compaalistic perception of our own business. all sorts of goods in Europe and beyond. nies, which are constantly focusing on Such decisions bring many advantages, Regardless of the type of transport – be conquering and developing the market in namely a higher level of competitiveness, it international haulage by road, air, rail or Serbia, have found a simple way to conimproved business processes and highsea – our approach is always professionnect directly to SMEs in Serbia. By preer profit. The Lagermax concern is known al. Thanks to our modern-equipped storsenting a wide range of Serbian goods for its large-scale outsourcing projects, in age facilities, sophisticated integrated IT and services, and by offering professional which many companies entrusted us with solutions, sufficient storage capacity, the assistance to Serbian companies in idenmanaging their logistics, because that is vast experience of our employees and adtifying business partners in Austria for our speciality. equate technical equipment for goods different types of business cooperation In terms of the further development of handling, we can provide flawless storage regarding the sale of Serbian goods and the logistics industry in Serbia, we can services, as well as goods sorting, comservices in Austria, Lagermax AED Serbia expect a decline in the number of commissioning and distribution services. has also recognised and utilised opporpanies that offer logistics services. We tunities for business cooperation and adthink that several larger logistics compa■ Could you tell us something about the vancement. ■ nies will stand out in the following years, biggest challenges that logistics com44 |

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AFTER WORK

25 SLOVENIAN BUSINESS CLUB PRESENTS PUBLIC

JAN

ADMINISTRATION REFORM EXPERIENCES

The Slovenian Business Club (SPK) has held a meeting with guest participants Željko Ožegović, Serbian State Secretary at the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government, and Gregor Virant, former Slovenian Minister of Public Administration and current Director of the Strategic Unit for the implementation of projects on behalf of the office of the Prime Minister of Serbia. The meeting was also attended by the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Serbia, H.E. Vladimir Gasparič, and Belgrade Archbishop Monsignor Stanislav Hočevar.

The main topic of the meeting in late January was public administration in the service of business and citizens, while Gregor Virant conveyed to SPK members the Slovenian experience of reforming public administration.

ŽELJKO OŽEGOVIĆ

05 DAYS OF FRANCE IN KRUŠEVAC

FEB

The French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce was represented at the Days of France in Kruševac events, which was organised by the City of Kruševac, the Regional Chamber of Commerce, Kruševac Tourist Organisation and the Association of FrenchSerbian Friendship.

The French delegation was led by H.E. Christine Moro, Ambassador of France to Serbia, and her associates, as well as Jean-Baptiste Cuzin, director of the Institut français in Serbia.

The event aimed to present the cultural and gastronomic specialities of five French regions, but also to facilitate discussion on the strengthening of economic and cultural cooperation between the City of Kruševac and France.

H.E. CHRISTINE MORO, Ambassador of France to Serbia

03 SAKURA SCHOLARSHIPS AWARD CEREMONY FEB The Embassy of Japan in Belgrade and Japan Tobacco International a.d. organised the ceremonial awarding of Sakura scholarships at the Embassy of Japan.

Guests were welcomed by H.E. Juichi Takahara, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Serbia, and Chris Woods, General Manager of JTI. This is the fifth competition for Sakura scholarships and sees the top five candidates write research papers in the fields of culture, politics, law, economics and management in Japan. The aim of the scholarship programme is to promote studies of Japanese society and culture, as well as strengthening already friendly relations between Japan and Serbia.

CHRIS WOODS, General Manager of JTI and H.E. JUICHI TAKAHARA

08 UNIVERSITIES SIGN MEMORANDUM OF FEB

UNDERSTANDING

The representatives of the two universities in the presence of CHRISTOPH LEITL (middle) after signing the Memorandum

After more than 10 years of sharing information and knowledge, the IMC University from Krems, Austria, and the Faculty of Geography of the University of Belgrade have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding.

Cooperation between the universities will be realised through the establishment of joint scientific and research projects, exchanges of students and teachers, as well as numerous other activities.

The event was followed by the ‘Austrian Business Circle’, a meeting of Austrian businessmen, in the presence of Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, Serbian Minister of the Economy Željko Sertić, Austrian Chamber of Commerce President Christoph Leitl and the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marko Čadež.

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AFTER WORK

10

FEB

RANKO ŽERAVICA SPORTS HALL OPENS

A memorial plaque with the image of legendary basketball coach Ranko Žeravice has been unveiled at a sports hall in New Belgrade that will now bear his name. The memorial plaque was revealed by New Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Šapić, president and vice president of the Basketball Federation of Serbia, Dragan Đilas and Dejan Tomašević, and Mrs Zaga Žeravica, Ranko’s widow.

The Basketball Federation of Serbia’s proposal that the Municipality of New Belgrade rename the hall in honour of this legendary coach, who achieved excellent results with the Partizan club at the venue, formerly Hala Sportova, was quickly approved. The meeting was attended by the president of the Red Star Basketball Club, Nebojša Čović, Red Star Director Davor Ristović, Partizan Director Mlađan Šilobad, legendary basketball player Zoran Moka Slavnić, famous coach Vlade Đurović, and many others.

ALEKSANDAR ŠAPIĆ (left), ZAGA ŽERAVICA, DEJAN TOMAŠEVIĆ and DRAGAN ĐILAS

10 ECOLOGY AND SAVINGS WITH NEW

FEB

12

TEXTBOOKS

FEB

Thanks to the campaign of publishing house Škola plus (School Plus), “new books for old books”, primary school pupils in Serbia have the opportunity to participate in the recycling of paper and acting ecologically by swapping their old textbooks and receiving new one at only half the full price. Under the auspices of this campaign, in agreement with the Paper Service, pupils in participating schools will be able to regularly return and hand over old paper, while schools will be able to procure what they need for the funds raised.

“The basic message of this campaign is the protection of the environment and the planet. We wanted this to be one of the ways for students to take care of their planet, while we simultaneously want to reduce costs for parents’ budgets,” announced Novica Pavličić, director of NOVICA PAVLIČIĆ, director of this publishing Škola plus. house

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FEB

Prime Minister ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ and ALEKSANDAR RUŽEVIĆ General Director, CCH Serbia

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RADE DOROSLOVAČKI and H.E. JUICHI TAKAHARA

JAPANESE DONATION

The Government of Japan has donated €33,810 under the banner of “non-repayable assistance in the field of culture” to the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad, and €7,900 to the Aikido Dojo Taka club from Niš.

The Faculty of Technical Sciences will use this money to buy technical equipment and renovate the classroom where the Japanese language has been taught since 1992, while the Aikido Dojo Taka will receive 210m2 of tatami mats. The signing ceremony for the contract on these donations was held at the Embassy of Japan in Belgrade and included the participation of H.E. Juichi Takahara, Ambassador of Japan, Rade Doroslovački Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and Milan Bošković, President of Aikido Dojo Taka.

COCA-COLA HELLENIC OPENS REGIONAL CENTRE

Coca-Cola Hellenic has invested over €7 million to modernise and expand its Zemun-based bottling facility, with €4 million alone spent on building a regional juice centre. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić attended the opening ceremony of this modern centre, which will employ 80 people. “We believe that our investment in cutting edge technology will bring about a new development era for us, leading to even better results on regional markets,” said Aleksandar Ružević, CEO of Coca-Cola Hellenic Serbia. The centre has an annual capacity of 92 million litres.

US Ambassador H.E. KYLE RANDOLPH SCOTT and ALEKSANDAR RUŽEVIĆ

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FEB

BORISLAV STANKOVIĆ and ALEKSANDAR MILETIĆ

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FEB

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BORA STANKOVIĆ PRESENTED

The Basketball Federation of Serbia (KSS) has published a book Bora Stanković – The Game of My Life - the first autobiography of the most significant Serbian sports official.

Two book promotions were held in three days; in Belgrade and at the Great Hall of the University of Niš. Borislav Stanković, who was the FIBA Secretary General from 1976 to 2002, revealed in the book many unknown things about himself including a letter that „shaped both his life and career“, as he mentioned at the book promotion in Belgrade. Stanović’s words were recorded by Aleksandar Miletić, a columnist of the Politika daily and the author of the book „Jazz Basket“. The book can be bought at Roda and Laguna’s stores. Bora Stanković waived the book’s royalties while the KSS and Laguna also waived a portion of the book’s sales in favour of the Nataša Kovačević Foundation.

BORISLAV STANKOVIĆ

MINISTER DACIC ATTENDED A WORKING LUNCH WITH ASIA-PACIFIC REGION HOMS

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic met today with Heads of diplomatic missions from the countries of the Asia-Pacific region serving in the Republic of Serbia,over a working lunch hosted by ShrimatiNarinder Chauhan, Ambassador of India in Belgrade.

In the talks with Ambassadors of Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, Myanmar and Pakistan and Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Malaysia, Minister Dacic pointed to the importance that Serbia attached to cooperation with these countries which belong to one of the most dynamic regions in the world. Particular emphasis was placed on the enduring commitment of Serbia to the continuation and strengthening of cooperation with these countries to which we were tied by a traditional and long-lasting friendship.

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FEB

DSW MEMBERS DINNER

ALEXANDER PICKER

With many members in attendance, the German-Serbian Business Association (DSW) held a traditional members dinner at the Radisson Hotel in Belgrade. The gathering was officially opened by the President of DSW, DR. Ronald Seeliger (also the CEO of Hemofarm) who, on the occasion, announced changes in the DSW which today has over 300 members.

The changes will pertain to boosting the cooperation between the German and Serbian business people and organizations so, in the light of these changes, the DSW membership will be available to the Serbian companies and organizations too as of mid-2016. Director General of Komercijalna banka Beograd, Mr. Alexander Picker was the honorary guest and the key speaker of the night. He held an excellent discourse about development of banking from the new era until today, as well as about the banking sector’s projections for the near future.

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FEB

THE BELGRADE DANCE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED

The 13th Belgrade Dance Festival, which is being held under the slogan “Happiness is Danced”, will take place from 19th March to 10th April in Belgrade and Novi Sad. The Festival was officially announced at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia by the National Assembly’s Speaker Maja Gojković, the Serbian Minister of Culture Ivan Tasovac, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia H.E. Mr. Michael Davenport, Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali, Director of the Belgrade Dance Festival Aja Jung and Director of Vip Mobile Dejan Turk.

The following ambassadors also attended the official presentation of the Festival - H.E. Kyle Scott (US) H.E. Axel Dittmann (Germany), H.E. Christine Moro (Frence), H.E. Giuseppe Manzo (Italy), H.E.Jean-Daniel Ruch (Switzerland) and H.E. Philip Pinnington (Canada).

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CULTURE CALENDAR CONCERTS

Toni Cetinski 5th – Kombank Arena – 20:00 Toni Cetinski is one of the few artists who will perform for the fourth time at the Belgrade Kombank Arena on 5th March.

Toni, who is one of the most beloved singers in the region and in Belgrade, will perform with a large band and, apart from his most popular

Mario Biondi, also known as the Italian Barry White, will hold two small concerts – on 9th and 10th March – at Bitefartcafe. This soul and jazz singer comes from a family of artists. His great-grandfather was a renowned painter, his grandmother a singer, and his father a popular composer, so it came as no surprise when Mario inherited the artistic gene.

Biondi’s musical venture landed him opportunities to perform with Italian music greats like Califano, Bongusto and Fiorello, as well as with American music legend Ray Charles and the lead singer of the band Incognito.

Following the Musicology Festival and his first successful performance in Belgrade, this time around Mario Biondi will sing for his fans from his new album, Beyond.

Luz Casal hits – like “23. prosinac”, “Blago onom ko te ima”, “Ako to zove se ljubav”, “Umirem 100 puta dnevno”, “Kad žena zavoli“, „Ja sam zaljubljen“, and „Tebe ne bih mijenjao“ – he will also perform his older songs, which are not as well-known, and numbers from his latest album, due to be released soon. The specific performance energy for which Toni is known is a good enough reason not to miss this concert, which is bound to leave you with wonderful memories.

12th – Sava Centre – 20:00 One of the best vocals in the world – Spanish singing sensation Luz Casal – will stage a major concert as part of the 17th Guitar Art Festival at

Mario Biondi 9th – 10th – Bitefartcafe – 22:00 Sava Centre, Belgrade, on 12th March. In addition to the guitar solos prepared especially for this occasion, Luz Kasal will also sing the most popular songs from her 35-year music career.

She will be accompanied by a quintet – a pianist, a bass player, a drummer and two guitar players.

Luz Casal is one of the most renowned Spanish artists, having produced 14 albums that sold in over five million copies, in addition to various

The Story of a Soldier 4th – Bitef Teatar – 20:00 On 4th March, the BITEF Dance Company will hold the premiere of a contemporary dance piece called L'Histoire du soldat – The Story of a Soldier – backed by the Airport City Belgrade business park.

“The piece is choreographed by Guy Weizman, one of the world’s most successful modern dance choreographers, who is staging this performance for us in Belgrade. For us, at Airport City, this will be a unique opportunity to translate into reality our slogans, in which beauty, precision and the perfection of movement intertwine with similar features of successful business projects. This is also an opportunity for us, as the event’s sponsors, to become part of the art scene that enriches our city with a bit more beauty,” says Marina Deleon, communications consultant for Airport City.

The Story of a Soldier is an

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Guitar Art Fest 8th – 13th – Dom Omladine

The 17th Guitar Art Festival will take place in Belgrade from 8th to 13th March under the slogan “SustainAble”. This year’s slogan is all about the type of individual who is ‘only’ a guitarist and ‘always’ a guitarist. Over 100 artists have participated in creating the integrated programme of this year’s festival. Every musician will also make an individual contribution to help the 17th Guitar Art Festival once again justify its title as of one of the five biggest classic guitar festivals in the world. Apart from top classical music concerts, audiences will be able to enjoy the performances of the world’s jazz, fado, tango and flamenco musicians.

Belgrade’s Dom Omladine (Youth Centre) will yet again be the hub for the five-day compilations. She is known worldwide for songs that were included in the soundtrack for Pedro Almodovar’s films Piensa En Mi and Un Año de Amor. The latter song was on the soundtrack for Almodovar’s cult movie ‘High Heels’. Several of Luz Casal’s albums have gone multi-platinum, including A Contraluz, Como la Flor Prometida and Un Mar de Confianza, while her most famous songs include Mi Confianza, Historia de un Amor, Se Feliz and Negra Sombra, which was included on the soundtrack for Oscar-winning film Mar Adentro, directed by Alejandro Amenabar. In this part of the world, Luz Casal is also known for her rendition of the song Madrugas, which appeared on the soundtrack of the Serbian movie Montevideo, See You!

Indexi & Friends

amalgamation of intense dance, speech, and music and is a journey through imaginary yet true events and emotions.

The performance won the prestigious Golden Mask award at the eponymous theatre festival in Moscow in 2013.

In terms of CSR activities, Airport City’s slogan for next year will be Inspiring Excellence.

“This year, as a part of our CSR programme, we helped the BITEF Company with a donation towards putting together a contemporary dance performance called The Story of a Soldier”, explains Deleon.

