CorD Magazine, May 2018 Issue, no. 164 by CorD Magazine

WE WISH TO SUPPORT SERBIA’S PROGRESS

STABLE & HIGHLY RESILIENT

MATHS IMPACTS LIVES

Ambassador of Canada to Serbia

Governor of the National Bank of Serbia

Professor, Dean of NYU Tandon School of Engineering

JORGOVANKA TABAKOVIĆ

JELENA KOVAČEVIĆ

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JUNE ’18 / ISSUE No. 164

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Time Is All We Can Control COMMENT BY SHAUN WALKER

No Time Soon: EU Dashes Membership Hopes Of Balkan States

MADLENA ZEPTER EUROPE’S GREATEST CULTURAL BENEFACTOR

Art & Beauty Are

MY ONLY IDEOLOGIES

E XC L U S I V E

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COMMENT SHAUN WALKER

No Time Soon: EU DASHES MEMBERSHIP HOPES OF BALKAN STATES PAGE 6

Concerns over rule of law and corruption, plus enlargement fatigue, meant the six countries got little from the Sofia summit. Keep waiting in line, but don’t expect the door to open any time soon. That was the message delivered on 17th May to the six Western Balkan states hoping to join the EU

CONTENTS

ART & BEAUTY ARE MY ONLY IDEOLOGIES

Madlena Zepter, Europe’s greatest cultural benefactor

DOING SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FEELS SPECIAL Vera MadŽgalj, Chief Executive Officer at BELhospice

June 2018 EDITOR: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs DESIGNER: Jasmina Laković j.lakovic@aim.rs CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Dugdale, Maja Vukadinović, Mirjana Jovanović, Miša Brkić, Radmila Stanković, Steve MacKenzie, Zorica Todorović Mirković, Sonja Ćirić EDITORIAL MANAGER: Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović

WE WISH TO SUPPORT SERBIA’S PROGRESS

PICTURES OF PERSECUTION Miloš Šobajić, Artist

H.E. Kati Csaba , Ambassador of Canada to Serbia

TIME IS ALL WE CAN CONTROL Aled Miles, CEO, TeleSign

GLOBAL DIARY

WHERE FINANCE MEETS TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

FACES & PLACES

MATHS IMPACTS LIVES

Jelena Kovačević, Professor, Dean of NYU Tandon School of Engineering

CHILL OUT

RISING RED STAR Local Sport – Rugby League

John Hucker, President of Swiss Finance + Technology Association

CULTURE CALENDAR

AFTER WORK

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COMMENT

No Time Soon: EU Dashes Membership Hopes Of Balkan States

By SHAUN WALKER

political elites in the countries as a warning that they cannot wait he six had been invited to the EU heads of state summit in for Europe for ever. Sofia, Bulgaria, as a gesture to reaffirm their path towards EU “The EU is aware that it has strong competitors in the Balkans. There membership. Instead, the summit was notable for divisions on is no vacuum in international relations. If one pulls out or doesn’t want whether or not the bloc could cope with further enlargement to act, somebody else will,” Srđan Darmanović, Montenegro’s foreign in the foreseeable future. minister, told the Guardian earlier this month. The EU is keen to offer enticements to the six states, given worHowever, enlargement fatigue, plus in the Balkan states, mean that ries about potential instability and the growing role of Russia in the many in the EU are uneasy at the prospect of bringing in new memregion. Johannes Hahn, the commissioner for enlargement, has said bers, especially at a time when the bloc has its own internal debates on a number of occasions that the EU should “export stability” to the over how to deal with democratic backsliding in Poland and Hungary. region to avoid “importing instability”. “With Hungary, Poland and Croatia going the way they are going, Emmanuel Macron has emerged as the leading opponent of further there is no appetite to import new countries with the same issues,” EU expansion. “I think we need to look at any new enlargement with said a European diplomat working in one of the western Balkan nations. a lot of prudence and rigour,” the French president told journalists in “But if you stop the EU integration process Sofia. “The last 15 years have shown a path it’s very hard to revive it, and there is a lot to that has weakened Europe by thinking all the In most of the six lose if you push the countries towards China time that it should be enlarged.” Balkan states, opinion and Russia.” A declaration was adopted at the summit polls show a strong The diplomat described the Sofia summit that offered support for the “European peras “an important message to the countries that spective” of the six Balkan countries but was majority in favour of EU they had better get their act together”. But the noticeably lacking words about “accession” integration and the EU appears to be demanding unlikely levels of or “enlargement”. leaders are keen to bring reform from a group of governments whose Montenegro and Serbia have progressed leaders have cracked down on the media and furthest down the path to accession, with a home solid promises are linked with corruption scandals. potential joining date of 2025 mooted, though from the EU to show to “They are willing to reform but only as long many view that as hopelessly optimistic. as it doesn’t touch their core interests,” said This month, a decision is due to be taken on their citizens Florian Bieber, a political scientist focussing whether to open talks that could lead to acon the western Balkans. cession with Albania and Macedonia. The “European perspective” for There is also the issue of Macedonia’s name, which Athens conthe other two nations, Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, is extremely tests owing to its similarity to northern regions of Greece. The two vague and unlikely to be realised in the near future. countries’ leaders met in Sofia and said they were close to agreeing “The elephant was in the room, so we had to talk about it,” Edi Rama, a deal on a new name for Macedonia. Then there is Kosovo, which the Albanian prime minister, said after emerging from a lunch with declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but which five EU counEU leaders which he described as “very argumentative” and “a fight”. tries do not recognise. Rama said he emerged with some positivity that the EU could still In most of the six Balkan states, opinion polls show a strong majoropen accession negotiations with his country and Macedonia in June, ity in favour of EU integration and the leaders are keen to bring home but he also compared the EU’s vague commitments to the communist solid promises from the EU to show to their citizens. promise of a bright future that was always just around the corner. “We Rama said he accepted that actual accession would not take place lived for 50 years with a red horizon which we never reached. We don’t any time soon but said the path of integration was important for the want to live with a blue horizon now,” he said. hopes of young Albanians. “We need to give them a clear perspective Russia’s increasingly assertive foreign policy in the western Balthat one day we’ll be in Europe,” he said. ■ kans is on the mind of European politicians and is also used by the Source: The Guardian 6 |

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B y R A DM I L A STA N KOV I Ć

INTERVIEW

Art & Beauty Are MY ONLY IDEOLOGIES EXCLUSIVE MADLENA ZEPTER EUROPE’S GREATEST CULTURAL BENEFACTOR

She is a symbol of everything superior, European and elite. Her life is a fusion of the art of living and the culture of giving. To Serbia, she has gifted the opera and theatre house called Madlenianum in Zemun and Zepter Museum in Belgrade city centre, while she has helped to educate more than 500 scholarship recipients and provided material support to hundreds of valuable scientific and artistic projects ... in short, she is Europe’s greatest patron of art and cultural benefactor

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hen one summarises everything that Mrs Madlena Zepter has contributed to Serbia’s people and cultural institutions, it is easy to reach a figure in excess of €50 million, which places CorD’s interlocutor among the biggest patron of art and benefactor in culture in the history of Serbia and in Europe today. At the start of June last year, Milan hosted the commemorating of 30 years of the existence and work of company Zepter. For the Italian media, this provided an opportunity to remind the public about the role of Madlena Zepter, as a woman who has

PEOPLE

MUSEUM

LIFE

I was almost sorry that that money was going to foreign countries at that moment, while in my own county people were living with a lot of existential strain

My wish was for Zepter Museum to have a mission to educate, enlighten and present culture well as a whole

