Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme of German Business for the Countries of Western Balkans
The Zoran Djindjic Internship Program of German Business was launched with the idea to give the young people from Serbia an opportunity to gain their first experience working in Germany, in some of leading German companies, where they have an opportunity to apply their theoretic knowledge solving the business problems and facing the challenges dealt with by other employees of the company in which the internship program is implemented. Thus the students and graduates that finished their studies recently have a unique opportunity, within mentored expert practice, lasting from three to six months, to learn not only on the examples of business practices of leading companies, but also to have an insight into the manner of functioning of business, adopt the business logic and manner of reacting to market challenges, within an international environment, developing the skills of communication, tolerance and ability of team work.
The program was launched in 2004 under the auspices of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and companies participating in the Program, at the initiative of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations (OA). The Program is conducted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and implemented by the German Eastern Business Association (OAOEV), in cooperation with the Zoran Djindjic Foundation.
The Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme of German Business has enabled young people from Serbia, year after year, to gain knowledge and skills required by labour market, through development in leading German companies, within purposeful, mentored practices. Thus strengthened, with the necessary work experience, with which they further improved the enviable knowledge gained at the universities in the country, they are prepared, as young professionals, to present themselves in the market of Serbia and, through further work contribution and efforts, become the driving force of the economy based on knowledge.
Being recognised as very successful, in 2007, the Programme was extended to include other countries of the Western Balkans, with leading companies from Germany joining the participants. So far, over 200 companies and institutions provided over 850 internships for the users of the Internship Programme, while former scholars established an alumni club, with the mission to serve as a positive example to others, with their personal example and who, as young professionals, tend to develop a successful social, economic and cultural ambience through lifelong learning and development.
Alumni Club
The Alumni Club consists of former scholars of the German, Austrian and Italian internship programmes, who had an opportunity to attend professional development programmes in one of the stated countries. These young professionals, connected by the common experience of life and work abroad, recognising one another, launched the initiative to establish the alumni club within which they would continue their professional development, exchange of knowledge and ideas and primarily maintain strong friendships. Independently from the countries from which they come, languages that they speak and generations to which they belong, the alumni have the feeling of belonging to the Alumni Club, being connected with the universal ideas of trust, tolerance, openness, friendship, team spirit and yearning for further development.
The Alumni Club is an informal organisation of the young people providing infrastructure for professional networking of alumni coming with different academic and professional background. Within the activities that the Alumni Club organises, the alumni have an opportunity to share knowledge in the sphere of public work, professional information, as well as to exchange opinions and ideas, which makes the Alumni Club a place where, apart from socialising, its members are offered, also, the opportunity of continuous development and joint progress.
Apart from lectures, the alumni visit conferences and seminars held twice a year, financially supported by the Internship Program of German Business, which wholeheartedly recognises the potential of alumni network and helps utilise its potential.
Recognising the reach and the opportunities of the alumni network, the alumni have created a base of biographies of the alumni of German, Austrian and Italian programs, which was made available for all companies interested in employing these young professionals.
The vision of the Alumni Club is to contribute to the creation of a modern society based on knowledge, by maintaining cooperation among alumni. Apart from expert lectures, workshops and seminars organised in all participating countries, the Alumni Club aims to maintain friendships and give support to scholars returning from their internship, in order for them to present themselves successfully in the local labour market and to share their knowledge and experience with alumni, thus enlarging this continuously growing knowledge base.
List of Alumni of the Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme of German Business for the Countries of Western Balkans: https://www.djindjic-stipendienprogramm.de/alumni/
List of Alumni of the Austrian and Italian Programs
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Experiencing Europe: Serbian Young Professionals in Austria – Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme
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and Young Experts in Italy - Zoran Djindjic Scholarship Programme
Call for applications for internships in 2024
The call for applications for internships in 2024. will be published in October 2023. All information on the Programme, conditions, and selection process can be found on the website of the Internship Programme: www.djindjic-stipendienprogramm.de