21st - Sava Centre - 20:00 A spectacular concert entitled “Indexi and Friends – I wish I was someone” will be held as homage to Indexi, the cult band from Sarajevo, at Belgrade’s Sava Centre on 21st March. The former members of Indexi – Fadil Redžić (bass guitar), Ranko Rithman, Neno Jurin and Kornelije Kovač (keyboard), Peco Petej and Miroslav Šaranović (drums) and Muris Varajić (solo guitar) - who are currently living in the U.S., Germany, Slovenia, Serbia, Israel and BosniaHerzegovina respectively, will gather again for this occasion only to play the timeless, cult songs of Indexi like “Da sam ja netko”, “Sanjam”, “Bacila je sve niz rijeku”, “Sve ove godine”, “Svijet u kojem živim”, “U jednim plavim očima”, “Plima”, “Pružam ruke”, “Predaj se srce” and many others. Apart from the members of Indexi, several other renowned musicians will

festival and the venue where 11 concerts will be held. As always, the best classical guitarists will perform at 7pm and 8pm, including Rovshan Mamedkuliev, Amadeus Guitar Duo, Jeremy Jouve, Raphaela Smitts, Slobodan Milivojević and Kyuhee Park.

In terms of programming, every night of the festival is an independent segment, with the concerts held at 10pm representing the highlight of each night. On 8th March, the Italian quartet Giampaolo Bandini – Cesare Chiacchiaretta Duo & Cerrato Brothers will perform a tango and baroque repertoire. The most famous Indian musician, Vishwa Mohat Bhatt, and his trio, the Alfonso & Miguel Linares Sextet from Spain, who will give a premiere performance of their “Flaneco Sinfonico”, the Ricardo Parreira Fado Trio, with their Portuguese guitar sounds, and legendary jazz guitarist Ferenc Snetberger and his trio will perform on the following four nights in the 10pm slot. Ferenc Snetberger will also officially close the Festival.

perform in the concert, including Dado Topić, Željko Bebek, Massimo, Hari Mata Hari, Branko Đurić-Đuro, Aleksandra Kovač, Boris Novković, Halid Bešlić, Saša Lošić-Loša, and Aki and Kiki Rahimovski, with special guest Amel Ćurić, winner of this year’s X-Factor Adria. The Indexi and Friends concert is being held for the ninth consecutive year and has so far been seen by over 50,000 people.

This nostalgic and emotional musical journey through the authentic sound of Indexi, along with performances from the former members of the group, a rich musical opus and a huge cultural heritage as one of the most important bands in this part of the world, founded in Sarajevo in 1962, will make each and every concert in the Indexi and Friends series an exceptional musical experience that is always in high demand.

Fusion Band and Stree Shakti Hindustani Instrumental 22nd - Madlenianum - 20:00 Anuradha Pal’s Stree Shakti is the World’s first all-female percussion-based Indian Classical band, featuring an electrifying blend of Hindustani and Carnatic repertoires, instruments, voice & percussion; sometimes even spiced with Kathak dance.

Founded in 1996, this innovative, ground-breaking band has challenged gender stereotypes, celebrating the emergence of female power in the ‘male-bastion of Indian Rhythm’ and promoting female empowerment, inclusion, opportunity, equality & dignity.

This dynamic celebration of rhythm, fusing the traditional with the contemporary, reinforces the strength and novelty of ‘Stree Shakti’.

Anuradha Pal’s Stree Shakti performed in front of 150,000 fans at the world famous WOMAD Festival (U.K. 1999). This performance received great appreciation from famous rocker Sting, who ‘was blown away by their show’ and even hailed them as the ‘Indian Spice Girls’.

The band also collaborated with the Pan African Orchestra for a concert tour of England, Ireland and Scotland in 2002.

The bands has also made performances at Prestigious International Music Festivals - Rhythm Sticks Festival, Oldham Mela, BBC Music Live, Common Wealth Games Festival, City of London Festival, Cardiff Jazz Festival, Asian Music Festival, Bangkok International Music Festival.

Amira Medunjanin 27th – Narodno Pozorište Niš 20:00 The singer of Sevdalinke (the ancient lyric ballads of Bosnia), Amira Medunjanin, and guitarist Ante Gela will perform at the National Theatre in

Niš on 25th March. “These concerts are always wonderful encounters during which we tell our common story that connects us with the audiences by some invisible thread. The interaction with the audience, who has set aside two hours of their day to be with us, determines the direction of our concert. As usual, the concert will have some unexpected turns,” says Amira.

Influential journalist Peca Popović wrote about Amira’s recent concert in Sombor: “Amira constantly ‘strings a necklace’ from relinquished songs with such enthusiasm and passion, knowing that there is nothing more joyous than an opportunity

to cry again at old songs, but to do so in a new way.

Her uniqueness is reflected in the way she adds new value to the hushed sounds of the past”.

On her more recent albums – the last one, Silk & Stone, was released in 2013 – Amira shows her inspired vision of Sevdalinke and the folk songs from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Macedonia, including “Ah, šta ćemo ljubav kriti”, “Kradem ti se u večeri”, “Kaleš bre Ando”, “Mito bekrijo”, “Marijo Deli Bela Kumrijo”, “Kafu mi draga ispeci”, “Zajdi, zajdi”, “Jano mori”, “Što te nema”...

Amira has been a favourite of many world critics, including Garth Cartwright from London’s The Guardian, who calls her “the Bosnian Billie Holiday”, underlining “the way in which she (Amira) plays with Sevdah, finding a new context and form in a tradition that is hundreds of years old”.

Belgrade Dance Festival 19th March – 10th April – various locations

The Belgrade Dance Festival is considered one of the most prominent European dance events. This year, the festival will take place between 19th March and 10th April and will showcase several world-renowned dance artists.

Thanks to this festival, Belgrade has become an important location for the careers of ballet dancers. Every April, they come here to perform; in a city where new and cult dance pieces are intertwined, and which has also become the favourite meeting place of ballet stars and young and upcoming artists favoured by

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Closing Ceremony of Chopin Fest 1st – Skupština grada Beograda (The Belgrade City Assembly) – 19:30 The Belgrade Chopin Fest (BCF) is an international cultural – educational event, hosted by the oldest music school in Belgrade - Stanković.

Jasminka Stanšul

well as amateurs and lovers of piano music and the arts in general.

The main objectives of this project are sharing knowledge, practices, new experiences, and global trends in piano pedagogy and concert practice.

BCF is a concept which continuously promotes both emerging and renowned pianists from all over Serbia, the region and Europe, year-round through the concert cycle Chopin Fest Echoes.

BCF is also an opportunity for young talents to show their work and talent in public, and to become part of the cultural milieu of the environment in which they live.

Vecernji Zvon

7th – Kolarac – 20:00 Jasminka Stančul is a pianist and graduate student of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. After winning the International Beethoven Piano Competition in 1989, she moved to Vienna, where she now lives and works.

After completing her studies in Serbia, Stančul continued her schooling in Vienna and Geneva.

During her extraordinary career she has performed with The Vienna Symphony Orchestra, The Salzburg Chamber Orchestra, Mozarteum and Linz Bruckner, The Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano, The Prague Symphonic, The Slovak Philharmonic, The Warsaw Symphonic, The Zagreb Symphonic and many others. She has cooperated with various conductors, including Alexeev, Fish, Graph, Horvat, Kun, Mazel and

the critics worldwide. The global importance of this event is reflected in its novel programme, which comprises performances currently being showcased in the biggest cities in the world, as well as events that are premiering in our region. By discovering the art of dance through its latest accomplishments, the Belgrade Dance Festival has won over audiences very quickly. So far, over 200 performances, choreographed by the most influential choreographers of our time, have taken place here, with an average of 18,000 visitors and 120 accredited journalists, both local and international, attending the Festival. The high standards of the Festival’s programme and the introduction of new dance and theatre aesthetics are sure to increase the audience’s expectations and pose a challenge to the creating of the BDF’s content.

Sanderling.

Programme: Beethoven, Papandopulo, Khachaturian L.V. Beethoven - Sonata Op. 31 E Flat – Major B. Papandopulo - From 8 Studios B. Papandopulo - Scherzo Fantastico A. Khachaturian - Toccata L.V. Beethoven - Sonata Op. 53 Waldstein

Since 2012, the festival has been supported by the Embassy of Poland in Belgrade, he Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, and the Belgrade municipalities of Vračar and Stari Grad.

The forerunner of the BCF is Šopenijada, a renowned exhibition of talented young pianists which has been held for over 25 years and seen the performances of many significant Serbian pianists.

BCF popularises classical music while presenting one of the greatest composers ever – Frederic Chopin.

BCF is a unique piano event that comprises a variety of activities: piano competitions, master classes, lectures, and concerts, while providing the audience with an opportunity to hear and learn about the life and work of this great composer.

BCF is an international professional event which gathers pianists, piano students, piano teachers, prominent guests from the world of music, as

9th – Kolarac – 20:00 Danka Stojiljković will hold the Večernji Zvon concert, at which she will perform Russian songs and romance pieces.

Participants: Stanislav Binički – Artistic Ensemble of The Ministry of Defence

The Daniluška Ensemble KOLO - ensemble of national folk dances and songs of Serbia Biljana Đurović – actress of the National Theatre Bora Đorđević - rock musician Vojislav Spasić - opera singer Chamber Orchestra Avia – Archangels

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FACES & PLACES 29.01.2016

Toshiba and Post Serbia Sign MoU

MILAN KRKOBABIĆ and H.E. JUICHI TAKAHARA

A Memorandum of Understanding on postal and distribution services partnership was signed in late January between company Toshiba and Post Serbia.

The signing ceremony was held at the Belgrade Regional Postal and Logistics Centre in Zemun, where Toshiba installed the first automated mail sorting system.

The ceremony was attended by H.E. Juichi Takahara, Japanese Ambassador to Serbia, Milan Krkobabić, Director of Post Serbia, and Sadao Sekine, Vice President of Toshiba Corporation and Director of the department for security systems and automation systems for the company’s social infrastructure.

03.02.2016

09.02.2016

Presentation of the Serbian-Indonesian Association

Memorandum on Dual Education

The Nusantara Association of Serbian-Indonesian Friendship and the Embassy of Indonesia, in cooperation with Belgrade City Library, organised a presentation of Indonesia’s largest fair – Indonesia Trade Expo.

Speakers included business leaders Srečko Polenek and Vladan Martić, journalist Biljana Đorđević, as well as H.E. Harry Richard James Indonesian Ambassador to Serbia and newly appointed Serbian ambassador in Jakarta, H.E. Slobodan Marinković. The Nusantara Association of Serbian-Indonesian Friendship was established in 2003 and aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

Austria’s Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Sebastian Kurz, President of the Austrian Economic Chamber, Christoph Leitl, Serbian Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, Srđan Verbić, and President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marko Čadež, jointly signed a Memorandum on Cooperation in the development of elements of dual education in secondary vocational education in Serbia. The aim of the memorandum is to ensure Austria’s support for Serbia in introducing dual education, which, according to research, can help to reduce youth unemployment significantly.

H.E. SLOBODAN MARINKOVIĆ and H.E. HARRY RICHARD JAMES (middle)

CHRISTOPH LEITL and DR ERIKA TEOMAN-BRENNER, Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy

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09.02.2016

Celebrate Australia

H.E. JULIA FEENEY

The cultural event “Celebrate Australia” has been held at Belgrade City Hall, hosted by H.E. Julia Feeney, Ambassador of Australia to Serbia, and Belgrade City Manager Goran Vesić. Milijana Nikolić, an opera singer of Australian-Serbian origin, performed at the event, while an exhibition of Aboriginal art was also staged.

Ambassador Feeney said that the diaspora is the best link between Serbia and Australia, noting that the Serbian diaspora in Australia is quite large.

“I think we have a lot more to do on the issue of investment and education in Serbia,” said Ambassador Feeney.

Stressing that he was honoured to co-host the event, Belgrade City Manager Vesić said that Serbia and Australia are close and connected, despite being distant from one another geographically.

GORAN VESIĆ, MRS. AND MR FEENEY

10.02.2016

Višegrad Group Exhibition and Reception The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Belgrade hosted a reception celebrating the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Višegrad Declaration by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

The Višegrad Declaration marked the start of a unique regional cooperation project between the four countries, with the common goal of becoming full members of the Euro-Atlantic community.

Following the fulfilment of their common objectives, the Višegrad countries became active promoters of the idea of regional cooperation and European integration, which of course includes Serbia.

H.E. Czech Ambassador Ivana Hlavsova, representing the country currently presiding over the Višegrad Group, invited guests to a glass of wine at the opening of an intimate exhibition on the premises of the Czech Embassy in Belgrade.

MILIJANA NIKOLIĆ

12.02.2016

Iranian National Day Marked

H.E. MAJID FAHIM POUR and H. E. Korean Ambassador LEE DO-HOON

H.E. MAJID FAHIM POUR and Archbishop LUCIANO SURIANI

H.E. Iranian Ambassador to Serbia Majid Fahim Pour hosted a reception at Belgrade’s Crowne Plaza Hotel to celebrate the National Day of Iran and mark the occasion of the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Welcoming the guests, the Ambassador reminded that 37 years ago, the Muslim people of Iran, under the leadership of the late Imam Khomeini and under the slogan “Independence, Freedom and Islamic Republic”, had stood up against the tyranny of the shah and foreign colonisation.

The ambassador recalled the dynamic cooperation with the former Yugoslavia, with the expectation that – following last year’s visits of Iranian and Serbian officials – these relations would develop in all fields, especially in the economy.

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FACES & PLACES 12.02.2016

WWI Exhibition Within the traditional anniversary of the death of British doctor Elisabeth Ross, the embassies of the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, in cooperation with the National Museum in Kragujevac, organised a photographic exhibition entitled “Allied Medical Missions in Serbia 1914-1918: The Role of the UK, Australia and Canada” at the Residence of Prince Mihailo. On this occasion, participants were addressed by Nenad Đorđević, Director of the Museum, H.E. Philip Pinnington, Ambassador of Canada, Colonel Simon Fitzgibbon, British military attaché, and Melinda Rio, First Secretary and Consul of the Embassy of Australia.

17.02. 2016

EU Builds School in Obrenovac

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, H.E. Michael Davenport, officially opened a satellite unit of the Draževac Primary School in Poljane, Municipality of Obrenovac. The EU has donated a total of €9.5 million in financial assistance for the postflood reconstruction of Obrenovac.

The EU also allocated €130,000 via its Flood Relief Programme, with the money used to build and equip a new school, spanning 225 square metres.

“The new school is equipped with the latest teaching tools, so that pupils can enjoy attending it more,” said Serbian PM Vučić.

“The EU will continue to help Obrenovac through its flood prevention programme, in order to ensure that no such disasters reoccur,” said H.E. EU Delegation Head Michael Davenport.

H.E. MICHAEL DAVENPORT (left) and PM ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ sit at school desks

22.02. 2016

Start-up Networking – Growth Hacking Workshop In collaboration with the Canadian Embassy in Belgrade and the CanadianSerbian Business Association (CANSEE), ICT Hub held a one-day workshop entitled “Start-up Networking – Growth Hacking”.