For me, we are ourselves the meaning of life. It’s sad when people say that their life’s purpose is their job, or even their children

provided an outstanding contribution to European values through her investments in culture and art. Famous Italian designer Carla Tolomeo, who is celebrated around the world with her chairs, summed it all up in one sentence: “After Maria Theresa of Austria, no one has ever had such a dream of Central European culture as Madlena!” What represents the cultural heritage of Madlena Zepter in Serbia today? One building that bears her name, Madlenianum, which was designed as an opera house and has long since also hosted ballet and theatre. It has endured for more than two decades with a reputation as the most important institution of culture in Zemun and the only private theatre house in Serbia. For its maintenance, work, and for five-six premieres per season, Madlena spends up to €1.5 million annually. One museum called Zepter, in Belgrade’s Kneza Mihailova Street, which preserves valuable creations from the contemporary art scene in Serbia. One publishing house, Zepter Book World, offering refined content and responsible for works of great value. An exhibition house, an auction house... One Foundation, which has function for ten years and whose scholarship recipients, more than 500 of them, are scattered around the world and include talented artists, such as Nemanja Radulović, Dunja Simić, Marko Josifoski, Stefan Ćirić, Bojana Cvejić etc., and also sporting aces like Ivana Maksimović, Davor Štefanek, Ivan Lenđer etc. One literary prize of the publication Politika Bazar intended for female writers and called Žensko pero (Women’s Pen), representing the second literary prize of European rank.

vanced from a scientific perspective, avant-garde medical instruments, valuable items and revolutionary home care equipment.” All of this is done in the function of human well-being and the motto live better-live longer! Madlena and Filip are the parents of Ema, who is enrolling in college this year.

MADLENA with daughter EMA and husband MILAN

She received her first and, to date, only award, the Zlatan venac – Golden Wreath (presented to her by then Serbian Culture Minister Nebojša Bradić) in 2011, in recognition of her many years as a patron of art and her contribution as a benefactor to the development of Serbian culture. Born in Belgrade, to a Slovenian father and a mother who originated from an urban family in Vojvodina, she was given the Serbian version of the French name Madeleine, which was an exception at the level of bravery during the years when, in the verve of post-war enthusiasm, girls were given names linked to revolution and socio-realism. She has felt that melancholy between Slovenian pragmatism and the Serbian liberal tradition within her throughout her life, as well as a need to familiarise herself with and fuse diversity. Madlena’s mother, Divna, played the key role in her upbringing and early life. Her greatness

I can now also state that Madlenianum lives to the fullest and has a life that’s bigger and stronger than in previous years. It means a lot to me that many artists took their first steps at Madlenianum, and as a rule went on to receive engagements abroad and remained there

One theatre prize, Dobričin prsten (Dobrica’s ring), which has been returned to actors thanks to Madlena... When it comes to this woman who invests so much in culture, it should be noted that her husband is Filip Zepter and that they have eight production facilities, located in Italy, Switzerland and Germany, and companies in 60 countries and on five continents around the world. For the Italian media, Filip Zepter is “the captain of Zepter International, a multinational and multi-brand company that produces, sells and distributes ultra-luxurious and technologically innovative kitchenware and cosmetics that are ad-

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was in the fact that she raised her only daughter in such a way that she didn’t even realise that she was a child of divorced parents. Her father was there only for nice things: for hotels, for holidays in Slovenia and by the sea, for parties and dances in Slovenia, for tennis in Zagreb, for listening to broadcasts of Red Star games... She grew up as a happy only child, enriched by the goodness and wisdom of her mother. She completed a classical gymnasium grammar school, then studied literature at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade. She worked as a professor until her and her spouse embarked on their adventure in business waters: “Everything that I do has lasted for more than 25 years. Our company was working in 25 countries around the world as far back as 1994-95 – and those were the countries where we still work with full intensity

■ When you decided to construct the first private opera house in Serbia, Madlenianum, were you aware that this was a huge investment without any profit? - I knew, of course, that opera is the most expensive work in music and the performing arts, and that was something I was aware of when I started that experiment that has long ceased to be an experiment. After two decades of work, we published the three-volume monograph Madlenianum, which testifies unequivocally to everything that we have done over these two decades. And what we’ve done really is impressive. That’s because Madlenianum has not only gained a great reputation, but rather has also become intriguing for a lot of research of every kind and is also inspiring. It is a home for nuanced characters, for creative free spirits. It is a total microcosm of art. I can now also state that Madlenianum lives to the fullest and has a life that’s bigger and stronger than in previous years. It means a lot to me that many artists took their first steps at Madlenianum, and as a rule went on to receive engagements abroad and remained there. I’m also glad that we initiated coproduction cooperation with the National Theatre in Belgrade, though I’m sorry that it took 20 years for someone to realise that working together is cheaper and more cost-effective.

■ In 2010, when you opened Zepter Museum at the heart of Belgrade, in Kneza Mihailova Street, the Serbian capital’s National Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art were both closed for renovation. In this magnificent building dating back to 1922, which is under official state protection, you present a treasure trove with the works of nearly 200 artists, represented by 500 paintings, installations and sculptures, arranged over three floors. What is the greatest recognition for you that your museum had a great mission in the barren years when the largest museums were closed, and the great mission that it still has today?

RECIPIENT OF THE 2011 GOLDEN WREATH

There is a wonderful sentence of Czech writer Karel today. When that business began deČapek, which my husband and I remembered from our veloping, promotional activities also developed as an inevitable parallel student days and which goes: Man makes man a man! With job. It was then that I became aware such awareness, we always wanted to engage in the of the massive resources that are alpromotion of art and culture located for promotional purposes in those 25 countries. - My wish was for this museum to have a mission to educate, enlighten To be honest, I was almost sorry that that money was going to forand present culture well as a whole. Zepter Museum has a permanent eign countries at that moment, while in my own county people were exhibition that reflects the main flows and personalities of arts in the living with a lot of existential strain. It was then that I began thinking second half of the 20th century. Morever, this museum offers visitors a about something that would be real cultural sponsorship that would be marked by its duration and value, which is the basis of every true dozen exhibitions a year wich I would claim are the best in the city. I cultural sponsorship. And that’s how we ended up establishing the don’t know anyone living in Chicago or Washington who hasn’t thanks Fund that has endured for ten years and of which I am proud, perhaps me for enabling them to take their son, daughter or high school student even more than I am of Madlenianum House in Zemun. I can state with to my museum to see our collection or painting from the second half of feelings of joy and satisfaction that all of the best practitioners we the 20th century. As the number of tourists visiting Belgrade increases, so have in sports abroad, everyone we have in music on our local scenes the number of visitors to our museum grows. It is important to note that and around in the world, and even opera artists, have all received my tickets for Zepter Museum are very reasonably priced, which is primarily scholarships of one to four years.” attractive to young people who need to be formed as a good audience. 10 |

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■ It was more than 20 years ago that your publishing house, Zepter Book World, began operating. Its good profile was hinted at by famous academic and Serbia’s greatest living playwright, Dušan Kovačević, at the opening of your bookshop. Moreover, you also spent ten years awarding a literary prize in Paris for the best European novel, with the winner decided by a distinguished jury that included the likes of Patrick Besson and Frédéric Beigbeder. Why did you bring an end to that prize?

