LocationsAnnual Talent Ecosystem Conference
December 26, 2024
Belgrade, 23 December 2024 - The Talent Ecosystem platform annual conference, organised by Returning Point and The Fund for Young Talents of the Republic of Serbia, was held today in Belgrade. The platform was conceived to connect and strengthen cooperation between public and private sector employers on the one hand, and recipients of The Fund for Young Talents scholarships on the other.
The conference gathered 100 graduate The Fund for Young Talents scholarship recipients, numerous public and private sector representatives, HR and talent management specialists, scientists and returnees, and representatives of international organisations.
Returning Point director Uroš Živković presented the biggest impacts made by his organisation’s operation and the Talent.Ecosystem over the previous year. “We are exceedingly proud of the cooperation results with the The Fund for Young Talents, of initiating the Fund’s Alumni Network, and the fact that we developed the Talent.Ecosystem application during the first year of this initiative, enabling the Fund beneficiaries to connect to employers directly. We believe this will serve as additional motivation for them to see returning from abroad as an opportunity for further career advancement in Serbia”, Živković emphasised.
He highlighted how over the course of the year the initiative significantly expanded the circle of national partners to include the National Employment Service, a number of major companies that are now also using the application to reach out to young talents, and organisations such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia and the Pexim Foundation, with ambitions to continue growing in the coming year. “With support from our community, we were able to provide a master degree scholarship at the University of Cambridge, and sent a fantastic student of the School of Electrical Engineering to a master course of advanced data processing, with a focus on biotechnologies”, Živković added.
Anne-Charlotte Malm, Head of Development Cooperation at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) said that skills and education are very important for Sweden as foundations for strengthening resilience of the economy. “We are proud to support the circular migrations project, because we believe that Serbian diaspora return will strengthen the economy based on knowledge and innovation. Circular migrations are a win-win solution - individuals get the opportunity to acquire international expertise and contribute to their country’s development at the same time”, Malm highlighted. She added how investing in human capital, especially in green skills and digital competences, kickstarts sustainable and equitable economic growth.
The Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, and Returning Point signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a view to improve future circular migration joint initiatives, support to the Talent.Ecosystem, and upcoming science and industry networking programmes.
The Minister of Science, technological Development and Innovation Jelena Begović expounded how the purpose of cooperation between the Ministry and Returning Point was to better connect with everyone who decided to leave the country for education or employment at some point.
“We want to create a system where young people will be able, and want to, return and bring back the knowledge they gained. Our country has already done a lot in this regard, but it is important that people who go abroad to develop their careers do not lose all contact with the motherland. Their experience and knowledge are important and that is why it is imperative to have these joint projects that develop communication, like this one”, Begović emphasized.
The conference had a panel called “The Future of Work: Learning and Acquiring Skills as the Key to Success”. The panel included Minister Begović, Director of the National Employment Service Milan Bosnić, the CEO of NCR Voyix and President of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia Stefan Lazarević. Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Yakup Beris opened the panel.
“In order for Serbian economy to remain competitive within the global economy that is developing rapidly under the influence of new technologies, it is necessary to invest in people and help them reach their full potential. Together with the National Employment Service, the The Fund for Young Talents, and Returning Point, we have started a program to enable the most talented Serbian students to develop skills necessary for jobs of the future, critical thinking and emotional intelligence”, Beris said.
Yakup Beris. Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the opening of “The Future of Work: Learning and Acquiring Skills as the Key to Success” panel.
The panel focused on skills necessary for a successful alignment with the labour market that will increasingly be impacted by the development of new technologies, like artificial intelligence. The panellists also highlighted the importance of attracting talent and investing in human capital to further grow the economy. The conversation particularly underscored the importance of informal education, adult education and lifelong learning, as supplements to the formal education system.
The annual gathering of Serbian circular migrants was initiated in 2018 by then Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić as a Talent Meet Up; as of last year it has been held as an annual Talent.Ecosystem conference.
The event was organised as part of the “Promotion of Circular Migration” project, implemented by Returning Point in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation. The goal of this project is to support a long-term and comprehensive approach to circular migration, within the broader response to depopulation.