The goal of this workshop is to educate entrepreneurs from Central Serbia about a new approach to marketing and to network with Belgrade-based experts. Growth Hacking is a new, atypical type of marketing based on analysing specific features of a certain target group and finding a loophole in the system that enables the gathering of a huge number of users in a very short space of time at minimal cost.

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H.E. VLADIMIR GASPARIČ, Slovenian Ambassador (left), Minister ZDRAVKO POČIVALŠEK AND DANELA FIŠAKOV, Director of SKP

19.02.2016

Working Breakfast of the Slovenian Business Club The Slovenian Business Club (SPK) organized a working breakfast with the Slovenian Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek. In the presence of many Club members, the breakfast attendees spoke about the good and bad experiences of doing business in Serbia. They 24.02.2016

also identified parafiscal fees and tendering procedures as the biggest problems associated with their operations in Serbia.

Minister Počivalšek talked about the main goals of the Slovenian Government, namely reducing the number of administrative procedures, cutting down on redtape, better regulation of the labour legislation and reforming tax system, especially income tax. It was also said that Slovenia would provide support to Serbia in the segment of spa tourism which holds a great potential.

25.02.2016

55th Anniversary of Kuwait’s Independence Marked

AmCham Award Ceremony

The Kuwaiti Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Mr. Yousef Ahmad Abdulsamad held a reception at the Belgrade hotel Metropol in honour of the 55th anniversary of Kuwait’s independence and 25th anniversary of the country’s liberation.

“We see Serbia as a reliable political partner and we have been working hard on developing our economic cooperation in an effort to advance the overall bilateral relations”, Ambassador Abdulsamad said on the occasion. The latest, concrete example of this cooperation is an investment in the Prokop railway station while Kuwait also plans to donate funds for construction of two bridges in the Municipality of Krupanj. Apart from many friends and associates, the reception was attended by the members of the diplomatic chorus, and the prominent cultural and public figures in Serbia.

Photo: Tanjug

One of the biggest business associations in Serbia - the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) - declared the winners of the Leaders In Change Award, which is given to both companies and individuals that achieved top business results and introduced innovations to their activities.

The awards for the best business results, innovation, ethical behaviour and social responsibility were given to the Nelt Company, Lea Stanković from Communis Agency, Andrea Brbaklić from Erste Bank, the Telenor Company, Dejan Turk from Vip, Predrag Mitić from Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and the Mathematical Gymnasium.

The U.S. Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Mr. Kyle Scott says that the awards, as well as the American Chamber of Commerce’s activities, are exceptionally important because they encouraged reforms both in the Serbian economy and society.

Mrs. and H.E. Mr. ABDULSAMADKYLE and H.E. Mr. MEHMET KEMAL BOZAY, Turkish Ambassador to Serbia

H.E. Mr. YOUSEF AHMAD ABDULSAMADKYLE and H.E. Mr. RANDOLPH SCOTT, US Ambassador

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REALITY CULTURE

Reality TV is Here to Stay The year was 1968. Legendary American artist Andy Warhol was preparing an exhibition in Sweden and decided to write the following sentence in the program: “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes”

F

or some people the reality genre has tant change in the way we play videogames trend for exposure and realism is permeatits origins earlier than Warhol’s proand even watch movies: The gaming experiing in a way that we sometimes fail to see. phetic quote, as they consider Candid ence is more real than ever, offering 360 deAccording to a 2012 Euromonitor consumer Camera to be the prototype of reality grees of movement using only your head. trend analysis, the popularity of social netTV. The long-lived television show which sees In a similar fashion, YouTube has startworks themselves is closely connected to practical jokes played on unsuspecting straned offering 360-degree videos, which means this leaning, especially in terms of the ways gers while a camera documents their reactions that you don’t only see what the camera is in which the majority of users choose to naractually started broadcasting in 1948. pointing at but the entire world around it. rate their lives on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Others claim the true predecessor of what As we embrace reality-based culture, we alInstagram and so on. we now known as reality TV was the American so become more susceptible to it. Companies At the same time, audiences increasingly documentary series An American Family, which rushed to take advantage of this new techask for less impersonal communications with viewers first watched in 1973. For twelve weeks, nology, creating new-school, realer-than-evservices, products and businesses. That means episodes documented the lives of a Santa er ads for a series of products. everything from preferring to play online rouBarbara family going through a divorce.

But there are even more ways in which lette to having the opportunity to chat in real What we now know so well as reality televiwe get our reality fix. Nowadays, more adtime with customer assistants on a website. In sion began in the late 1980s, when we saw the vertisements than ever before feature “real,” a way, even the tendency to turn to sites like first broadcast of American series COPS, which everyday people, who either lend their face Yelp and TripAdvisor to post and read online rehas been going strong for 28 seasons and name to product campaigns, narReality TV can be polarizing – Still, it was clearly the Netherlands rate their experiences with a service or – Tiësto’s birthplace with its thriving some hate it, others love it, and become part of marketing in other ways Electronic dance music (EDM) culture – As for reality TV itself, it has been for many it’s a guilty pleasure. that produced the first gem of pure realsteadily popular: A 2015 survey in the US But the element of reality is ity TV, called Nummer 28. The series folshowed that reality TV programs are the obviously and certainly here to lowed the lives of seven strangers, stufourth most popular genre of TV show, dents sharing a house in Amsterdam. with 34% of the audience watching. Last stay, in one form or another Shortly after that, MTV casted seven year, an exhaustive historical review of strangers to spend three months in the same reality television counted 309 different proviews of local restaurants is closely connected house and have their interactions broadcastgrams in the US only. to the cultural shift towards reality – we’d rathed for the whole world to see. The show was, Long-lived, then groundbreaking reality er see real people’s experience in an establishof course, The Real World and it has been atcompetition franchises began to pop-up on ment than look at its website. tributed with helping break taboos and depict our television sets in the late ‘90s and earTHE FUTURE contemporary reality in a brand-new way. ly 2000s, took the entire globe by storm and In 1999, the film The Matrix explored the Nowadays, viewers are used to a number still dominate ratings: Big Brother, American idea that perhaps the world we live in is not of different reality sub-genres. From courtIdol, Survivor, America’s Got Talent and real but a virtual reality created by intelligent rooms to tattoo parlors, reality TV offers us MasterChef were all exported from their origimachines. That was the first time many peoglimpses into the lives, skills, struggles, sucnal countries of creation for localized producple were introduced to the concept of vircesses and (often epic) failures of hundreds tions in different countries. tual reality. Seventeen years later, in earof people who often got the 15 minutes of Yes, reality TV can be polarizing – some ly 2016, consumers are able to buy the first fame Warhol once promised. hate it, others love it, and for many it’s a mass-market virtual reality headsets, such as All in all, recent decades have seen a maguilty pleasure. But the element of reality is Oculus Rift and Sony’s PlayStation VR. This jor cultural shift towards reality that extends obviously and certainly here to stay, in one technological development marks an imporfar beyond the realm of our TV boxes. The form or another. ■

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S P E C I A L

E D I T I O N

G U I D E TO

PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

C H A RT W E L L -

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

S C H O O L

-

Excellence

s d r a w o T

• 15 years of experience • Caring environment tailored to the academic and personal needs of each child • • Preparing students to thrive in an increasingly technological and multicultural society • • Internationally renowned qualifications • Graduates accepted into prestigious colleges and universities worldwide • PRE-SCHOOL

PRIMARY

Teodora Drajzera 38; +381 11 3675 299

SECONDARY

Tolstojeva 54; +381 11 3675 299

Lackoviceva 6; +381 11 3675 340

ACCREDITED BY: Ministarstvo prosvete nauke i tehnološkog razvoja

2

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

reception@chartwell.edu.rs • www.chartwell.edu.rs

KREATIVNO PERO

CONTENTS

Education System

18

RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT Brook Hill International School

8

EDUCATION REFORM IS A NEVER-ENDING STORY

ALIGNED WITH EUROPEAN STUDY SYSTEMS

Minister Srđan Verbić

the Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management (FIMEK)

4

RUĐER BOŠKOVIĆ Education System

19

14

ADVENTURE OF LEARNING IN FRENCH The French school in Belgrade

THE JOY OF LEARNING

10

MAN IS A SENSORY ROBOT AND SAWS HAVE SOUL

PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL, STEEPED IN HISTORY!

AGE d.o.o.

PRIMA International School

20

international primary school

6

15

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE WITH A VIEW TOWARDS THE EU

CONTEMPORARY SOLUTIONS FOR E-LEARNING

the German School of Belgrade

Diana Gligorijević, TeleGroup d.o.o.

12

LEARNING IN A FUN AND EXCITING WAY BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

7

4 | INTERNATIONAL GERMANY 2012

TRADITION AND EXCELLENCE

22

The International School of Belgrade

16

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

3

INTERVIEW

Education Reform is a Never-ending Story Although the financial crisis and the ongoing macroeconomic stabilisation programme have partially slowed the envisaged pace of reforms in education, efforts to modernise and internationalise the curricula are running in parallel

SRĐAN VERBIĆ, SERBIAN MINISTER OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

T

he implementation of the programme with the IMF obliges Serbia to rationalise the field of education, while the need to introduce new knowledge to counter this requires the recruitment of additional teaching staff. In this interview for CorD, Srđan Verbić, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, talks about ways of harmonising these two contradictory targets and other plans of the ministry.

• It is often said that education in Serbia is not harmonised with the

have to get rid of some existing subjects. This is the key moment of social dialogue that includes employers and the state and trade unions, and which concerns the fact that we have to offer people who are in the system effective retraining programs, enabling them to find another job and then to introduce what they need.

• The IMF programme, on the contrary, calls for the accelerating of this business and rationalisation.

- I think we need more teachers in schools, but it is necessary for them to do fewer things than they do now.

WEALTHY COUNTRIES PERHAPS HAVE THE LUXURY OF PREPARING STUDENTS FOR HIGHLY SPECIALISED AREAS IN WHICH THEY WILL BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD. WE, ON THE OTHER HAND, MUST INTEGRATE OUR EDUCATIONAL PROFILES needs of the labour market.

- Education is not adapted to the needs of the market in the UK either, nor in Sweden and the United States. This is a global problem. We could quickly change the educational profile in the case that we had the opportunity to hire people in the education system quickly, but in order to introduce new subjects we would

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GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

For example, we have very few people who deal with career guidance, who should be in constant interaction with students, in order for them to be able to choose their school and further career in the right way. On the other hand, global financial troubles compel us to reduce that number and what we can and must do for the damage to be minimised as much as possible.

• Of all the changes in the sphere of education, most media attention is devoted to the introduction of dual education. How important is this aspect within the framework of reforms?

- At a time when the future of any business is highly uncertain, education devoted to a strictly specialised field is a risk for the state and for the individual. What we need to do is to create our programmes in such a way that we are flexible. Wealthy countries perhaps have the luxury of preparing students for highly specialised areas in which they will be the best in the world. We, on the other hand, must integrate our educational profiles and that is very important to us.

Students graduating from vocational schools need to have enough quality working practice and be trained for more than a single craft, because they do not know where they will be employed and what they will need the most. When it comes to higher education, practical experience is extremely important to us. Our vocational high schools must offer a lot more practical experience than is the case today, and the kinds of educational programmes that imply very close cooperation with industry.

• Young people in our country often study at university just because they cannot find a job, which has led to a fairly unregulated industry of private colleges. When will this sector be brought into line?

- What we definitely need to bring order to is the route leading from basic primary education, through secondary schools, to higher education. We want to have as many highly educated people as possible, but the route leading to that education must be arranged, and that is why we are working to introduce a graduation at the end of high school that will be a very serious filter determining who goes to which school for what purpose and where they can enrol further after graduating from such schools.

Southeast Europe (ERI SEE), an initiative for education reform in Southeast Europe that is headquartered in Belgrade, and that is a very important event because it is only the second international organisation to have its headquarters in Belgrade. Besides ERI SEE, the Centre for Research and Innovation of the Western Balkans (WISE) has also been established and also involves all countries in the region. Both organisations have great potential, both in terms of the distribution of funds for education and science in the region and in terms of coordinating all activities – starting from

• On the other hand, until recently we had a big problem with another group of young people – those who earned degrees at foreign universities and have had trouble getting those diplomas recognised here.

- The slowest part was the establishment of procedures that are supposed to help the ENIC NARIC Centre to do this job, and I think we are now finally picking up pace. Of course, we are not progressing at the same pace with all countries –

• There is increasing cooperation in the region when it comes to the education sector.

- During the past year we have managed to establish two international organisations headquartered in the region. The first is the Education Reform Initiative of

• State scholarships were also introduced recently for these students?

- We launched the project “The World in Serbia”, which creates the possibility of awarding scholarships to students of member and observer states of the Non-Aligned Movement, thanks to which Serbia has the honour of hosting students from 53 countries.

The programme was introduced in 2014 and in the 2016/17 academic year will offer 40 new scholarships.

secondary vocational education, which is a topic common to all of us, to the mutual recognition of qualifications or a common framework for qualifications for all countries in the region.

• As of recently, anyone can inform themselves regarding a large number of statistics from the scope of your ministry, thanks to the government’s introduction of “open data”.

- The concept of open data is very important for the functioning of the ministry. First, there is openness to the public, who want to know a lot about the education system.

The second reason is the intention for us to make decisions regarding the education system on the basis of reliable data. The third important reason is that we are opening the possibility for innovative people, to get involved and develop some kind of work for themselves on the basis of this data.

• At the same time, you also plan for the University of Belgrade to once again become a point of reference for foreign students.

- Here we have a lot of untapped potential. At the time of Yugoslavia, Belgrade was an important centre of education for many ambitious people from non-aligned countries and the echo of those times still reverberates.

What we need to do is to increase the number of programmes that offer classes in Eng-

• There are increasing numbers of foreigners in our country and we often read that nursery schools have been opened in German or English. Is some government intervention needed in this are or is that space for free private initiative?

- We want that to be about private initiatives as much as possible. If there is an institution that can provide such a service, it is only up to us to verify such an institution and wish them good luck in their work. ■

WE LAUNCHED THE PROJECT “THE WORLD IN SERBIA”, WHICH CREATES THE POSSIBILITY OF AWARDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS OF MEMBER AND OBSERVER STATES OF THE NONALIGNED MOVEMENT, THANKS TO WHICH SERBIA HAS THE HONOUR OF HOSTING STUDENTS FROM 53 COUNTRIES perhaps counterintuitively. However, once we have accepted a certain profile it is then recognised automatically in the future, the more recognised scientific educational programmes we have, the faster this procedure will go in the future.

At present we have 1,731 applications for the recognition of diplomas and 495 are being processed, because that is more or less the capacity with which we can work.

lish, and possibly in other languages. At this moment we have several hundred programs that are accredited and can be taught in English, but only 20 that are exclusively in English, which can cater for a maximum of about 2,300 students, and this is significantly less than, for example, Hungary.