unfortunately no longer with us, but also writer Dominique Bonn, who inherited the chair of one of them and thus became the fourth immortal, as the French dub their academics, within the composition of the jury for the award bearing my name. I was particularly grateful to them that there wasn’t a single award evening or award ceremony that wasn’t attended by all members of the jury, the members of which didn’t change once during those 10 years. And I was also completely aware that they weren’t around me because I am the greatest patron of art in this world, but because I am a Serbian lady, and their country once made a huge mistake towards The Art House, with its area of 5,000 square metres, will that country. be completed next year. Located in Dedinje, the Belgrade Otherwise, when it comes to the residential neighbourhood with the greatest possible Zepter Book World publishing house, exclusivity, it is an expression of my desire to have a house our book Contemporary German Drama was proclaimed the publishing project of of art alongside our private residence the year at last year’s Belgrade Book Fair. The numerous editions that we have published over the past twenty years, - Speaking in an interview for Serbian daily Blic, Beigbeder said that as well as special editions, testify to the diverse and specific publishing this was a very important award, as the only award to crown the best profile that we nurture, and which has its readership. European novel. He also said that the fact that the jury was French and very well composed of highly competent people made it like some kind ■ Writing about you, poet Charles Simić noted that the growth of Nobel Prize. I’m sorry to have halted its presenting, but at one point it of your husband’s business has coincided with your forming really became a major burden for me, it was a strain to feel worthy of that as a philanthropist and that you consider it your moral duty greatness, weight and love of all those people who surrounded me and to show what good will, flawless taste and common sense can were members of the jury. Among them were three academics who are

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- I just feel human! I’ve been gifted since childhood with love, family, achieve in this twisted world. How difficult was that to achieve friends and success. in a world that is indeed twisted, but also sorry and unwilling to support such works? ■ This is the first time you’ve spoken about your House of Culture, - I was also motivated by the idea: one who wants to do something finds which is currently under construction and represents another a way, one who doesn’t want to do anything finds an excuse. I sought a space that will give Belgrade a new spirit and new quality? way, so I don’t know what the excuse is. There is a wonderful sentence - The Art House, with its area of 5,000 square metres, will be completed of Czech writer Karel Čapek, which my husband and I remembered from next year. Located in Dedinje, the Belour student days and which goes: Man makes man a man! With such awaregrade residential neighbourhood with the greatest possible exclusivity, it is an ness, we always wanted to engage expression of my desire to have, alongin the promotion of art and culture. While my husband concentrated on side our private residence, a house of the complex company and is a donor art that will be closest to me spiritually in top-level sport, I devoted myself to and spatially, partly as a continuation of precisely this aspect of passion. Art, the exhibition space for the Zepter art in my opinion, is the highest form of collection, but also as a public space for investment, because it is placing a various culture events from the local and stake on the quality of human creaworld art scenes, for which we will protivity. This is naturally very difficult, vide the best technical and technological especially when you are the first to do conditions. There will also be room there something, like I was when I wanted to present about 2,000 exhibits from the to establish the first private Opera shortlisted selection of our ARTZEPT Inin Yugoslavia, or Serbia, and the first ternational Design Award, which are now private museum in Serbia, but, for me, partly exhibited at the Zepter Museum overcoming the obstacles was also a in Milan and partly in the countries of challenge. So, I tested the strength of award winners. That will be a beautiful my desire to do that, to leave behind exhibition presenting the fifteen years me something worthwhile. of this award’s existence. It will also With a significant montetary inhost some of the five annual auctions of the first auction house in Serbia – Madl’ vestment, with investments of ideas Art – which has been fulfilling its cultural and energy, our cultural and artistic and diplomatic mission for two decades, institutions were born, and are today consistently and in the proper way. recognised and respected worldwide. I envisage Art House as an oasis of joy All these institutions are equally dear that will always radiate with a different art, to me and I believe that they have all AT THE PROMOTION OF THE MADLENIANUM thus unifying all those who can enjoy it. provided valuable contributions to MONOGRAPH DURING THE JUBILEE 2017 SEASON the promotion of ideas and the positive values of human development, I learned to think beyond the recognised, secure and precisely in the spirit of Čapek and, established. I learned to work, but also to live life as a dream as Tolstoy wrote - Only art can defeat in which many things are possible. And the more possible violence. Art and beauty are, thus, the only ideologies that I accept! they are, the more real the dream ■ When you received the Golden Wreath for promoting and investing in culture, that finally marked the stat’s recognition for what you’ve done. Did it come too late? - Regardless of when that recognition came, I would have done the same. That’s the social proportioning of value to what I’ve done, and perhaps an incentive for others. At airports, in the streets and at exhibitions around the world, I am approached by people who, to my surprise, recognise me and thank me for doing what I do. Such words always bring tears to my eyes.

■ You quoted someone as saying that that is is human to be gifted and divine to give gifts. After everything that you’ve given, could you able to feel divine? 12 |

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■ When summarising everything you’ve done and everything you do, some would conclude that this is the purpose of your life. - For me, we are ourselves the meaning of life. It’s sad when people say that their life’s purpose is their job, or even their children. That’s because children must also have the opportunity to fight for their own meaning of life. And they have to take advantage of themselves and get to know the possibilities that opened up to them at the moment of their birth. The meaning of life is never one specific thing. I think that some things are clearly understood from what has already been done. I learned to think beyond the recognised, secure and established. I learned to work, but also to live life as a dream in which many things are possible. And the more possible they are, the more real the dream. ■

INTERVIEW

We Wish To Support

SERBIA’S PROGRESS H.E. KATI CSABA

AMBASSADOR OF CANADA TO SERBIA

While Canada is not an EU member state, we strongly support Serbia’s aspiration to become a full-fledged member of the EU. In line with our democratic values, we encourage continued democratic reform, respect for human rights, and media freedom as important parts of Serbia’s efforts to join the European Union

ilateral relations between Canada and Serbia are excellent, and continue to grow stronger, says H.E. Kati Csaba, Ambassador of Canada to Serbia. “Canada considers itself to be a friend of Serbia and, as a friend, we wish to support Serbia’s progress, including towards EU integration,” says the ambassador. “Since presenting my credentials in December 2017, I have had the opportunity to meet with a number of ministers and government officials, to review our existing cooperation and discuss new ways of working together in support of our common goals. “The Canadian Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Europe and the EU, Stéphane Dion, who is also our former Minister of Foreign Affairs, made a one-day visit to Belgrade on 21st May which was an excellent occasion to hear from representatives of the business community and civil society, as well as to meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić, to discuss issues of common interest,” notes our interlocutor, before adding that this meeting also served as

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the opportunity to sign an Air Transport Agreement between Canada and Serbia.

■ Which of Mr Dion’s messages should the public pay heed to the most? - Of the key messages that emerged from Special Envoy Dion’s recent visit to Serbia and Montenegro, I would single out the following as being the most important. Canada strongly supports Serbia’s EU aspirations. Special Envoy Dion made the point that Serbia can only become an EU member by becoming a fully consolidated liberal democracy, with strong and independent institutions of democratic governance. The EU is not prepared at present to take risks by accepting new members that are anything less than full democracies. He advised that EU conditionality not be regarded as a burden; rather, the Acquis process should serve as inspiration to Serbia in implementing these important reforms that will benefit Serbia’s citizens.

EU INTEGRATION

PROGRESS

RECONCILIATION

We see Serbia’s EU integration as being in the best interest of Serbia’s citizens, as well as contributing to regional security and stability

Serbia's economic progress in recent years has made it an increasingly attractive market

We continue to encourage Serbia to invest in efforts to build constructive relations and continue the reconciliation process with neighbouring countries

■ Which issues are in the focus of cooperation between the two countries? - Canada’s relations with Serbia are based on cooperation in several areas. In line with our democratic values, we encourage continued democratic reform, including by strengthening the rule of law, combating corruption, and building the institutions and systems required for good governance and transparency. We promote respect for human rights, including gender equality and minority rights, the empowerment of women and girls, and media freedom. Such reforms are an important part of Serbia’s efforts to join the European Union.

ministers can be asked to answer questions from all MPs in our parliament’s daily question period. We have a professional public service, which requires that all public servants behave impartially and offer their best advice to ministers, regardless of their personal or political beliefs. We have worked for many years to ensure that the public service reflects the diversity of Canada’s citizenry, through actions to ensure that women, visible minorities, disabled and indigenous people are well represented in the government. We have a free media and a strong civil society, which are frequently critical of the work of government – and this is considered a good thing!