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GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

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INTERVIEW

Man is a Sensory Robot and Saws Have Soul We cannot even imagine today's school system without the modern technologies that arrived here thanks to four engineers who were able to create and apply everything that became a part of global education and inclusion

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eople can feel skin deep and little saws, which, back in the day, we used in ‘technical education’, as the subject was called in primary and secondary schools back then, have soul so that they are able to stop themselves before they cut the user's hand. These are just some of the technological novelties in education, as we found out from Ljubomir Adamov, Director, Chief Engineer and Proprietor of Belgrade-based company AGE d.o.o.

• How did you present your company at the recent British Council Fair dedicated to new technologies in education?

- We exhibited a 3D printer for the first time ever. This is a top-notch machine that is used in combination with a computer to allow you to make a material object in Africa or America from Belgrade. You input the software here and the object is made over there. The end result

saw and lathe, which can produce the models we used to create in technical education, back in the day. These models are suitable for all ages, as well as for professionals. The system that we use comes from Austrian company CoolTool and has a five-year warranty. This is a perfect device that operates at a harmless voltage, so, for instance, if you put your finger on the saw, it promptly moves so you don't cut yourself. We are both the distributors and coordinators of this system. It is very important that this system can also be used in so-called inclusive education, i.e. by children with special needs.

• You are in the business of interactive multi-media educational technologies. Tell us something about your very beginning.

- These technologies are used in education, professional presentations and communications, as well as in inclusive education, which

OUR WORK IS ALL ABOUT A SUBTLE CONNECTION BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND MODERN TECHNOLOGIES. WE HAVE SOFTWARE AS A FINE THREAD THAT CONNECTS US, AND IS ALSO A SLAVE TO OUR PURPOSE can be a glass or a chair that was designed here and produced there. The 3D technology can be applied to a special segment of education which, among other student categories, also includes visually impaired students. They can print on matrices that require an embossed preprint, which is done using 3D technology.

• What other novelties have you presented and offered?

- This year we decided to go back to the traditional approach to creating. We presented a small-scale workshop as one set – a small drill,

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has become an integral part of the school system. The goal of these technologies is to have a school that is tailored to children and not a school that imposes educational criteria. This also means that you study and work in line with your abilities, which, again, implies certain challenges and risks.

• How can technology help to solve certain everyday problems in this sector?

- As suggested by educators, we have begun working on sensory technology, i.e. using sen-

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

sory integration technology to create sensory rooms that are used in medical therapy.

We started with therapeutic methods, where a person can relax through the use of touch.

Massage is the first format of sensory treatments. Humans, by their nature, are sensory robots with a system of diverse sensors - the sense of sight, smell, taste, hearing, balance and perception - whose skin is a network of sensory points. All of our senses are sensors, so is our skin. In devising sensory rooms, our initial premise was that humans are sensory robots and if we influence their sensors, we can control their state. This is one-to-one work – there is one professional therapist and one patient. The treatment lasts an hour. So far, we have created around 30 such rooms for schools with special needs students, preschools, health clinics and hospitals, both in Serbia and elsewhere in the region. We equip them and we produce the instruments. Our products are also between 40 and 100 per cent cheaper than those of our European counterparts. ■

BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Learning in a Fun and Exciting Way

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he British International School (BIS) is at the centre of a thriving and supportive community – a happy, challenging and forwardlooking school. Enriched by its cultural diversity and proud of its curriculum and ethos, BIS is committed to the highest standards in everything it does.

The purpose of the BIS is to develop internationally-minded, independent, confident and creative learners, who will be able to make a positive contribution to future society. Since its inception, the British International School has sent 19 generations of graduates to universities throughout the world.

The School caters for students in preschool, primary & secondary school, and this winter opened a new Lower Secondary Campus building, due to ever-growing student numbers, meaning BIS now has three school campuses.

Education at BIS for students aged 4 to 18 is centred on the UK curriculum and developing all aspects of a child’s intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual attributes.

BIS students attain excellent results throughout their education. Last summer BIS students achieved fantastic results in their A Level and IGCSE examinations. Two students achieved 7 A grades at A Level between them (3 at A*, the highest grade possible). At AS Level, two students achieved 3 A grades each, and in the IGCSE examina-

tions two achieved 15 A grades (5 at A*).

Many other students achieved equally admirable results.

All BIS students recently took part and joined millions of other students across the world taking part in World Maths Day, World Literacy Day, and World Science Day, which together comprise the World Education Games.

Great free, educational fun!

BIS offers its students lots of additional education content in a fun and exciting way. Its Secondary students had a fantastic time in the Netherlands during their Annual Study Tour. There

The British International School has so far sent 19 generations of graduates to universities throughout the world.

The School, which caters for students aged from 4 to 18, this winter opened a new Lower Secondary Campus building to cater ever-increasing student numbers

Next, Year 8 students visited the Indonesian Embassy in Belgrade as part of their Cultural Studies course, with the purpose of expanding their knowledge of this country. During the 90-minute visit, Culture Attaché Habadi took the students on a tour of the Embassy and gave them an overview of Indonesian culture. The students and their teachers were also welcomed by H.E. Indonesian Ambassador Kandou and his wife, who treated the visitors to a meal of Indonesian food at their residency.

In mid-December, Key Stage Three

EDUCATION AT BIS IS CENTRED ON THE BRITISH CURRICULUM AND DEVELOPING ALL ASPECTS OF A CHILD’S INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL ATTRIBUTES they had the opportunity to experience another culture, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of modern European history, World War II and the Holocaust at Anne Frank’s House. They could examine the topography of the region and the constant battle to keep the North Sea at bay. Such an experience also helped these youngsters improve their personal organisation and cooperation with others in a variety of environments, as well as giving them an opportunity to gain independence and self-confidence, while strengthening existing friendships and forging new ones.

4 | INTERNATIONAL GERMANY 2012

students visited the Royal Palace as part of the charity campaign traditionally organised by the HRH Crown Princess Katherine Foundation over the Christmas period. There the BIS students had an opportunity to share the spirit of charity by donating gifts to their peers from homes for children without parental care, children with disabilities and Roma children.

After two fantastic Christmas productions and a final assembly that saw many certificates presented, including those for our Gold and Silver Mathletics Award winners, we can only say: Well done! ■

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

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ANY 2012

BROOK HILL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Respect for Individual Needs and an Inclusive Environment

Choosing the right school and education system for a child can be a very daunting task for parents.

That is why we have created an environment where the combination of old and new pedagogical approaches, support in school and from home, leads to children developing into confident and successful individuals MS SARAH AITKEN

NEBOJSA MLADENOVIC

Head of Early Years and Primary Department

B

rook Hill International School provides a cohesive education for children aged from 3 to 18.

All within the same area, its Early Years building caters for 3-5-year olds, the Primary building teaches children aged 5-11, and the Secondary building is for children aged between 11 and 18.

• Which programmes do you offer your pupils?

- From the outset we follow the National Curriculum for England and Wales and from Primary Year One we begin following the Cambridge International Programme for English, Maths and Sci-

Head of Secondary Department, Cambridge Officer and Examiner • How can children whose native language is not English join the classes?

- Throughout the school, children are completely immersed in the English language.

Teachers use a variety of visual resources and practical activities to help children with lower levels of English participate fully in lessons. Moreover, we have a teacher of English as an Additional Language, who works very closely with children, class teachers and parents in order to support the development of children’s English language skills. Through games, songs, lots of visual stimulus and practical activities, children begin to pick up the language very quickly.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCHOOL AND EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR A CHILD CAN BE A VERY DAUNTING PROSPECT FOR PARENTS. KNOWING THAT THEIR CHILD IS HAPPY IN A WELCOMING, SAFE, SECURE AND STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE ence, whilst continuing to follow the National Curriculum for England and Wales for all other social and expressive arts subjects. Pupils complete standardised tests from the UK and from Cambridge (Progress and Checkpoint Tests) each year. Secondary school pupils follow Cambridge Programmes for their chosen subjects and go on to complete IGSCE, AS and A levels.

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• What are the major values and strategies that set Brook Hill International School apart compared to other international schools in Belgrade?

- Choosing the right school and education system for a child can be a very daunting prospect for parents. Knowing that their child is happy in a welcoming, safe, secure and stimulating environment is of

utmost importance. That is why we have created such an environment where the programmes offered can be tailored to suit individual needs, ensuring an inclusive environment. We believe that the combination of old and new pedagogical approaches, support in school and from home, leads to children growing into confident and successful individuals.

‘The moment we opened the gate of Brook Hill School we instinctively felt that this was the right place for our daughter.

Despite having absolutely no English when starting at Brook Hill, we have seen tremendous progress in our child’s overall development: academically, physically, socially and emotionally. She feels that her abilities and interests are appreciated at school.’ - Mirjana Arsenović Dačić, current Year-Four parent.

All of our teachers have experience working at schools internationally or in the UK. In Early Years and Primary we strive to provide young children with native English teachers or those who have lived in the UK for many, many years.

‘I was born, raised and qualified as a teacher in the UK. I have experience working with children and adults from various cultures, successfully teaching and preparing them for Cambridge tests and exams. Here at Brook Hill we are able to build on and deliver a curriculum that is

inclusive and flexible.’ - Ms Jovana Markos, Primary Teacher Our Secondary children are provided with regular personalised support, both from their tutor and our school counsellor, in applying for universities to continue their studies, whether that be here in Serbia or abroad.

• What extra curricula activities do you offer your pupils?

- We promote a close, friendly and familylike atmosphere. With small class sizes and a flexible approach to both curricular and extra-curricular timetables, children have many opportunities to explore their interests, talents and curiosities in a safe and secure learning environment.

Our After School Clubs change on a termly basis and reflect children’s interests. We have swimming in our own indoor pool, with Active Oxygen instead of chlorine, volleyball, basketball, Scottish dancing, yoga, aikido – all in our own sports gym, arts and crafts, homework, a choir,

cookery, chess, debating and computer clubs, and many different languages.

‘Many of our children have expressed interests in learning another foreign language. This term has seen the beginning of the Italian Club. We use games, songs and a variety of materials to learn Italian.

Learning another language is an exciting way to explore new culture and history.’ -

As well as multiple excursions relating to the topics children are learning about throughout the academic year, we also use our outdoor space to its full potential.

‘In Early Years we use outdoor learning as an integral part of everyday activities. It is a vital aspect of a child’s education and we make use of this powerful

WE PROMOTE A CLOSE, FRIENDLY AND FAMILY-LIKE ATMOSPHERE. WITH SMALL CLASS SIZES AND A FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO BOTH CURRICULAR AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR TIMETABLES Mr Shaun Small, Primary Teacher After school clubs are led by our own teachers or by professionals in that particular field. We also encourage those secondary children who wish to lead a club for younger students to do so, and we provide them with as much help as they require.

We also have our own gardening space, where children can plant and nurture their own organic vegetables and herbs.

resource to give them valuable opportunities to connect their classroom education to the wider world. Reception children enjoy Forest School and, along with others in the school, gardening, which helps them learn about the natural environment, solve problems, increase their confidence and cooperate with others.’ - Ms Erica Wilkinson, Early Years Foundation Stage Teacher. ■

Enrolling now!

Call and visit us Contact: +381 11 369 1310 email: office@brookhill.edu.rs website: www.brookhill.edu.rs 4 | INTERNATIONAL GERMANY 2012

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

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CORPORATE

Adventure of Learning in French Due to the high quality of an education process that is in line with the French curriculum, advanced pedagogy techniques and an approach catered to children, our students continue their studies in France and elsewhere with ease. That is why both Serbian, French and binational parents are choosing our school for their pupils, starting from age three to 18.

T

he French School in Belgrade introduces children from the ages of three to 18 to the adventure of learning in a caring and nurturing environment, in French! The high quality of the teaching process is secured by the unique structure of teaching in France.

France is the only country in the world that has an international state-approved network of schools under the auspices of the French Agency for teaching French Abroad (AEFE), which allows pupils to continue the French curriculum in a French school abroad or in France whenever they choose. This institution guarantees, through the French Ministry of Education, the same education programmes as those in, for example, Paris. Each year inspectors

There are currently 500 pupils enrolled at 15 different age levels. When it comes to our pupils’ nationalities, 55 per cent of them are Serbian, 35 per cent are French or binational and the remaining 10 per cent comprises 20 different nation-

THE FRENCH SCHOOL IN BELGRADE PROMOTES THE DIVERSITY OF ITS PUPILS. ABOUT 55 PER CENT OF THEM ARE SERBIAN, 35% ARE FRENCH OR BINATIONAL AND THE REMAINING 10% COMPRISES 20 DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES from the French Ministry of Education visit the school and assess the conformity and quality of teaching.

The French school in Belgrade, established in the city in 1951, adheres to French educational principles, including the principles of secularity, as well as philosophical and political neutrality. The French government contributes financially to the education of our pupils, irrespective of their nationality, in the amount of €2,700 per pupil, through teachers’ salaries and other subsidies.

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alities. In the past two years, 100% of our students successfully passed their final French Baccalauréat exam, which allowed them to continue their studies, mainly in France, but also in foreign countries – as the French diploma is recognised the world over. In addition to the formal curriculum, a number of extra-curricular activities are offered by the school each year, consisting of various sports, arts and sciences.

Starting from the age of three, children are eligible for the nursery at the

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

French School in Belgrade. The Nursery welcomes 85 children aged three to five in a warm and friendly atmosphere, in the Belgrade suburb of Senjak. The nursery is divided into three levels and five different classrooms, each overseen by a bilingual teacher and a bilingual teaching assistant.

Our staff follows the French Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, and is keen to offer the best of the French education system, placing an emphasis on a caring and nurturing environment, cultivation of desire for learning in young pupils and teaching them to socialise and learn to be part of a group, but also to be independent.

Pupils develop multilingualism at an early age, have strengthened physical predispositions and are exposed to the rigour of the French curriculum, as well as the autonomous critical thinking of French Education that is a synonym of high quality pedagogy.

The French School in Belgrade maintains a child-centred approach to education and promotes the diversity of its students – by encouraging them to develop their mother tongue and preparing them to primary school by teaching them the basic pre-reading and writing skills.

School lessons start at 8.10am and end at 1.10pm. After-school care is also available until 4.30pm and consists of various activities overseen by teaching assistants in French.

We urge you to please get in touch with the school’s administration if you require any further information about the school and its programmes. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon! ■

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

11

INTERVIEW

Academic Excellence With a View Towards the EU As Serbia is advancing decisively towards the European Union, the German School may act as one more bridge towards that goal by attracting families from EU countries to come to Serbia and by preparing Serbian children for the opportunities offered by the EU

STEFAN WIEDENHOFER,

DR NATALIE EBERT,

DIRECTOR OF THE GERMAN SCHOOL OF BELGRADE

F

ANY 2012

CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF THE GERMAN SCHOOL OF BELGRADE

• There was a big re-opening ceremony of the German school in Belgrade last September.

Could you tell us about it?