■ How do you see the Canada’s role in that process, and how does it support Serbia in that regard? - While Canada is not an EU member state, we strongly support Serbia’s aspiration to become a full-fledged member of the EU. This is because we believe that European integration is the best way to ensure regional security and stability. Of course, we also have a bilateral interest, in that Serbia will, by acceding to the EU, also become a party to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU. This would provide excellent opportunities to strengthen our trade and commercial relations. We are ready to support Serbia through the means at our disposal, in implementing reforms around the rule of law, democratic governance, freedom of expression and other areas that will improve the lives of citizens, as part of this merit-based accession process.

■ How will these topics be promoted While we respect during the upcoming Canada Day ■ Which values and approaches of contemSerbia’s policy of event? porary Canadian politics would be useful if military neutrality, - While Canada Day is a great opportunity implemented in Serbia? to reflect on Canadian values and what we - As a country with a long tradition of liberal democracy, we believe that NATO there are many aspects of our contemporary political can contribute positively achieved as a country, these are things that should not be left to one day of the year. We system that could be applied usefully in Serbia. We to stability and security exert efforts on a daily basis to promote values have a robust system of independent institutions that in the region like gender equality, tolerance, multiculturserve as important watchdogs over the activities of government. These include the Auditor General of alism, respect for inclusion and diversity, Canada and the Parliamentary Budget Officer, which have independent and the rule of law, in our engagements with government, parliament, civil powers to investigate how our government spends taxpayers’ money. society, NGOs, media, independent institutions, political parties, think-tanks Before considering important new legislation, public consultations are and all other stakeholders. We believe that these values make us all stronger. held across the country, to ensure that our multicultural and diverse popula■ How much do the Serbian diaspora in Canada and the Canadian tion has the opportunity to engage in issues that are important to them. We community in Serbia contribute to our bilteral relations and follow the British tradition of ‘ministerial accountability’, which means that better understanding between our two countries? every cabinet minister is responsible for the work of his or her ministry, - Our most recent census, in 2016, puts the number of Canadians of and can be asked to account for the work of that ministry before Parliament Serbian origin at just under 100,000 people, but many estimate that this and, if necessary, resign over poor or inappropriate performance. Canadian JUNE

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diaspora is in fact much larger. This vibrant diaspora is a powerful tool for promoting mutual understanding and cooperation, and for contributing to the growth of our bilateral relations in all sectors. There are networks among businesspeople, academics and culture workers that support these relations. For example, the ArtSalon exhibit that opened in Čačak on 15th May is a show by Serbian-Canadian artists.

■ Security sector reform is among Canada’s priorities in Serbia and the Western Balkans. How do you assess the situation in the region? - We continue to encourage Serbia to invest in efforts to build constructive relations and continue the reconciliation process with neighbouring countries. Serbia has an important role to play in helping to create stability and security in a region where conflicts and ongoing aggravation continue to feed underlying tensions. It is important to note, however, that while regional stability and development are important, stability does not take precedence

macroeconomic results, and especially its fiscal position, have improved, and international financial institutions have recognised the government’s role in this. This, in turn, has increased Serbia’s economic credibility in international markets and made it a more attractive destination for investment. This credibility, along with other positive factors like a welleducated and skilled workforce, a good geographic position and industrial infrastructure, as well as a growing high-tech sector, are increasing the interest among Canadian companies looking to do business here. Our Embassy actively promotes Serbia as a destination for Canadian companies.

■ What are the economic issues that occupy your time the most, considering the interests of Canadian companies present in the country? - Canadian companies are looking for business environments which demonstrate respect for the rule of law, stability and predictability, in addition to other key factors like infrastructure and proximity to major markets. The Canadian business portfolio in Serbia is large and expanding. The mining sector is the front runner of Canada’s economic presence in Serbia. There are a number of Canadian companies engaged in mining exploration, with one – Nevsun Resources – set to reach an important milestone in June, when it will hold a ground-breaking ceremony to launch construction of the Čukaru Peki mine in eastern Serbia. We also have a strong presence in other sectors such, as ICT, agriculture and agri-food, pharmaceuticals and light manufacturing. ■ Serbia and Canada signed a bilateral Air Transport Agreement yesterday, following years of negotiations. Why did this process take so long and what would be the practical implications of this agreement? - In fact, while it did take some time to negotiate the Air Transport Agreement, it has been in administrative effect for some years already. The practical implications of this agreement in the future will depend, in part, on Air Serbia’s interest in introducing a direct flight between our two countries. This would benefit the transport of people and goods, and would be welcomed by the large Serbian diaspora in Canada.

over respect for democracy and human rights. As a country with a With the EU focusing in recent years long tradition of liberal more on internal reforms and integration democracy, there than enlargement, the reduced prospects are many aspects of for EU accession among Western Balkans countries created a vacuum that other playCanada’s contemporary ■ A number of treaties have been signed in recent years to strengthen economic relations ers have sought to exploit. In this regard, we political system that and benefit individual citizens. Which areas welcome the renewed EU commitment to the could be applied usefully still need policymakers’ attention? Western Balkan region, and we encourage in Serbia - We have a number of bilateral Canada-Serbia agreethe normalisation of Serbia-Kosovo relations through the Brussels Dialogue. And while we ments in place that benefit our business relations, as respect Serbia’s policy of military neutrality, we believe that NATO can well as individual citizens. These include a Foreign Investment Promotion contribute positively to stability and security in the region. and Protection Agreement (FIPA), a Double Taxation Agreement, a Social Security Agreement and, most recently, an Air Transport Agreement. ■ How have increased stability and impmented reforms influBeyond treaties and agreements, of course, there are other ways in which our economic relations can be strengthened. These include continued enced Canadian business interests in Serbia? reforms around more efficient settlements of business disputes, respect - Recent reforms implemented by the Government of Serbia, including for property rights, the rule of law, and other aspects of good governance as part of the EU accession process, have led to new business-related that benefit the business environment. ■ legislation and a more predictable investment environment. The country’s 16 |

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INTERVIEW

Time Is All

By MILENA MILIĆEVIĆ

WE CAN CONTROL

ALED MILES CEO, TeleSign

The second INAT Summit (Innovation Attitude Summit) was held in Belgrade from 12th to 15th April 2018. It provided more than 350 visitors with the chance to learn from the best IT experts, from Serbia and 13 other countries around the world, how to build a global Information Communication Technology (ICT) career, irrespective of location, and how to achieve serious success with Serbian and international ICT clients. This month, CorD took the opportunity to speak with one of the event’s key speakers: TeleSign CEO Aled Miles 18 |

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eleSign was founded in 2005 and pioneered phone-based two-factor authentication, holding numerous key patents on technology developed during the company’s early stages. TeleSign has grown in recent years, expanding its data-intelligence and communications solutions to serve a global customer base that includes 20 of the world’s top 25 online brands, and four of the top five technology companies. Since joining TeleSign as CEO in 2016, Aled Miles has led the company through acquisition by Belgian telecom giant BICS, while today he continues to drive the company’s growth and innovation throughout the globe.

30-minute run, lift and stretch – I ensure my energy is right before I spend time with my family. The point is that I try to do that consistently every single morning, to give me the energy I need throughout the day to thrive even when I’m travelling internationally.