- E: Yes, we held a big event in autumn last year in the presence of Mr Srđan Verbić, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development. This event took place in the wake of extensive refurbishment, including additional construction to our new school building, the former Sportska Gimnazija in Topčider. This project was financed by the German government and by German, Austrian and Swiss companies. As a result, the German School Belgrade, an institution with the highest teaching standards, is now op-

- W: Places in the German school are in high demand, as parents seek to enrol their children in our school. We currently have around 220 students. In our new building we can meet all educational challenges and live up to our commitment, which focuses on the individuality of our pupils. We believe that diversity and inclusion are the key drivers of creativity and innovation.

E: Our project is almost complete. We are now looking forward to being able to relocate our kindergarten, which is already situated nearby, onto our school grounds. We are in close contact with the business community and authorities to finalise this last step.

CHILDREN WITH SERBIAN AS THEIR MOTHER TONGUE NEED TO ATTEND AT LEAST TWO YEARS OF PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION IN ORDER TO ACQUIRE SATISFACTORY KNOWLEDGE OF THE GERMAN LANGUAGE

• What kind of education does the German School of Belgrade offer?

- W: The German School of Belgrade offers education at all levels, from kindergarten to school leavers’ diplomas, with all subjects taught in German and all exams subjected to German standards. It is as if the students were attending a school in Germany. Our teaching is certified and regularly inspected

by German authorities. At the same time, we are of course also a Serbian school. We are officially licensed by the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development. But the German School Leaver’s Diploma, the Abitur, qualifies all students to attend universities in all European Union countries. The Abitur is the future key to German and European universities.

ounded in 1854, the German School of Belgrade is one of the oldest existing educational institutions in the city, but also one that is growing and expanding as Serbia advances towards the European Union. Here we talk to senior school staff about the unique qualities of the school and future plans for its development. Our interlocutors are Stefan Wiedenhofer, Director of the German School of Belgrade (W), and Dr. Natalie Ebert, Chair of the Board of the German School of Belgrade (E). In this interview their responses are preceded with a letter for ease of navigating this interview.

erating in a state-of-the-art environment. We are grateful to the City of Belgrade, the Municipality of Savski Venac and the Serbian and German governments for their support in realising this important educational project.

SRDJAN VERBIC, Serbian Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development (left), German Ambassador to Serbia H.E. AXEL DITTMANN, DR NATALIE EBERT, chair of the Board of the German School of Belgrade Austrian Ambassador to Serbia and H.E. DR JOHANNES EIGNER

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GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

• How did the school develop in the last couple of years? Is your project now complete?

• What makes the German School of Belgrade unique compared to other international schools?

- W: Firstly, we teach our students the German language. In addition, we not only make sure that the student curricula are up-to-date and based on modern knowledge, we also concern ourselves with how pupils learn. We feel we have something to offer when it comes to modern teaching. We encourage active and social learning in class and in projects. Throughout the school year, teachers offer workshops focusing on specific themes, e.g. the Danube or Environmentalism or historical issues, both German and Serbian, which are selected by students. The idea is to motivate students and provide a fresh look at the curriculum.

It should also be mentioned that we teach our students Serbian at two levels: as a native and as a foreign language.

• Does the school mainly serve the needs of the German expat and business communities and their families?

- E: Not only. German-speaking families from

logue with local teachers and local schools, as well as with international schools.

• How do you finance such a comprehensive offer – what about your school fees?

- E: It is expensive to run a school that offers international education at the highest level. Regarding finance, we have two sources. We are partially funded by the parents via school fees, but I would like to emphasise that the German government supports us very generously, covering 50 per cent of our budget. As a result, our school fees are 50 per cent lower than those of comparable international schools in Belgrade.

• You personally decided to enrol your three children in this school. Which factors influenced your decision?

- E: First of all, the classes are small, so teachers can spend a great deal of their time with individual pupils. At the primary education level, the school also offers individual remedial teaching for German, maths and other subjects. Also, it

THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS THE SCHOOL VERY GENEROUSLY, AND AS A RESULT THE SCHOOL FEES ARE APPROXIMATELY 50 PER CENT LOWER THAN THOSE OF COMPARABLE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN BELGRADE Austria or Switzerland, who have relocated to Belgrade, are of course interested in sending their children to a German-speaking school. But about approximately 50 per cent of the pupils are from Belgrade families. An important part of the backbone of the school, i.e. its pupils, their families and many teachers, are from Serbia.

W: We work closely together with other schools in Belgrade on different issues. Our students also take part in national maths or reading competitions and participate in MUN (Model United Nations). All our students are required to learn Serbian and immerse themselves fully in the national culture. We highly value our dia-

was important for us that our children have access to an education that would conform to other international curricula, in case we move to another country before their graduation.

• How does the integration of children from Serbian families work?

- W: Admission to the school is only possible if a child’s competence in German satisfies certain standards. So, we start early on, from day one in kindergarten. Children with Serbian as their mother tongue need to attend at least two years of pre-school education. It is amazing to see how much children can learn within those two years.

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Of course, this kind of learning also includes play and fun, but our experience shows that any child can progress very quickly, even if nobody else in the family speaks German. And, believe me, this makes a child proud! Later it is, I confess, rather difficult to transfer from a Serbian school to DSB.

• Where do you see your role in the European integration process that Serbia is going through?

- E: Serbia is advancing decisively towards the European Union. I hope that the German School can act as one more bridge towards the European Union – attracting families from EU countries to come to Serbia and preparing Serbian children for the opportunities offered by the EU. W: It is clear that education will be key. The majority of young people in Serbia will certainly benefit from increased exchanges with their counterparts in other European countries. This is where the German school can help – mainly through our graduates serving as builders of bridges to a new era, but also by organising exchanges, meetings and debates within the country. We are optimistic and excited to continue our close cooperation with our Serbian partners. ■

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

13

INTERVIEW

Aligned with European Study Systems All of the study programmes at our faculty are popular, but information technology is certainly ahead of all others, due to the continuous increase in the number of interested and enrolled students Professor DRAGAN SOLEŠA Ph.D., Dean of the Novi Sad Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management (FIMEK)

D

uring the transition period and swift progression towards information society, the Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management (FIMEK) and its Information Technology Department have special importance and a role to play in educating experts who are both necessary and desired for the further development and expansion of IT. Computer literacy and the application of IT tools are important for doing business, competition, and profitability, i.e. overall economic development.

• Which study levels do you cater for with the courses you offer your students (graduate, postgraduate, doctoral)?

- FIMEK provides a wide range of high quality, accredited study programmes for graduate academic, postgraduate academic and doctoral studies. The Faculty has 15 study programmes at three levels.

number of possible solutions; not just one “right” solution. The professors and assistant professors at the Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management are preparing students for life in the modern society. Our faculty provides students with the ability to convey complex ideas, solve complicated problems, and deal with vague situations. The experience from developed countries shows that modern curricula need new content, a new approach in acquiring that content and a new organisation of teaching processes. The faculties of the new generation, or the 21st century faculties, have to be based on new tools, while simultaneously enabling simple and fast access to general global knowledge. This is the last moment for starting the thorough transformation of the education system, which will now use ICT much more than before.

When devising the curriculum and the

FIMEK HAS SIGNED OVER THIRTY COOPERATION AGREEMENTS WITH INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CONSTANTLY TO BOOST AND EXPAND COOPERATION WITH BOTH EXISTING AND NEW PARTNERS All of these programmes have been created in line with the curricula of renowned European universities, which train experts and teach in accordance with the basic principles of the European study system.

• How does the Faculty adapt its curriculum to the needs of the labour market?

- The modern workplace has a growing need for people who are able to gather, evaluate, synthesise and apply information, as well as being able to consider a

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programmes for all educational profiles of the Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management, we were guided by the rules of the profession, or Lege Artis.

• How have you been advancing your scientific and research capacities?

- In terms of improving FIMEK’s scientific and research capacity, our priorities lie with project activities that we carry out at the local, provincial, state and international levels. Additionally, during the cur-

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

rent academic year, FIMEK participated in the organisation of three science and technology meetings. Of course, our professors and assistant professors have been publishing their papers in specialised magazines, which is also their obligation – considering that our teaching staff is highly motivated and focused on continuous improvement and progress.

• With which foreign scientific institutions do you cooperate?

- Examples of tangible collaboration with foreign universities can best be seen in our project activities. In January FIMEK submitted a joint project in which we partnered the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Philosophy, the University of Maribor’s Faculty of Philosophy, the Independent University from Banja Luka, the Prometej College of Applied and Legal Sciences from Banja Luka and the Technical College of Vocational Studies from Novi Sad, which just shows that our collaboration with foreign higher learning institutions is stable and realised through numerous activities.

FIMEK has signed over thirty cooperation agreements with international educational institutions and we have been working constantly to boost and expand cooperation with both existing and new partners. Thanks to this international cooperation, our students are now given an opportunity to spend a semester abroad, studying at the best European universities. Furthermore, our graduate students can continue their postgraduate and doctoral studies abroad. Additionally, the Faculty also holds summer schools for foreign students. ■

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

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THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGRADE

Tradition and Excellence Since 1948 the International School of Belgrade has provided a quality education to the international community in Belgrade, relying on innovative and best instructional practice to address the varying learning styles of our students

O

pportunities for academic excellence, artistic expression and international understanding are accessible for every student at the International School of Belgrade (ISB). Our challenging and diverse programs offer a high quality international education with a global perspective. ISB relies on innovative and best instructional practice to ensure we address the varying learning styles of our students.

From Pre–Kindergarten through Grade 12, ISB caters to a student population that represents over 40 nationalities. Our professional faculty and support staff are proud to serve such a multi-cultural student body. Our dynamic curriculum is based on the highly regarded International Baccalaureate Diploma, Middle and Primary Years programs. Like all high quality international

schools, ISB is accredited by educational agencies: the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the Council of International Schools. Moreover, we are an authorised IB World School, where students learn to implement change with compassion and creativity in a complex global environment, and we are also authorised by the Serbian Min-

OUR CHALLENGING AND DIVERSE PROGRAMMES OFFER A HIGH QUALITY INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WITH A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

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istry of Education, Science and Technological Development.

Since 1948 we have provided a quality education to the international community in Belgrade and our students’ parents have been vital partners since our inception. We appreciate the fact that they entrust us with the care of their children. We communicate regularly and openly with our school community members, while taking continuous steps towards improvement. And we will continue to do this in the months and years ahead. Finally, we are fortunate to be working in partnership with the ISB Board of Trustees; our board members unselfishly offer their time and talents in order to ensure the continuous improvement of programmes and services for all of our children. It is truly an honour to be a part of this vibrant and caring community, which has a clear mission: ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members to discover their passion to be global innovators. ■

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

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CORPORATE

Kreativno Pero

SUPERIOR BILINGUAL KNOWLEDGE Kreativno Pero education system provides a bilingual – Serbian/English – approach to the education of all age groups, as well as integrated implementation of the curricula of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia and the international Cambridge Programme. Our pupils receive two diplomas upon graduation.

Kreativno Pero is an education system that encourages, directs and develops the individuality and creativity of each individual child, thanks to the professional and dedicated teamwork of all of its employees. Kreativno Pero system comprises a preschool, primary school and secondary school. The fundamental feature of this system is a bilingual, Serbian-English approach to education for all age categories and the integrated implementation of the curricula of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technologi-

monitor and recognise the so-called critical period for the development of certain aspects. We organise programmes and activities that help children in their development, in accordance with their natural dispositions and abilities. We also implement early literacy programme and foreign language learning. Our work is based on learning through play.

PRIMARY SCHOOL Kreativno Pero Primary School is both a national and international school. Teaching and other activities are carried out in both Serbian and English, through the application of a bilingual approach and adherence to the Cambridge Programme. Our concept is based on focusing on children growing up

WE GIVE PRIORITY TO CONNECTING TEACHING CONTENT, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS VIA INTERDISCIPLINARY LINKS BETWEEN SUBJECTS AND ENHANCED THEMATIC CLASSES, WHICH WE ARE RENOWNED FOR AND FOR WHICH WE HAVE WON AWARDS IN PROFESSIONAL CIRCLES cal Development of the Republic of Serbia and the international Cambridge Programme.

NURSERY Kreativno Pero Nursery is a bilingual, Serbian-English preschool centre that educates children from the age of three until they start school. In our work with children we are focused on their overall development. The selected curricula, methods and working techniques stimulate every segment of a child’s development (emotional, social, intellectual, dexterity, creativity, movement etc.). By respecting the individuality of the pace of development of each child, we

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in a healthy and safe school environment. We strive to instil in the children functional and applicable knowledge, as well as life skills, while teaching them how to develop positive habits and qualities. We are also unique in terms of the way we implement both the national and Cambridge programmes through an integrated curriculum. Our pupils receive two diplomas upon graduation.

SECONDARY SCHOOL Kreativno Pero Secondary School provides optimal conditions for learning and development. We are focused in particular on developing our pupils’ personalities. We have an advanced on-going sys-

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

tem that monitors their achievements and progress.

The teaching is carried out in small groups, with the help of the latest methods, techniques and tools. We also have full respect for the individuality of each student, their extracurricular knowledge and experiences, the social and emotional segments of their personality, privacy, freedom of choice and expression and equality. The secondary school’s general education programme is accepted as an entry requirement by all universities in Serbia and is compatible with international educational curricula.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY Use of the latest information and communication technologies makes it possible for us to advance our teaching process. We explore and create ways to use these technologies in the most efficient way in our curriculum. We use interactive, smart boards, which are located in every classroom, as well as laptops and tablets. In accordance with our vision and through the use of tablets in our programme, we are increasing the level of practicality and applicability of the knowledge we pass on to our pupils. We are focused on the further development of project schooling, which – with the help of tablets – will make it possible to reduce the time spent in the classroom by up to 15 minutes.

This time can then be spent on connecting teaching content, knowledge and skills via interdisciplinary links between subjects and enhanced thematic classes, which we are renowned for and for which we have won awards in professional circles.

STAFF We use special procedures to select our staff and utilise the latest advances in psychological and pedagogical sciences in the selection process. We conduct interviews, carry out aptitude and personality tests and ask our candidates to participate in the practical implementation of activities. Our staff members receive constant professional training and guidance. They are well-rounded individuals who are mindful of a pupil’s right to be different and to show initiative. ■

www.kreativnopero.com Phone: 062 20 777 0 011 367 27 34 Address: Tolstojeva 58, Belgrade

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

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PRIMA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

The Joy of Learning PRIMA International School wants pupils to remain curious and motivated by the world they live in, now and for the rest of their lives

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ducation plays a very important role in nurturing the mind and the overall personality of the child, leading to a bright future. The world is changing quickly and in this ever-changing global village the importance of a value based world-class education is becoming highly crucial to success. In choosing the right school for their children, parents are often haunted by questions like: How can we provide our children with the best education?

Which school will help them discover their talent?

Which school will nurture our children's future?

How will the school help our children grow into confident and capable people ready to take on the world?

The answer to all these questions can be found here at PRIMA International School!

WELCOME FROM THE DIRECTOR Walk with me… …and you will quickly find there is

teachers and parents. We believe your children’s happiness and wellbeing is as important as their acquisition of knowledge and understanding, as both are fundamental to their future achievements. Above all, we want our students to feel good about who they are and where they come from, and to prize learning as a lifelong journey.

Director Brigitte MacIntosh BEYOND THE CLASSROOM AT PRIMA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Our new premises comprise adequate play areas equipped with swings, seesaws, slides, sand boxes etc.; track and field; a basketball court, a football pitch, a volleyball court and an open summer theatre stage which inspires our students to enjoy the Drama and Performing Arts Activities. The PRIMA Primary After-School Activities Programme offers opportunities for children to extend their interests and talents in a wide variety of enrichment classes.

PRIMA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IS A VIBRANT AND EXCITING SCHOOL AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU! something special about our school.

Some people say it is our spirit, others see it is the way we live our values. We also believe it is our all-encompassing commitment to instil the joy of learning in everything we do.

At PRIMA International School, all this happens within a caring community environment that collaborates to inspire everybody in it – students,

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The PRIMA Cultural Saturday Centre offers sports, games, art, music, dance and languages every Saturday to students of all ages!

The PRIMA Summer Camp offers a variety of activities, such as arts and crafts, music, sports, social activities, languages, movie time, computers, dancing, water sports and swimming, outings, drama, etc.

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

The PRIMA Choir introduces children to a variety of musical styles.

Taking full advantage of our location in one of the most culturally-rich cities in the Balkan region, PRIMA students experience exciting and educationally relevant trips throughout the year, from day trips to local parks, museums and theatres, to overnight stays.

10 GOOD REASONS TO MAKE PRIMA YOUR NEXT SCHOOL • PRIMA delivers a challenging and rigorous CIE programme to local and expat families successfully.

• Our reputation attracts highly experienced, specialist subject-area teachers from around the world.

• We build strong relationships with parents.

•O ur curriculum champions interdisciplinary, inquiry-based learning that promotes creative and critical thinking skills.

• We offer expert Learning Support and English as an Additional Language.

• We believe great learning takes place in and outside of the classroom.

• Standardised testing in reading, writing and mathematics is used to measure student progress and academic growth.

• Our building is purpose-built with new science and IT labs, music and art rooms, a large sports field and an openair summer stage.

• Our school community is genuinely inclusive, with over 40 different nationalities represented. y visiting our school you will be able •B to really appreciate the busy, happy atmosphere created by the students and staff. ■

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

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CORPORATE

Contemporary Solutions for E-learning As one of the leading information and communication technology (ICT) solution providers in the Western Balkans, TeleGroup offers numerous contemporary IT solutions and technologies applicable in education

DIANA GLIGORIJEVIĆ, REGIONAL SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR TELEGROUP D.O.O. BELGRADE

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eleGroup’s portfolio includes several solutions which facilitate the development of e-learning in line with global standards, including video conferencing systems for distance learning.

Among other things, these systems enable listening to lectures and grading in real time, as well as having interactive classes with the possibility of asking questions and taking exams.

TeleGroup also offers E-grade books,

• Which of TeleGroup's IT solutions are applied in our education system?

- Information and communication technology is one of the sectors with the fastest growth in the Serbian economy, and represents an instigator of colossal change in several other segments, including education.

Unfortunately, many contemporary IT solutions and technologies have as yet failed to take off in the education sector and their implementation is at

CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN SERBIA ARE ALREADY USING E-LEARNING AND E-GRADE BOOKS IN ORDER TO OBTAIN TIMELY INFORMATION ABOUT CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES which have proven to be an efficient solution for teachers, students and their parents.

E-learning has taken its first tentative steps in Serbia and many IT solutions that could be very beneficial to educational institutions are used only sporadically. In addition to the broad possibilities that ICT offers in learning the curriculum, accessing and processing a multitude of information, IT also offers many solutions in terms of data security in educational institutions.

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GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

the very beginning.

As one of the leading ICT solution providers in the Western Balkans, as well as a company that always monitors global ICT trends closely, TeleGroup offers solutions for interactive distance learning thanks to which students can listen to lectures in real time, record and archive these lectures, have interactive communication and have their grades recorded in an E-grade book.

In addition to all of this, we have security solutions that monitor the

access mobile devices can have to different e-documents in schools, colleges, libraries and museums.

This product scans all mobile devices and protects IT resources of various institutions from theft and other forms of misuse, like altering grades and test results, stealing financial resources etc.

• How common is e-learning in the region and in Serbia?

- As I have already mentioned, it is unfortunately still in its very infancy, although certain educational institutions have already started using elearning and e-grade books in order to obtain timely information about all curricular activities.

• An increasing number of schools in Serbia now participate in e-learning.

What does your company offer in this segment?

- When it comes to this segment, TeleGroup suggests using video-conferencing systems in distance learning, which enable students to listen to lectures and grading in real time, recording lectures with an option of rewinding if they think they have

missed important information, having interactive classes with the possibility of asking questions and taking exams etc.

• What are the advantages of having e-grade books?

- As a company which believes that the future lies in providing Cloud services, TeleGroup carefully analyses the requirements of potential users

involved in education can also benefit.

The e-grade book enables a school administration to have a general overview of school activities, especially activities carried out by teachers. They are also able to opportunely detect problems stemming from skipping school and grades, and compile the kinds of reports required by relevant authorities in a very simplified manner. In terms of

TELEGROUP OFFERS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SAFETY SOLUTIONS WHICH MONITOR THE ACCESS MOBILE DEVICES CAN HAVE TO DIFFERENT E-DOCUMENTS IN SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS and the overall market needs for egrade books as a Cloud service that could be offered to schools in the following period.

The immediate users of this solution, i.e. those who input data (teachers), are not the only ones who benefit from it. Parents, school administrators, local authorities and local governments

4 | INTERNATIONAL GERMANY 2012

the benefits for parents, they gain direct access to objective information about the academic achievements of their children. On the other hand, relevant local and state government bodies will be able to have a general overview of all activities in each individual school, at the municipal, regional and state level. There

is also a possibility of carrying out comparative reviews and analyses.

• Your company was a juror at the National Competition of the Best Student Companies. How many of the competition projects used IT solutions?

- TeleGroup was invited by the Junior Achievement Association in Serbia to be a juror at the National Competition for the Best Student Companies, which was held in Belgrade last year.

We were very happy to support this project, because we think that encouraging a young entrepreneurial mindset and activities is an investment in the future of this country. Considering that there are good business ideas and quality business plans, both in terms of IT solutions and in other segments, we believe that our youngsters will achieve good results at the European competition and we are also going to continue supporting this and similar projects in the period ahead. ■

GUIDE TO PRIVATE AND STATE EDUCATION IN SERBIA 2016

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PADDINGTON SUNFLOWER INTERNATIONAL KINDERGARTEN ● Working time from 08:00h to 17:30h, Monday to Friday (summertime included). ● Day-care available per hour and full or half day ● Professional nursery staff and foreign languages private lessons ● Activities based on the Montessori learning method and the International Pre School Curriculum (IPC). ● Taekwondo, music, arts and crafts, dance lessons and many more creative activities.

We accept childtren from 0 to 7 years of age

Contact us on 069 750 930 and at paddingtonsunflower@yahoo.com

INTERVIEW

I Can’t Recall a Single Day

WITHOUT DANCE AJA JUNG Ballerina and Director of the Belgrade Dance Festival

I've always loved dance. Ballet came into my life much later, when I was eight years old. My grandma is responsible for me going to ballet school, because she constantly took me to the theatre and often spoke of the time between the two wars, when some interesting Russian dancers and instructors showed up in Belgrade, bringing the aromas and atmosphere of the great stages and an amazing profession ling. Of course, there’re always those parts of the job that I had to do and get through for the sake of those moments of happiness. A lot of training, effort and stress working with institutions and sponsors, organisation, promotions... I generally worked by myself on producing my shows, as well as on negotiating and implementing guest appearances. I looked forward to discovering new scenes and audiences, believing that the sole purpose of dancing is in constant movement. Dance took me to New York, Moscow, Paris, Rome and Athens, while I might never have discovered some cities were it not for dance. It was a real adventure to go on tour to Senegal, Mexico, Venezuela, Armenia, Colombia, Peru etc.

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allet was then in vogue all over the world. And in Belgrade some notable productions were presented back then. Great ballet stars came and it was in that great energy and curiosity that little Aja found her route to the big stage. “When I look back on the time that has passed, I can’t recall a single day without dance. I’m happy about that,” says Aja Jung speaking to CorD.

■ What will you always remember about the time in your career when you were dancing actively?

- I enjoyed both in the creation of performances, as well as trave-

■ Today you run the ballet school of the National Endowment for Dance. What distinguishes this school from others of the same kind?

- The quality of educators and the curriculum. There is one very important rule in choosing a ballet school or studies, and that is that parents should not look for a place where their children will go for ballet, but rather qualified educators to work with children responsibly. In Serbia there is no academy for ballet or dance, so it is logical that there are no trained educators, except from just a few older dancers who had the opportunity to complete ballet pedagogy in Russia.

Therefore, the basic problem of our schools or studies in qualified personnel. When we founded the National Foundation for Dance, the main goal was to improve the training process in the field of ballet and contemporary dance. It was in this context that the ballet school MARCH

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was established and teachers have come from the Academy of Teatro alla Scala and the Vaganova Academy of St. Petersburg. It is not easy to maintain quality, but that is the only way to achieve good results.

In conversation with any top dancer, the first thing you’ll find out is who his teachers were. That’s also how it is in sport, is it not? In addition to educators, what we offer is a space in the city centre, in Kolarčeva Street, where children work on a professional surface, or ballet floor, in conditions that are above world standards, and under constant consultation with orthopaedists.

of the Paris Opera for the opening of the second edition of the festival. I knew that was that. The festival grew every year and became better and more recognisable in the country and elsewhere in the world. The only recipe was plenty of tenacity, several important contacts and little luck, which teaches you in a cruel way that there’s no going back.

■ This event is considered by many as being among the biggest and most important cultural events in the region. How is it funded?

- I am proud of my long-term partnership with companies operating in Serbia, because without them the programme would not be so good and so rich. For nine years already our ■ It was at the peak of your career main partner has been company Vip that the Belgrade Dance Festival mobile, and that is cooperation that emerged, which effectively separathas become a good example and model ed you from dance. How did you exfor investment in culture in the region. perience this transformation from a We have launched a series of activities dancer to becoming a producer? under the auspices of the festival, some - Frankly, I found it hard to cope with of which include the Vip Calls Award, the realisation that I would no longer which is presented to Serbian ballet dance. On the other hand, the space of artists who have had brilliant careers the ballet hall had begun to suffocate abroad, the Vip Talents project – dedime. I was no longer able to spend six hours in a closed room watching my cated to young dancers, or the Days of own reflection in the mirror, to mainDance event at the Yugoslav Film Artain a diet, to be harsh towards my chives Cinematheque. For many years body, to suffer when the legs did not we have also had with us Societe Genwant to listen to me... I enjoyed this erale Bank, the Hemofarm Foundation, new freedom. The Belgrade Dance Nivea, DDOR Novi Sad, Nestle Adriatic, Festival became my successful tranAmstel, Lasta, Hotel Hyatt Regency Belsition, in which I simply crossed elgrade, but also new partners such as companies Vahali, Ball Packaging, or egantly from one side of the curtain the Karanović & Nikolić Legal Practice. to the other. I stayed in dance!

We count a lot on our success with ticket sales, because we have ■ How did you come up with the idea, DEZMOND RICHARDSON established a kind of awareness that 13 years ago, at a time of economic buying a ticket means supports the and political turbulence, to launch The Belgrade Dance Festival survival of the event, which was not the Belgrade Dance Festival? became my successful transition, previously the norm in Serbia. We ex- It is true that there was no kind of special strategy, rather it was all about in which I simply crossed elegantly pect to receive approximately a quarcourage. There was never a right time of funding from local institutions, from one side of the curtain to the ter for art in Serbia, at least as far as I can which is also a very small percentage other. I stayed in dance! remember. On the other hand, I’ve alof support compared to the support granted to festivals that were founded ways been aware that my generation by the City of Belgrade and which do not need to compete in the area has no other time. We could only change place. I often also brought my felof the real market. I believe that the relationship with institutions is low dancers to Belgrade, wanting to present their work and some dance slowly but surely changing towards private and successful initiatives that was happening at the time just beyond our little courtyard. That talin the field of the creative industries. ent of mine was noticed Yair Vardi, director of the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv and – along with Jovan Ćirilov and Nebojša Bradić – he began to convince me that I should organise a good festival and try to not waste ■ What kind of reactions do you encounter from major dance troupes time, but rather to focus all of my energy on an event that would represent when you invite them to be guests of the festival? different artists and productions in one period of the year.

- Today they react with pleasure, in a similar way to when they receive The conversation had started, ideas lined up, and soon we had a draft invitations from some other significant world festival. Just 13 years of the programme for the first edition. That first festival was a success ago, it was difficult to persuade known troupes or artists to come to in an artistic sense. However, in terms of finance it brought with it many Belgrade, because their participation in our festival was not a suffigood reasons to quit. I sold my car in order to pay debts, but I did not want cient reference for their resumes. Honestly, a financial challenge was to give up. I soon succeeded in securing the guest appearance of the Ballet also lacking, because there was no possibility of some show being 72 |

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maintained for a few weeks in a theatre, or to offer the usual level of fees globally. We had a lot of trouble convincing some people to come to Belgrade... The negotiations were difficult, and usually I had to travel in order to convince them in direct and lengthy negotiations.

Today, however, we receive over 300 applications annually, as well as myriad applications for co-productions or the opportunity for us to reveal some new artist. In this sense, the festival has begun a new epoch, that is, it is focused on new works and new audiences, and has become a bridge between the experience of established choreographers and big stars, as well as very young authors.

■ What will make this year’s dance festival special and different?

- Each festival is different and somehow better than the previous edition. And that is our only goal. It is very difficult to surprise and captivate audiences today, but in the years behind us our audience has become mature and very demanding when it comes to contemporary dance. This year the festival welcomes the Nederlands Dans Theater, which is certainly a treat that is a dream for the world’s biggest theatres.

The long-awaited company Dresden Frankfurt is coming with the fantastic setting of choreographer Jacopo Godani. From Athens arrives Dimitris Papaioannou, who CorD has already written about, and from Copenhagen comes famous director Kristjan Ingimarsson, whose piece to be performed at Terazija Theatre is already a hit worldwide!

There are also troupes from New York, Barcelona, Prague, Lucerne, Tel Aviv and Malta...

■ The Delegation of the EU is supporting

the Belgrade Dance Festival for the fourth consecutive year. What kind of cooperation does this entail?

are also highly involved in the possibility of penetrating the world market, in terms of the world scene and festivals. Of course, dance also lives in some other areas, and creativity knows no bounds. This year it will be interesting to discover the National Dance Company of Malta, whose director, Mavin Khoo, is actually one of the top dancers and a long-time assistant of Akram Khan, and who we saw perform on stage at the Sava Centre a few years ago! Czech troupe 420PEOPLE is led by Vaclav Kunes, who danced for the Nederlands Dans Theater, and it is particularly interesting that for the Belgrade performance of their dance stand-up comedy they hired our actor Branislav Trifunović.