■ How did you preserve the TeleSign culture from the previous CEO and transfer it to all divisions and teams of the company: from the president to the associate level? - TeleSign has been doing business for 12 years. It is hardly a start-up, but it did have a small company feel that I liked and that was great

■ Thank you for taking the time to share your experience as CEO and your wisdom with our readers. To start, we’d like to ask what are some of your best prioritisation techniques for CEO time management? - Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today for the Innovation Attitude Summit. It’s an honour to represent TeleSign. I am both very proud of our team in Belgrade and so grateful to Serbia for the incredible talent and work environment this country provides. Some time management techniques that I want to share with you are not only specific to CEOs – they are actually useful to everyone. I read an article four months ago that made me realise that I do some parts of time management well, but some not so well! The first rule of time management in the article I read called for a focus on minutes and not hours. The article talked about mastering minutes, which is a little bit like managing small amounts of money to ensure that you manage larger amounts of ALED MILES speaking at ASFA conference in Australia money equally well. This compelled me to focus more on how I spend every minute and every TeleSign has been doing for the organisation, allowing us to be second of my time. business for 12 years. It is agile in our efforts. I am a great believer in there only being one We were about to surpass the hardly a start-up, but it thing in our lives that we can actually control, and $100-million revenue mark, and that is did have a small company a very difficult mark to cross. You need that is our time. We are the only people that, as individuals, can say “No!” to things. In this case, as a to bring in some of the scalability that feel that I liked and CEO, I actually try to say no to as many meetings as is needed to sail beyond the hundredthat was great for the possible; I try to process emails only once or twice million-dollar threshold and engage organisation, allowing us some of the benefits of a larger company a day, and to delegate as much as possible in order to be agile in our efforts to have full control over my time. This also helps environment in your culture, without with something else which the article emphasised losing the agility of a smaller company. that I loved: make it home for dinner; and prioritise your family. Balancing that was incredibly important to me – retaining some of The next rule in the article is to follow the 80/20 rule. This means the old and innovating with some of the new. focusing on doing 20% of the things you need to do extremely well, My personal belief is that culture is behaviour and behaviour is thus influencing the other 80% almost exponentially. culture. Cultural innovations need to become part of what a company Finally, the last rule was: “Energy is everything”. How you generate does and what a company wants to develop, not what is dictated to your energy and where you use it can have a profound impact on the the company by senior leadership. As such, allowing all members of company. To me, that starts first thing in the morning. That’s why I our team be responsible for, and to nurture, our culture has always recommend that everyone practise a consistent morning routine. I like been critical to me. to get up at between 6am and 6:30am. I deal with urgent overnight If you wish to drive a culture, there is a risk that you will make a emails very quickly, read FlipBoard for global news, then go for a mistake, because cultures cannot be driven. They must be nurtured; JUNE

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they must be helped; they must be enabled; they must be coached. To succeed in instilling an irreplaceable culture, you need to find cultural ambassadors in every part of the organisation. For me, hierarchy is a thing of the past; it is not part of modern business. Culture is defined by the behaviour of anybody in the company: from the person greeting guests at the reception desk to a member of the executive team. ■ Could you tell us about some of TeleSign’s cultural insights? - We had a breakthrough in the early part of last year, when one of our team members spoke about the concept of finding joy in the happiness of other people. We thought about that from an internal perspective and also towards all our clients. We are a B2B2C company, and when we are able to find as much joy in our clients’ happiness as in our own, and when those clients are able to celebrate the ways they find joy in their customers’ happiness, then we can deliver tremendous value both internally and externally. I would also add that you cannot communicate enough. Over-communication is not even possible in my opinion; explaining and communicating across functions throughout the organisation is a must if you want to embed and nurture culture. Culture is ultimately a promise, both internally and externally. It should be the very core of your brand promise.

your hotel room can now be frictionless. This type of frictionless experience will continue to expand across industries. The third area in which we see a lot of talk is contextual communications. For example, when you are in a specific environment like a restaurant, that restaurant can understand that you are physically present. And now, if you have given them consent, the restaurant can access your history of visiting that restaurant and confirm what you like to eat, thus enabling them to provide you with a seamless dining experience, topped with frictionless payment. The key is that you are being communicated to within a context that you and the business can understand, again enabled by the rise of mobility and cloud tech. Lastly, there is a shift in power between who owns consent and who has the power over data. We are increasingly seeing that power needs to shift towards the consumer; towards the consumer having control over their identity and privacy. This is a fascinating and unusual world that we are now living in, and there is no doubt that consent-based identity will play a huge role in unlocking new magic in the digital world.

■ What advice would you offer those born around the year 2000, who are now turning 18 and making their first career decisions? - It’s so easy for somebody from my generation to be out of touch. Perhaps the best advice I would give them is: Give us advice. Help us understand what is going on in the world. What your desires, needs and wants are in ■ TeleSign has established its brand the workplace. as a reliable and secure partner to 20 My fear is that those born in the 2000s are My fear is that those of the world’s 25 largest digital web growing up in a world of instancy. Everything born in the 2000s companies and millions of satisfied is available (snaps fingers) instantaneously. end-users. What will be the next You want a cab, there’s an app for that. You are growing up in a breakthroughs in the mobile solutions want new friends, there’s an app for that. world of instancy. domain? You want a date, there’s an app for that. You Everything is available - As my colleagues will tell you, I talk a want food, there’s an app for that. And I want instantaneously lot about the concept of the third wave. to suggest, humbly, that some things don’t The first wave was the desktop computer happen instantly. Careers take time; they revolution and connecting to the internet; the second wave was the take focus; they take work and time to develop. rise of mobility: laptops, mobile phones etc. The third wave number As you grow your career, always think about how you are developing is the explosion of mobility and the cloud, enabling capability and your own brand. Think of yourself as a product, as a brand – what opportunity the likes of which the world has never seen. you promise the world and your workplace. How do you differentiate So, what are the next breakthroughs in mobility? Well, obviously, your brand, which marks your unique career path? we are seeing wearable devices, “mobile with you” all the time, highly Just as crucial is that you outdo your colleagues. There is something capable of providing data between sources: You and something else. to be said for an extraordinary work ethic, hand-in-hand with your The next breakthrough comes in our ability to ‘provide more promise as a brand. I still see that as the ultimate differentiator in frictionless experiences’ in the way we can verify and authenticate today’s workplace. who we are as we interact with people, brands and things. For example, However, and perhaps most importantly, love what you do; enjoy in getting in and out of a car, Uber has shown us that payment can what you do. The world you are growing up in is, in my opinion, the be frictionless. Hotel chains have shown us that exiting and entering most fascinating time in history. ■ 20 |

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STRATEGY

GLOBAL DIARY

“We (Deutsche Bank) are not strong enough in some areas. Therefore we have to act decisively and to adjust our strategy. There is no time to lose as the current returns for our shareholders are not acceptable.” - Christian Sewing, New Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Officer

MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY ARE MARRIED ▶ In case you haven’t heard, Meghan Markle and Prince

Harry got married at London’s St. George’s chapel at Windsor Castle on 19th May, attended by the royal family as well as 600 invited guests, The archbishop of Canterbury declared them husband and wife. Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England, made the proclamation after the couple promised to love and cherish one another “until death us do part,” and exchanged rings. The British-American pair are now officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and the duchess will take her place among senior members of the royal family. Afterward, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated their nuptials away from the cameras during a private lunch for invited ceremony guests. There was then another private evening reception for 200 close friends and family, hosted by Prince Charles at Frogmore House on the Windsor estate.

ROCKEFELLER ESTATE AUCTION BREAKS WORLD RECORD

geography of the sales was led by the

longer lend to companies that make

Americas (73 percent), followed by

military style firearms for civilians.

Europe, the Middle East, Russia, and

Gun-control activists and Demo-

India (18 percent combined), and Asia

crats praised the policy, urging other

(10 percent).

financial firms to follow suit. But gun

GUN LOBBY TAKES AIM AT 'GUN-HATING' BANKS

MORE VOLCANIC EXPLOSIONS EXPECTED BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII

owners and manufacturers say it

▶ Scientists say that Hawaii’s Kilauea

encroaches on Americans’ consti-

volcano may soon become more

tutional rights and they are fighting

destructive and spew rocks in the air.

back. Gun Owners of America (GOA),

Meanwhile, Hawaii’s tourism officials

a Washington-based lobby group, has

are pleading with visitors not to cancel plans to visit the islands.