■ In which way will the sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture of the

Republic of Serbia contribute to the festival?

- The Ministry of Culture’s High Patronage of the Belgrade Dance Festival, which has lasted for two years already, is a good sign that things in Serbia

DIMITRIS PAPAIOANU

I am proud of my long-term partnership with companies operating in Serbia, because without them the programme would not be so good and so rich

- Cooperation with the EU Delegation in Serbia is valuable to the Belgrade Dance Festival. I am extremely proud that our event is recognised as a project that best promotes European values. Dance is definitely a universal language that communicates directly. This year we have advanced our cooperation with one more project, and that is a great masterclass that Italian ballet teacher Marco Ferrini will hold in Belgrade for young dancers and ballet school students. The course will be held at the Ballet School of the National Foundation for Dance. It will be free of charge and runs from 2nd-8th March.

■ It seems that some countries are more represented as participants of the festival than others, but at this year’s festival we will see for the first time troupes from Malta and the Czech Republic...

- There are countries in which artistic dance is incredibly present, but also supported financially. In this sense, there is a strategy in production and promotion, but also a number of interesting authors and troupes, which have developed thanks to this kind of relationship. Here I am primarily referring to Israel, France, Italy, the Netherlands ... These countries

are changing. I am proud of that kind of recognition, but also on the dynamic and professional cooperation with the Ministry, which aims primarily to improve the implementation and promotion of the programme of an event that has already proven and justified its success.

■ Will you present the Jovan Ćirilov Award in

the end, which has been discussed so much?

- Of course! The first laureate of this award was Jiří Kylián. His troupe is coming to perform the fantastic show “Eastern shadow”, tickets for which are almost sold out!

■ Last year’s Belgrade Dance Festival was opened by the legendary Karl Fracci. Who will be the guest of honour to open the thirteenth BDF?

- The thirteenth edition of the Belgrade Dance Festival will be opened by famous French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj. It is known that this choreographer originates from the Balkans and that he often points out that he feels a special respect for the Belgrade Dance Festival. His appearance in front of the Belgrade audience, as well as the arrival of all stars and amazing artists, merely serve as confirmation that Belgrade is today the centre of the world, at least when it comes to dance. ■ MARCH

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RUGBY

For the Good

OF THE GAME ■ By Mark PULLEN ■ Photo: Zoran PETROVIĆ

Two rugby clubs from rival codes have agreed to bury the proverbial hatchet and come together, as members of the same famous old Belgrade sporting society, for the good of the games, or rather family of sports, that they both seek to develop further in this region 74 |

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F

rom “touch” and “tag” and “sevens” and “nines”, all the way to the full 80-minute 13-a-side and 15-a-side versions, rugby football has come a long way in the past couple of centuries, but the basic principles – of running with ball in hand and not passing it forward, and not allowing someone with ball in hand to pass the ground you defend – are still shared by all codes of rugby football.

Rivalry in sport is not born out of agreement and harmony, but rather out of dispute and divergence. Evolution is a painful process; muscles must be ripped and torn for growth to occur, but at some point they must reknit and rekindle, stronger than ever before. This is true for the development of clubs and movements within sports, but in the case of rugby it is also true for the development of sport itself.

“They didn’t tell us about rugby league at school, but then we were middle class, lived in the south and played rugby union. So we never knew that, far off, in the cloth-capped North, men took money for playing a very different rugger…” ~ Roger Mills, The Game That Got Away, 1968 The divide within rugby is deep-rooted and ingrained in the social fabric of its heartlands. Stories are still told by old men to their grandsons about the “evils” of the rival code over the past century, the lack of honour among those involved in “that game”… Oh how those promoting Association Football (aka soccer) must have rubbed their hands with glee when the divide in social classes ended up dividing their main rival sport.

Whatever the reasons, the bitter split of 1895 ultimately led to the emergence of two distinctive sports that, although similar and based on the aforementioned basic principles, are very different and appealing to different kinds of players and followers. League (13) is simple and strong, with an emphasis on collision in defence and evasion in attack; it is a game of angles and numbers. Union (15), on the other hand, has numerous phases and facets and is tactical and complex – as demanding mentally as it is physically.

Despite the difference and disharmony between the two sports and their governing bodies, they have both managed to stand the test of time and grow beyond their heartlands – rugby union becoming arguably the most beloved sport in South Africa, for example, while rugby league is un-

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generations to try their hand at the oval ball sports… And, as BRK Red Star Rugby Union Club President Srđan Kragojević explains, they are also joined by another sport with a similarly odd-shaped ball.

“We have been working with the Belgrade Vukovi (Wolves) American Football Club, who also train on the BRK pitch and are keen to attract investors. Their name sponsor is SBB. Together we want to lobby for this to become a centre of oval ball sports in the city. As three distinct sports working together, we have a greater chance of persuading the City to invest in the kind of infrastructure we need to bring this facility up to modern standards, perhaps even with an artificial surface and extended terraces for fans and better opportunities for filming games. Then we can allocate time for the League, the Union and the American Footballers to use the facilities and for everything to be scheduled,” says Kragojević.

Other than seeking to invest in the infrastructure at the rugby club beside the golf course, BRK Red Star Rugby Union plans to spend this year working on developing its “cadets” and “juniors”, which Srđan says is 80 per cent complete, by relying on the two schools that have traditionally served as the player base for the club: “the 13th Belgrade Gymnasium Secondary School in the Banovo Brdo neighbourhood, where most of our players went to school, and the Petar League has made great headway in the 14 years since Drapšin Technical School, now the Aviation Academy, which I attended. We will continue our it returned to Serbian soil, while union has succeeded traditional method of classes at Kalemegdan and then bringing the new players here to Ada to join in maintaining several strong, traditional clubs that compete in the region, where union is more developed in with our training sessions.”

Red Star RLC Director Željko Delić is enthuthan league – most notably in Romania siastic about the new partnership and believes it can help both clubs, and both sports, develop further. questionably the top sport in the Australian cities of Sydney and Brisbane.

“Our goal for this year is to try, in a joint effort with the union club, to The development of the rival codes has been no less eventful in Serattract investments in infrastructure on the pitch, in order for the ground bia, with league being introduced first (1954), thanks to the efforts of pioto become more functional and eye-catching, and for it to become a hotspot neering Serbian sportsmen and French students, only to be banned across Yugoslavia and replaced by rugby union in the mid-60s, with clubs forced to either convert or close.

The formal professionalization of rugby union global in 1996 – essentially a century after league went “pro” – led to the lifting of numerous bans and blocks that had been put in place to stunt the growth of the “game from the North” and, by 2001, rugby league was back in Belgrade.

League has made great headway in the 14 years since it returned to Serbian soil, while union has succeeded in maintaining several strong, traditional clubs that compete in the region, where union is more developed than league – most notably in Romania.

Now the Red Star clubs that deal with these two very different sports – Red Star Rugby League Club and BRK Red Star Rugby Union – have come together to advance their respective games, essentially with a ground-sharing deal that will see them take advantage of the existing match-day facilities, pitch and clubhouse that have been traditionally used by BRK (the Belgrade Rugby Club) at Ada Ciganlija since the 1980s.

In this amazing, forested, lakeside setting that lends itself to sport and recreation, the two clubs will work to advance the profiles of their respective sports and entice people of all 76 |

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for oval ball sports. Our ambition is also to start a rugby nursery that would include boys and girls from the ages of three to eight,” says Delić. “Independently of this, we will continue our work at primary and secondary schools in Belgrade, in order to get even more kids involved in our great sport. There is a long season ahead of us and we will focus on getting more media visibility regarding our activities, in order to further motivate our boys and girls.”

Together, the two clubs will begin organising informal sessions of “touch football/rugby” (FIT rules), one of the world’s fastest-growing and most inclusive team ball sports, open to mixed gender teams of all ages, and one that has been sadly lacking in Belgrade since the old Kalemegdan touch Sundays came to an end.

As Kragojević explains, “we would like to organise regular open sessions in rugby touch on the weekends, on Saturday or Sunday mornings. Ada is really beautiful at that time of day and we would welcome diplomats and people from the corporate world, and maybe – as you suggest – organise smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for afterwards. We’re open to that kind of cooperation. We currently have Friday evening touch sessions at 8pm and anyone willing to try it is welcome to attend.”

The two clubs will also work together on a Together, the two clubs will begin organising informal new rugby nursery, as mentioned by director Delić, with many of the basic initial skills – spasessions of “touch football/rugby” (FIT rules), one of tial awareness, ball-handling, rugby motor skills, the world’s fastest-growing and most inclusive team tackle technique – applicable to both codes. ball sports, open to mixed gender teams of all ages, These nursery sessions will be open to passersby, of which there will be plenty as the spring and and one that has been sadly lacking in Belgrade since summer crowds head to Ada. the old Kalemegdan touch Sundays came to an end The League club has broader ambitions of its own, including AirB&B package tours of the tempts to qualify for the 2017 RL World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Belgrade league world for Australian backpackers and team tours to play and Red Star will provide at least half a dozen squad players. friendly matches in France, Italy, Hungary and Greece, but this year club As Delić explains, “We are conditioning our senior team ambitions to plans will be secondary to activities on the international front, as Serbia atthe interests of the national team this season, since Red Star is the club with the most players in the national team and this is the year of the World Cup qualifiers, so the objective is obvious. We expect the main selector, UK-based Australian coach Brian Smith, will be watching the live streams of all our games, so the players should view every filmed club game as a national team trial. Hopefully, we will continue our partnership with Super League greats Hull Kingston Rovers and send two more talented boys to their Academy this summer. We are also looking to send some talented and experienced players to Australia, to gain experience ahead of the challenges that await us. We will need any help that we can get for these projects, and all people of good will are welcome to support our plans.”

Regardless of possible investments and sponsorships, the Ada rugby pitch, match-day facilities and clubhouse already represent a gem at the heart of Belgrade’s beach resort area, and a new hub for oval ball sports in the Serbian capital.

Be sure to check it out next time you’re at Ada, and CorD will keep you posted as the plans and projects of both Red Star clubs’ develop. ■

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CHILL OUT SPAIN

SEMANA SANTA - SPAIN'S GREATEST FIESTA ▶ Semana Santa (Holy Week) will take place from March 20-27 2016, in Seville and other cities in Spain.

The streets will be filled with thousands of medieval robed and hooded figures, processing slowly behind swaying life-sized religious effigies, accompanied by the deep thud of drums and mournful wailing of trumpets. It might sound sinister, but Semana Santa is an extraordinary, mesmerising experience and constitutes one of Spain’s largest festivals. Each day, between six and nine cofradias go out in procession, with the first starting at midday. The long line of hooded nazarenos, statues, and musicians slowly moves out of its parish church, led by a cross. Outfits are designed so that those repenting for their sins can conceal their identity.

As the wistful, flower-bedecked Virgin, resplendent in her gold-emboidered mantle emerges, people shout “Guapa!” (Beautiful!) – it’s a moment charged with great emotion.

USA

USA

DON'T SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY!

CHICAGO GOES CRAZY FOR 'PACZKI'

▶ New York City’s police commis-

▶ The ‘paczki’, a no-hole, denser and richer version of the donut, have exploded in popularity in recent years far beyond Chicago’s large Polish community to a growing number of high-end, specialty donut shops, bakers and food experts say.

Paczki (pronounced “ponchkey” for several and “ponchek” for one), also popular in other Midwest cities like Detroit and Cleveland, differ from North American bismarcks in having an especially

sioner is instructing police officers to wake passengers in an effort to keep them safe.More than half of all subway crime in the past year involved a sleeping victim. The city’s rules for the 24-hour subway system do not prohibit someone from sleeping on the train unless they take up more than one seat or cause a disturbance. The idea to nudge passengers awake is not new.

Transit officers in 2012 noticed a spike in subway-related thefts and went car-

to-car on the late shifts.

“Almost six million people take the subway, and there are approximately six or seven crimes committed in the subway each day,” said in Bill de Blasio, New York City Mayor “And most of those are property theft.”

Homeless advocates questioned whether the initiative is just a way for police to hassle people who use the warm trains for shelter.

JORDAN

JORDANIAN RESTAURANT OFFERS CAMEL BURGERS ▶ In Amman’s busy city center, the Q restaurant is offering a unique version of burgers for locals and tourists alike. It’s called the “camburger” – a hamburger made out of 100% camel meat.

The restaurant’s owner, Zeyad Al Qusous, who

rich dough, with eggs, butter, alcohol and sometimes milk.

The dense deep-fried pastries, which do not flatten as they are eaten, date back to the Middle Ages, when people tried to use up ingredients that are avoided during Lent.

opened the restaurant in 2012, wanted to target foreign visitors and knew most people love burgers; tired of the usual chicken and beef burger fare offered by other restaurants throughout the city, Qusous came up with the idea for the “camburger”, and it caught on.

According to Noor al Turkmani, the restaurant’s chef, camel meat is actually healthier than the usual beef version of the burger because it is lower in fat and not as heavy on the stomach.

CHINA

WORLD'S LONGEST AND HIGHEST GLASS- FLOORED BRIDGE ▶ Zhangjiajie, a scenic national park in country’s Hunan province, China is set to open the world’s longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge. Spanning two cliffs in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon area, it will stretch 430 meters long and 6 meters wide, hovering over a 300-meter vertical drop.

The Grand Canyon of Zhangjiajie skywalk will also offer the world’s highest bungee jump, stealing the title from Macau Tower’s 233-meter-high attraction. It could also serve as a runway for fashion shows and will be able to hold up to 800 people at once.

The glass-floored bridge, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan, will be both the longest and highest of its kind in the world when it opens in May.

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EXPLOSION OF COLOUR AND GLITZ ▶ Dazzling Rio carnival 2016 climax gives Brazilians reason to smile Dancers -- some nearly naked, others in elaborate costumes -strutted into the final round of the Rio Carnival samba championship, that has helped Brazilians to forget about Zika and other worries.

Probably the most famous of world festivals, the addictively chaotic Rio Carnival is an annual 5 day celebration of unbridled energy, passion and pride. With over 200 samba schools in attendance, it’s a massive parade of elaborate ensembles and choreographed story telling.

Carnival marks the beginning of Lent and start 5 days before Ash Wednesday - this year it was February 5th to February 10th.

I TA LY

10 Facts about Chinese New Year

▶ Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is a major holidays in not just China but also other countries in Asia. Here are 10 facts about this important and popular holiday.

1. The date varies - It always falls between January 21 and February 20 2. The holiday is oddly called “Spring Festival” 3. Every Chinese New Year starts a new animal’s zodiac year- 2 016 is a year of the Monkey 4. The Year of the Monkey started on February 8 2016 and will last until Jan 27th, 2017 5. It is a festival for 1/5 of the world’s

USA

population 6. The Chinese New Year party in London is the biggest outside of Asia 7. 4% of the world’s population are on the move 8. There is the world’s biggest annual fireworks usage. Fireworks are used to scare evil spirits 9. The Lantern Festival once ended the 16th days of festivities 10. “Xinnian Kuaile” means “Happy New Year”

SOCIAL NETWORK FOR THE DEAD ▶ Raffaele Sollecito (31) from

Puglia, Italy, who spent four years in prison for the murder of Meredith Kercher before being acquittted last year, launched a new business dedicated to remembering the dead.