'Odalisque couchae aux magnolias', 1923, by HENRI MATISSE

▶ The U.S. gun lobby is taking aim at

asked lawmakers to add a provision to

“gun-hating” banks after Citigroup Inc.

a draft law rewriting bank rules that it

▶ The three-day auction of Peggy and

and Bank of America said they would

says would prevent “gun-hating banks”

Hawaii underscored their recent state-

David Rockefeller’s art collection set

no longer provide certain banking

from “discriminating” against firearms

ments that the oozing magma, which

22 world records at Christie’s in New

services to gun-makers, according to

makers.

has so far destroyed dozens of homes

York. All of the more than 1,500 lots

industry lobbyists.

have been sold, fetching a total of

In March, Citigroup put restrictions

$832 million. That’s about twice the

on new retail business clients which

previous record of $484 million from a

sell guns to require their customers

2009 Paris sale of designer Yves Saint

to pass background checks, follow-

Laurent’s estate.

ing February’s Florida high school

Picasso’s painting of a nude girl

shooting that killed 17 people. Weeks

holding a basket of flowers was the

later, Bank of America said it would no

top sale. It went for $115 million, Monet painting of his famed water lilies sold for $84 million and Matisse work depicting a woman in a Turkish harem went for a record $80.8 million. According to Christie’s, sale registrants (including the online sale) came from 53 countries. The buyer

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Source: Reuters

Scientists on the Big Island of

REAL MADRID: 2018 EUROLEAGUE CHAMPIONS ▶ Real Madrid became the first team to win 10 EuroLeague titles by

defeating Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul 85-80 in the Turkish Airlines Basketball EuroLeague Championship Game at Štark Arena in Belgrade. Zalgiris finished the season in style by holding off a late CSKA Moscow surge to win the third place game 77-79. Real Madrid’s Luka Dončić (19) made history by becoming the youngest player in EuroLeague history to ever win the Final Four MVP. Fans of all four teams from all over the world, as well as the local basketball lovers, started making their way towards the Štark Arena for the final day of 2017-18 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season already in the early afternoon hours.

CHANGES

“The measure of what makes someone rich has changed dramatically in the past two decades. Three million was largely considered ultra-high net worth across the industry. Fast-forward almost 25 years, and $25 million is how we define ultra-high net worth.” - Peter Charrington, Global Head of Citi Private Bank

EU-WESTERN BALKANS SUMMIT IN SOFIA ▶ The EU-Western Balkans summit took place in Sofia,

Bulgaria, on 17th May. It brought together heads of state or government from EU member states and leaders from the six Western Balkans partners: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, FYR Macedonia and Kosovo*. EU leaders agreed on the Sofia Declaration, with which the Western Balkans partners have aligned themselves. They also adopted the Sofia priority agenda, as an annex to the declaration, outlining new measures for enhanced cooperation with the region. EU leaders used the summit to reaffirm their unequivocal support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans. The EU is determined to strengthen its support to the region’s political, economic and social transformation. The EU also stressed the importance of good neighbourly relations, regional stability and mutual cooperation. This includes, in particular, finding solutions to bilateral disputes and dedicating additional efforts to reconciliation.

also produce higher levels of toxic

71st Cannes Film Festival for his film

tors and Victories” and was supported

gases, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

“Shoplifters,” marking just the second

by the Delegation of the EU in Serbia.

scientist-in-charge. Tina Neal said.

time this century that an Asian film

It was also a unique cultural spectacle

Kilauea, one of the world’s most active

has claimed the festival’s top prize and

in more than 120 cities worldwide.

volcanoes, also threatens to begin a

American director Spike Lee won the

The first Museum Night, held in five

series of explosive eruptions within

Grand Prix for his anti-racism satire

Belgrade museums and galleries, man-

and forced thousands of people on the

days or weeks that could form huge

“BlacKkKlansman”. President of the

aged to animate more than 4,000 visi-

Big Island of Hawaii to evacuate, may

clouds of volcanic smog, or vog, and

tors, while over the following fourteen

not be as big a threat as the destruc-

hurl boulders the size of small cars.

years this number has increased to an

tive lava flows that could soon hit the island. As a lava lake at Kilauea’s summit drains inside the volcano, magma

incredible 500,000 visits to almost

HIROKAZU KORE-EDA WINS PALME D’OR

200 cultural institutions in more than 60 cities and towns throughout Serbia.

is running underground. It could burst

The motto “Victors and Victories”

to the surface as large, fast-moving

▶ Japanese director Hirokazu

and intensely hot lava flows. It could

Kore-eda won the Palme d’Or at the

aims to enable self-reflection of small and great victories in life, emphasisjury was Cate Blanchett. Apart from

ing progressive ideas, giving a chance

Hirokazu Kore-eda and Spike Lee, the

to inspiring people and fascinating

following main award winners were

events that mark our history. The Pro-

announced: Jury Prize: Nadine Labaki,

gramme council consisted of architect

Capernaum; Special Palme d’Or: Jean-

and academic Branislav Mitrović,

Luc Godard, Image Book; Best Actor:

director Nebojša Bradić and professor

Marcello Fonte, Dogman; Best Actress

of sculpture Mrđan Bajić.

Samal Yeslyamova, My Little One; Best Director: Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War; Caméra d’Or: Girl, director Lukas Dhont…

15TH MUSEUM NIGHT ▶ This year’s 15th Museum Night (19th May) took place under the motto “Vic-

TRH Crown Prince ALEXANDER and Princess KATHERINE welcome visitors

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By MILOŠ BELČEVIĆ

INTERVIEW

Where Finance Meets

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION JOHN HUCKER

PRESIDENT OF SWISS FINANCE + TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION

As the founding president of the Swiss Finance Plus Technology Association, John Hucker, CFA and Oxford University MBA, works with start-ups and global financial institutions to build a “FinTech Ecosystem”

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xclusively for CorD, John Hucker, President of the Swiss Finance + Technology Association, talks about tech innovations like blockchain and AI, but also challenges and opportunities for the financial industry and a reimagining of it.

■ What was the initial ideas behind the Swiss Finance + Technology Association? - The reason for creating the Association was that I felt that there was a very important topic to be discussed – and that needed to be explored, which had yet to be done in Switzerland – and that was the future of financial centres. We have a great history of private banking and banking secrecy, but that came under pressure after the financial crisis, largely due to technology. You could take a CD with all your client’s information, give it to another government and cause a lot of problems. What we proposed is that innovation could become a new value proposition, and so the Association helped us address that topic. Historically, that was a discussion controlled by banks, but it wasn’t just a topic for the banks – it now included start-ups, investors and other stakeholders who form part of what we call the FinTech ecosystem.

international bank, but if you’re going to work with a bank like Credit Suisse or a major insurance company, you need to have the processes for engaging, and the processes to secure your product at the highest levels. ■ Blockchain technology is something that nearly every global bank is experimenting with today, and even governments. But what are some of the challenges when it comes to this type of technology? Do you think it’s hype, a truly transformative technology, or something in between? - I think it’s maybe a bit of both, but nothing else. What’s fantas-