TA I WA N

GLASS SLIPPER CHURCH IN TAIWAN

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 10-YEAR-OLD? ▶ The brainteaser that has been created by

National Geographic was designed to test children’s logic skills.

In the image, a yellow bus is shown with identical windows, making it difficult to determine which is the front and which is the back. To solve the riddle, puzzlers must work out which end of the bus the passenger doors are located on - and therefore which way the vehicle will be travelling. But while 80% of children under 10 answered the question correctly almost instantly, adults are struggling to work it out. The correct solution is that, for those living in countries that drive on the right side, the bus is travelling left, in the UK the bus is travelling to the right, because they drive on the left side of the road.

▶Government officials in the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area of Taiwan, one of the most popular tourist zones on the island, decided to construct the glass high-heeled shoe last June.

Since then, construction has been underway to erect the fiftyfive foot tall glass church. With Chinese New Year The structure was opened to the public on February 8 for Chinese New Year.

The church is made up of 320 blue tinted glass panels and is over 11 meters wide. On the ‘roof’ of the shoe, there is a large stage, complete with spotlights. While the construct is officially listed as a church, members of the tourism board state that instead of regular services the new will be used for wedding ceremonies and photo shoots, hence the stage and spotlights.

RAFFAELE SOLLECITO

“It’s called ‘Memories’ and functions like a social network for graves. People can create a profile page for their deceased loved ones, where they can post photos, videos and share their memories,” said Sollecito In a business that benefitted from a €66,000 grant from Puglia’s regional government, Sollecito is planning to provide a range of graveside services, such as replenishing flowers or placing candles and wreaths by them, all of which can be purchased online.

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PREVIEW: BASELWORLD 2016

Baselworld is an eight-day event that will this year be held from 17th to 24th March at the Messe Basel in Basel, Switzerland. This is the only place where will you find all the key players representing every sector from watchmakers to jewellers, from dealers in diamonds, pearls and gemstones, to all relevant suppliers

Watch Industry Excellence

B

aselworld is recognised universally as the premier event for the global watch and jewellery industry. What makes Baselworld exceptional is that it is the only show that reflects the excellence of the industry fully, by uniting every brand, from the smallest to the largest, representing every sector; each of which it offers a prestigious platform to present themselves in the best light.

What makes this event unmissable is the fact that 1,500 of the world’s best and most reputed brands choose Baselworld as the venue to unveil their latest innovations and creations, thereby attracting some 150,000 attendees from over 100 countries.

In this issue we have selected several of the latest watch designs, which will probably also satisfy your tastes. ■

AUDEMARS Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver PRICE: €21,300

PRICE: €14.700

The new Royal Oak Offshore Diver from Audemars Piguet has its Vickers in a delicious new twist. This year they will present a pristine white version in 1850 Vickers (hardness) Super White Ceramic, 40% more resistant to scratches than last year’s 1830 Vickers black version.

Water-resistant to 300m, the Diver is equipped with a time pre-selection device that is in compliance with the NIHS 9211 norm. The watch runs with an engraved 22k gold rotor, which provides 60 hours of power reserve.

OMEGA - Planet Ocean for Ladies

The Laureato was launched 1975 as a quartz watch.

Then upgraded the first time in 1984, then again in 1995 and the last time in 2003. The 2016 Girard-Perregaux´s Laureato comes back in a 41 mm diameter with a silvered and blue dial. The 225th anniversary watches are limited to 225 pieces each powered by a Girard-Perregaux caliber.

AROUND: €18,800 As a preview of Baselworld 2016 novelties, Omega announced the Planet Ocean Master Chronometer for Ladies, a charming 39.5 mm model crafted from 18K Sedna gold.

Slightly thinner than previous models, the new Omega Planet Ocean Master Chronometer for Ladies is matched to a brown leather strap with a rubber underside.

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GIRARD - Perregaux Laureato

BREGUET - Classique Phase de Lune for Ladies

PRICE: TBA The new Classique Phase de Lune, that Breguet presented as a Baselworld 2016 preview, makes no exception and beautifully captures the quintessential Breguet style.

The 30 mm fluted case is available in white or rose gold with a sapphire crystal to protect the grand feu enamel dial, individually numbered and signed Breguet.

OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean

TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T

PRICE: €20,000

PRICE: €14,300 The TAG Heuer CARRERA Heuer-02T offers a power reserve of 65 hours. All the fitting, assembly and adjustment work is performed by hand. The movement is housed in a case made from grade 5 titanium and it uses a different form of construction with 12 modular components. The case is waterproof to 100 meters.

The new Master Chronometer movement is a real triumph of technologies that’s limited only by the fact that it’s recent and, therefore, hasn’t been placed into a lot of watches yet, the other reason is that for now a lot won’t be trusting of Omega’s development until they have owned one for a few years.

BULGARI Octo Ultranero

CARTIER Drive PRICE: € 7,200 - €9,500

PRICE: €5,600 - €17,200

Bulgari has given its Octo an all-black makeover with the Ultranero, featuring a black DLC coating on the case with pink gold accents.

Three models will be officially launched at Baselworld 2016: the ultra-thin Finissimo Tourbillon, Velocissimo chronograph and the time-only Solotempo.

BREITLING Exospace B55

ARNOLD & Son’s New DSTB

PRICE: €7,950

PRICE: €28,900

This watch is outftted with a Volcano black dial and comes on a two-tone TwinPro rubber strap. The movement is Breitling Caliber B55, a thermocompensated “SuperQuartz” ana-digi movement equipped with a wide range of functions: electronic tachymeter, a chronograph recording up to 50 split times and numerous aviation-centric capabilities.

RADO Centrix Open Heart

The automotive inspired design is crafted in steel or pink gold – with a choice of a black, grey, or white dial.

There are three models within the Drive collection, starting with a three-hand and date model, then a retrograde dual time with day/night indication, and a complicated flying tourbillon model at the top of the line.

Arnold & Son unveils a new limited white gold edition of the DSTB (Dial Side True Beat) for Baselword 2016.

The DSTB is part of the Instrument Collection and features an in-house mechanical movement. It is technically superior, widely distributed chronometers reflected Arnold & Son’s commitment to exceptional precision and solved the problem of determining longitude at sea.

PRICE: TBA Rado will present collection of decorative diamond-studded ladies’ Centrix Open Heart models. Two of the watches feature polished hightech ceramic middle links in white or brown, while those aiming for more understatement may opt for a classic brown leather strap. The 33 mm dial is enclosed in a gold-coloured case and studded with 12 diamonds.

JAEGER - LeCoultre Reverso One Réédition

PRICE: € 7,650 The main feature of Reverso makes it ideal to awaken the desire of women to discover the mysticism that hides the back of the pivoting case, in which you can find an engraved message or an additional dial with endless possibilities for customization.

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FASHION

u Spring Fashion Trends: u

Light Fabrics and Soft Tones After a winter that’s been both mild and cold, we’re now finally entering the month that marks the start of spring.

Judging by the latest trends, spring 2016 will not bring significant differences in the choice of colours between men’s and ladies’ collections. Both collections are characteristically focused on light fabrics that use soothing and gentle tones to bring a

sense of relaxation and calmness.

Acording to the Pantone Color Institute, Rose Quartz (a beautiful pink colour), will be this season’s top choice for both women and men. The other top-five hues includes Peach Echo, Serenity, Snorkel Blue and Buttercup.

Here are some suggestions we’ve selected for you as spring fills the air.

Saint Laurent Sac De Jour Grainy Bag

Adalyn V-Neck Button Up

Exquisitely crafted in Italy from richly grained leather kit makes the perfect accessory to show your stylish side at the office.

PRICE: €2,495

Feel your best in this luxuriously soft silk crepe constructs versatile blouse. Slim silhouette is perfect for work or play.

PRICE: €200

PRICE:

€740

PRICE:

Gianvito Rossi Toe Stiletto Elevated on a stiletto heel, this suede heel will see you through plenty of evening events in sophisticated style.

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€155

Valentino Print Silk Scarf Printed with the most feminine bird and landscape motifs, they will wrap elegantly around a neckline or can be tied to a favourite handbag for designer appeal.

PRICE: €315

French Connection Fit & Flare Dress A refined stretchwoven dress is topped with an elegant bateau neckline, fitted with darts at the inset waist and then flared to a flirty full-circle skirt.

PRICE:

€1,000

Donna Karan Cashmere Tunic A slouchy, faceframing cowl neckline starts an artfully draped long-sleeve tunic crafted from Italian cashmere in an appealing neutral hue.

Trace Knit Dress A timeless, fit and flare silhouette in stretch knit is ever-feminine. Mesh knit at sides and back, subtly pleated skirt.

PRICE: €270

Hervé Léger Tayler Bardot Dress The perfect piece for black-tie styling, slip on some platform heels to complete the look.

PRICE: €1,580

PRICE:

€260

Valentino Tote

Saint Laurent Havana Sunglasses Encapsulating the retro sensibilities of the Seventies, these light havana Saint Laurent sunglasses are sure to become a modern staple despite their vintage aura.

Finished with square metal base studs for added protection, it’s the perfect bag for bringing a chic edge to everyday styling.

PRICE: €2.330

PRICE:

€1,160

Rado Ladies Quartz Watch The shape and style of the Centrix watch while the four diamonds, from Rado makes it a timepiece to desire.

Gina Tennessee Pointed Flat

Shaun Leane Rose Gold Ring

Crafted in luxurious python skin and styled with a straight-cut vamp and sharply pointed toe, they will lend a modern finish to tailoring looks.

This crossover ring has been exquisitely crafted in 18 karat rose gold. Wear alone or with other rings from the collection for a modern take on glamour.

PRICE:

PRICE:

€2,440

€880 MARCH

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FASHION

Men’s Spring Fashion Trends PRICE:

£110.00

Slim-Fit Cotton Chino A wardrobe essential, this pant is made from cotton chino and cut for a modern, slim fit. Pair it with a classic cable-knit sweater.

88 Rue Du Rhone Rive Chronograph Watch Perfect for daytime wear, this 88 Rue Du Rhone watch has a sporty yet stylish appeal.

PRICE: £545.00

Relaxed-Fit Paratrooper Pant PRICE:

£125.00

Ray-Ban Square Sunglasses The iconic wayfarer from Ray-Ban takes a stylish colour mix update with this design.

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Inspired by vintage paratrooper pants, this relaxed-fitting style is made from durable cotton canvas and equipped with utility pockets.

PRICE: £170.00

PRICE:

£75.00

Ted Baker Sweatshirt Crafted from luxe, textured cotton, this sweatshirt has ribbed cuffs, printed yoke and a Ted Baker leather embossed logo.

PRICE:

£199

Suede Derby Shoes Expertly crafted in the England, these suede lace-up shoes will add a refined touch to your weekday look.

Bell & Ross Automatic Chronograph Watch

BOSS Leather Messenger Bag

This handsome men’s watch from Bell & Ross combines vintage looks with modern technology.

PRICE:

PRICE:

£430

Crafted from luxurious calf skin leather, this Mauno messenger bag combines function with finesse.

£2,750

Polo Ralph Lauren Long Sleeve Poplin Shirt

PRICE:

€XXX

This casual shirt is crafted from 100% cotton, featuring a modern check print and long sleeves.

Pair with denim for an off-duty look.

PRICE: £109.00

Weave Belt Crafted from leather and cotton, this Arnold Wills weave belt has eye-catching detail.

This item works well with a more relaxed work look.

Levi's Made & Crafted Suede Bomber Jacket Part of the premium Made & Crafted collection from Levi's, this bomber jacket is a luxurious take on an outerwear classic.

PRICE: £700.00

PRICE:

£245.00

Reiss Cent Leather Penny Loafers Crafted from pure leather in a traditional silhouette, they are burnished at each toe and feature leather stack heels.

Combine with chinos or tailored trousers for a refined yet relaxed look.

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PROFILE

Good Things Happen for a Reason Marketing and PR is one of those areas where we should be open up to various perspectives, different points of view, and personal creativity. No company is an island, and therefore we should look for truly win-win situations for all parties involved

SONJA NOVAKOVIĆ Senior Officer for Administration and Marketing at Mirabank

M

any people are searching for a job that will give them a sense of joy, happiness and meaningfulness. I was always one of them, as I’ve always taken my work obligations quite seriously.

At the moment I have ten years of working experience behind me, which have taught me some valuable life lessons regarding the essence of seriousness, and the value of laughter. As I see it, the domain of marketing and PR activities is one of those areas where one should open up to various perspectives, different points of view, sometimes even contradictory feelings, and most importantly one should open up to his or her own creativity. Trusting that everything happens for a reason, I am still on this path.

While studying marketing management, I realised that I was being given a tool to build a bridge; a bridge in myself, a connection between seriousness and a pure, innocent creativity. The jobs that I have done were ways to build alertness of the present moment and to foster empathy, but also to reconnect with myself in different ways. One of the most interesting areas for exploration to me was, and still is, the area of communication, which certainly goes beyond words and images.

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I started my journey as an assistant in the Marketing and PR department of a well-known Serbian FMCG company. I quickly realised how this department is intercepted by, interwoven with, and deeply connected to, all other departments and units within a company. For the first time I became fully aware of the significance of internal PR in a company and how internal communication with every single employee can help manifest a company’s brand in its brightest light. Empowered employees will empower the brand itself.

Over the coming years – employed in the banking sector, in the role of a marketing team member dealing with CSR – I had the opportunity to understand how

Whilst working in the banking sector, I channelled my communication knowledge and skills towards building a corporate image and reputation based on trust and mutual understanding a company is tied and bound to the community in which it lives. No company is an island. I truly believe that all the young leaders that are about to emerge have high expectations for Corporate Social Responsibility as an effort to make the

world a better place. I see it as a vehicle for consciousness. People want to feel good about what their money is doing, so it is not surprising to see that consumer awareness about global issues is on the rise, along with the importance these customers place on CSR when choosing where to shop. CSR in Serbia still has a lot of room for improvement. Education is needed and the sharing of best practices helps to spread knowledge about how these initiatives are bringing truly win-win situations for all parties involved. Currently, some companies in Serbia practice certain forms of social responsibility, but the tendency is to make this the core of their operations.

Whilst working in the banking sector, I channelled my communication knowledge and skills towards building a corporate image and reputation based on trust and mutual understanding. A filigree measured flow of communication, with a unique, individual approach that portrays exclusivity, is something that leaves a mark. With an active role in developing the area of communication in the corporate sector, I truly believe that the power of communication can help an organisation, as well as a society, develop itself. Steven Covey once put it thus: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply”. I believe we all have bridges to build in our own understanding of the world in which we live. 

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