■ A big part of your job is working with entrepreneurs and start-ups. What are main differences between operators in the start-up environment and multinational companies like UBS AG, where you worked within wealth management? tic about blockchain, and Are there some similarities? Switzerland is a great source bitcoin in particular, is that - Start-ups are trying to grow, trying to find of capital for investing in it’s got people excited about clients and become large companies, whereas start-ups, but we’re also a great financial services and innolarge companies are much more about mainsource of the technology taining their position or making incremental vation again. It’s obviously change. The similarities between the two is much broader than that, shaping the world that they need good partners in order to be but if we look back to about able to connect effectively. It’s not straightforward for a start-up ten years ago, people thought of financial services as mortgageto just turn up and start working with the corporate sector, and backed securities and the financial collapse. It’s really quite nice in many cases it’s not straightforward for a corporation to just that there is something that was born out of that experience with go ahead and start working with start-ups either. That’s where blockchain, which has emerged to challenge and really excite we try to play an intermediary role, understanding the two sides people about the opportunities around technology in finance. and being able to effectively facilitate interactions between them. So, that’s my positive spin. On the other side, however, it One thing that corporates have, especially in the banking does face some real challenges. There are two that I always see: industry and in Switzerland, is a very strong understanding one is that the scale of the type of disruption is often almost of risk management overall, but also the topic of IT security. indigestible; there’s all this hype, all this excitement in the last From our Swiss perspective in particular, that’s something that year that this is going to change everything, but people very start-ups can really benefit from by appreciating it early on. quickly realised that you can’t change the world overnight - it’s They obviously need to be able to experiment or to sometimes going to take five years, ten, twenty…; the other is that, much do things that don’t adhere to the full security level of a big like other great technologies, blockchain might have all this JUNE

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potential, but if it can’t be converted and followed through on that process of really being implemented, it’s just a nice idea. When I talk to people – whether that was discussion around the World Economic Forum in Switzerland earlier this year or in general – those are some of their main concerns, as well as the falling price of Bitcoin, the maturing ICO regulatory landscape and other real pressures that show this isn’t as easy as writing a code, putting it on the internet and becoming a billionaire. Having said all that, I’ll return to the main point of how it’s got people excited about innovation, because this technology really does offer truly transformative potential to reimagine things in a decentralised technology stack. It’s been a fascinating topic and continues to engage everyone in discussion.

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■ In theory, mathematical models and algorithms should lead to greater fairness, but in practise they often lead to greater inequality when they’re biased. Do you think this is a challenge, and how do we relate to it – especially in sensitive areas like FinTech and InsurTech? - It’s an excellent point, and a very relevant comment. If you’re going to be hardcoding and automating the way things are handled, you really need to ask yourself how things are going and whether you’re making mistakes along the way. By virtue of the scale and speed with which automation is implemented, by the time you realise a problem is out there it can already have a larger impact than, for example, when a human has made an error. When it comes to a solution, first of all, more awareness around these issues is a starting point, but then greater transparency is also needed. The financial services industry is shrouded in secrecy by its nature, and that sometimes allows things that should be scrutinised to go uninspected. I think this is obviously one of those areas where it’s in the broader interest of society to ask upfront how we’re going to ensure that these automated processes don’t have unintended consequences that would displease us greatly.

■ There is also a lot of buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) – and you have written about their application for financial services. What are some of the main beneficial areas for this, and some of the challenges? - The main opportunity is to make financial services a more efficient business. Finance – the numeric side and numbers involved in finance – is quite vulnerable to ■ What are some of the most redisruption from artificial intelligence in so many ways. It’s warding parts of your job, and what easy to imagine how you can are some of the challenging areas? programme all that into a com- It’s really surprising. Sometimes you’re What’s fantastic about puter, so that’s important to keep helping people out and it’s a very specific blockchain, and bitcoin in in mind. Another area is client quest that you’re helping people with, particular, is that it has got support. We hear people talking but after three years of doing this, and about chatbots all the time, and people excited about financial with about 500 or 600 members in the there are many good cases of services and innovation again organisation, what’s great is that people that technology actually being are now self-organised, and things happen spontaneously through the power implemented for help desks. of that ecosystem. It’s quite rewarding to see how something Those are two major areas, but the most exciting area in you’ve created is able to go on creating an impact for people my opinion is the compliance area. My former colleagues at even if you’re not doing it directly yourself. The challenge that Credit Suisse actually serve as a great example of this. I forget goes hand in hand with this is that it takes a lot of work to crethe exact factor, but they have increased the demand of their ate a platform like that. In start-up terms, people call it paying work in the compliance department by something like a hundredfold in the last five years. In turn, only 10 per cent of the it forward, so there are a lot of extra hours, a lot of favours that increased workload is handled by human power – the over 90% I’ve done for people just because that was something I was is done through automation and big data technology. This is a passionate about, and obviously that adds up and becomes a perfect example of where new, major demands are placed on lot of work. However, it still continues to be very rewarding the industry and how handling that effectively and efficiently and, as I said, the platform now creates its own benefits, so it requires the leveraging of technology. definitely outweighs the negatives. ■ 164

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BUSINESS LEADERS’ MEETING POINT

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PAGE 41

DRAGANA KRSTIĆ, GENERAL MANAGER OF VOLVO D.O.O. (LTD.) NOVI BANOVCI

MARKO PETROVIĆ, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF VISARIS D.O.O. (LTD.)

Volvo, Ruler Of Roads And Construction Sites

The World Is Conquered By Good Teams, And We Have One

PAGE 32

ALEKSANDAR MARKOVIĆ, METALAC GROUP CEO

PROFESSOR JASNA BALOH, DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE DOBA BUSINESS SCHOOL, MARIBOR

There’s Something In Metalac Polka Dots

Education For The 21st Century

PAGE 40

NEW SURVEY OF THE GERMAN-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ANTONELLO FACCHINI, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF BRAND “BARBOLINI”

Conditions For Doing Business In Serbia

Belgrade’s Men Appreciate Italian Fashion

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CORPORATE

DRAGANA KRSTIĆ, GENERAL MANAGER OF VOLVO D.O.O. (LTD.) NOVI BANOVCI

Volvo, Ruler Of Roads And Construction Sites Since the opening of its first factory way back in 1928 to the establishment of its company in Belgrade, Volvo has recorded constant increases in sales. Their vehicles are synonymous with road cruisers, reliability, endurance and a guarantee that every job, whether in construction or transport, will be completed successfully

brand to have three fully equipped and professionally staffed sales and service centres in our country (Novi Banovci, Novi Sad and Čačak). During our first twenty years in Serbia, we have amassed thousands of loyal customers

“E

very buyer, owner and user of Volvo trucks can rely on the company’s support always, and in that we also differ from the competition. During twenty years of working in Serbia, we have amassed thousands of loyal customers and hundreds of partners among transport companies. That’s a wealth that has no price.” ■ Volvo Trucks this year commemorates 20 years of operations in Serbia. You have been part of the team from the very start, and in some way you have developed and progressed personally together with the company. What has marked Volvo’s work in the region during the past two decades? - In the past two decades, “Volvo” d.o.o. has become a leading company in the truck sector in Serbia, not only in terms of sales volumes, but also in terms of infrastructure. We are the only 28 |

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The year is coming in which, due to European regulations, all hauliers that want to engage in international transport will have to possess vehicles with the minimum Euro VI environmental standards. This will render several thousand cabs and solo trucks “ripe” for replacement and established business links and friendly relations with hundreds of transport companies, which is a wealth that has no price. It is a great honour for me to have been part of Volvo’s team in Serbia for twenty years, and I am grateful that I have been able to progress in a business sense, in parallel with the growth of the business activities of “Volvo” d.o.o.

■ Your local anniversary also coincides with the birthday of Volvo, which is this year celebrating a respectable 90 years of doing business in more than 130 countries. To what extent can the local market absorb Volvo products, in the broadest sense, primarily with consideration for economic capacities? - Due to economic potentials that are still limited, Serbia is a relatively small market for the truck industry, but it is not an insignificant one, which is precisely why Volvo decided to open its own company in Belgrade – “Volvo” d.o.o. – at the end of March 1998. Our operations over the past twenty years have confirmed that the decision was totally justified, because sales of the entire range of Volvo Trucks, despite occasional market oscillations, have risen constantly. In truth, for a full two decades the structure of sales has been dominated by vehicles from the heaviest family - FH, haulage cabs and solo trucks for longhaul transport, which are very popular among Serbian hauliers engaged in international transport. As such, it is no surprise that we have sold more than 4,000 new units from this family over the last 20 years. Over the last few years,

in conjunction with intensification of the construction of large infrastructure facilities, primarily roads, there has also been growing demand for dumper trucks and “construction” trucks from the FMX family. However, our vehicles from the midrange FM family, and even the lightest FL vehicles, are gladly found within fleets, primarily those of utilities enterprises and power distribution companies. We are encouraged by the fact that we

primarily trucks for long-haul transportation. ■ Volvo’s collaboration with customers doesn’t end with payment. On the contrary, from the company’s perspective that’s just the beginning. Why does Volvo deals with customers in some segments practically forever? - That has been the business philosophy of the company since the appearance of

any part of Europe! We certainly strive to ensure that our warehouses are always stocked with the most important and vital parts for engines, gearboxes, suspension etc.; actually, we have all parts needed for entire trucks or buses, even for vehicles that are several decades old. And if there is some part that we don’t have in our possession, we will try to ensure it arrives in just a few days, regardless of where in

COMPLETE TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS – 20 YEARS IN SERBIA WITH YOU

have been approached by increasing numbers of specialised customers in the last year, so we recently delivered the first specially equipped trucks for the transport of timber, and as this publication goes to print we will also be delivering a special vehicle for use in the process of washing aircraft. ■ Volvo proudly announced record sales results in 2017. Do you already have – on the basis of first quarter results – estimates for this year, at both the global and local levels? - Quarterly results at the global level have yet to be published. We are currently summarising results at the local level, and according to initial analysis we are recording stable sales in 2018 compared to the same period of 2017. We are counting on this trend continuing, because for the next few years the Serbian market will be “hungry” for modern vehicles,

We have ever more specialised customers that we are providing with special purpose vehicles. We recently delivered the first trucks specially equipped for the transport of timber, while we are also planning to deliver a special vehicle for washing aircraft the first Volvo truck, way back in 1928, and this is one of the things that set us apart from the competition – constant care for the customer, but also the user of a Volvo truck. That support is multifaceted: from training drivers to drive economically and safely, and to treat their vehicle as a home away from home, via advice on maintenance, to the swift and high-quality provision of services in

the world it is currently located! The buyer-owner-user of Volvo vehicles is our priority!

■ Your company website includes the statement: “Our promise to the world – responsibility at the heart of everything we do”. Where does responsibility begin and end when it comes to Volvo? - Our responsibilities begin with the first turning of a screw on the assembly line in the plant where Volvo Trucks are made – we guarantee the quality, reliability and longevity of all products – and end with our special care for the environment – ensuring that we leave the smallest possible ‘footprint’ during production and usage, and at the end of the life of a Volvo truck. In all of this, of course, is our commitment to the customer and constant striving to satisfy all their requirements and needs.■ JUNE

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LOCAL NEWS

OBSESSION

EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK (EIB)

“I’m obsessed with Kosovo. Without resolving that problem, everything I’ve achieved so far won’t be sustainable. The first crisis will kill us.”— ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ, President of Serbia

TERMOVENT

Billion Euros For Serbian Infrastructure And Digitisation TherecentWesternBalkansSummitinSofiasaw the EIB and Serbia sign a MoU for the approval of investments in Serbia worth a billion euros, thus reaffirming the EIB’s support for key connectivity infrastructure, digitisation, rural development, energy safety and urban transport. The signing ceremony was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, EIB President Werner Hoyer, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Council Donald Tusk and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. According to an EIB statement, this MoU confirms the EIB Group’s support for key connectivity infrastructure, including the Niš-Pristina-Tirana Highway of Peace, the digitisation of Serbian schools, local and rural development, energy safety and urban transport.

25th Anniversary of Termovent Over the course of the past 25 years, company Termovent has established business cooperation and carried out more than 100 projects around the world – from the region, via the EU, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, all the way to India.

EUROBANK

Commemorating 15 Years In Serbia Eurobank is celebrating its 15th anniversary of successfully doing business on the Serbian market. The Bank has grown and expanded during the 15 years of its operations, increasing the number of employees and branches, implementing new technologies and offering innovative products and services tailored to the needs of clients. Eurobank is today among the Serbian market’s leading banks. Eurobank Executive Board Chair Slavica Pavlović welcomed the Eurobank Group representatives arriving in Serbia for this special occasion - Fokion Karaviasa, Eurobank Group General Director, Stavros Joanow, Deputy Director General of Eurobank, and Mihailis Luis, Director for International Activities of the General Department of Eurobank and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eurobank Serbia. “We are proud of the fact that we are the bank of first choice for our clients. Over previous years we have consolidated our operations, continued with our moderate growth and placed ourselves among the top 10 banks. Eurobank achieved pre-tax profits of 2.5 billion dinars in 2017, which is 17% more than in 2016,” said Pavlović.

FIC

Dialogue For Change Dedicated To Labour Regulations The Foreign Investors Council held its first ‘Dialogue for Change’ event of the year, this time dedicated to labour regulations. The format of this event has changed since last year, with it now being a closed, high-level event that this time gathered together only CEOs of top FIC employers, Labour Minister Zoran Ðorđević and Assistant Minister Bojana Stanić. The main aim of this dialogue was to achieve

Celebrations of this significant anniversary for Termovent brought together a large number of partners, associates and representatives of companies from the region. Guests were welcomed to the reception commemorating this company’s silver anniversary by Termovent Komerc President Dušan Perović, General Manager Andrija Perović and COO and CRE Department Head Miloš Perović.

a better understanding of how to formulate labour regulations that will simultaneously stimulate employment and better protect the rights of both employers and employees. As a business association that promotes EU values and principles, the FIC provides recommendations that should bring EU standards to the Serbian labour market. The discussion with the Minister and Assistant Minister was strategic, with CEOs of some of the biggest employers on the market openly sharing their personal experiences and opinions. Their key message was that the local labour force represents one of the key advantages of the Serbian market and that there is great potential to make Serbia one of the most attractive investment destinations.

HEINEKEN

First Decade In Serbia Commemorated Prime Minister Ana Brnabić visited the Heineken-owned Zaječar Brewery to mark the tenth anniversary of this world-renowned brewer’s operations in Serbia. Speaking on this occasion, PM Brnabić said that the business climate in Serbia is good, as evidenced by investors like this Dutch beer producer that came to Serbia ten years ago and continues to expand its operations. With HEINEKEN Serbia General Director Viktor Gillhofer as her host, the PM toured Zaječar Brewery and congratulated the company on a decade of successful operations in Serbia, noting that this famous company has invested s more than €200 million in Serbia over the past ten year and directly employed over 300 people. Brnabić also stressed that the Netherlands is one of Serbia’s 20 most important trading partners and an even more important political partner. She noted that Dutch investments in Serbia have been increasing over the past five years, with companies from the Netherlands having invested more than €2 billion in Serbia to date.

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EU “EU talks of joint trade zones and other technical issues miss the point. Of course we must meet EU conditions on the environment, the economy and the rule of law, but we’re well on the way.”— HASHIM THAÇI, President of Kosovo

Placements & postings appointments@aim.rs

▪ MILICA LUNDIN, NEW PRESIDENT OF IWC

Milica Lundin is a Swedish musician and culture manager. Born in Cetinje, Montenegro, in 1963m she grew up and completed her basic education in Belgrade. Her studies later took her to Moscow and, after she got married, Vilnius. She worked as a piano accompanist, piano teacher and research assistant. She has also studied art history and cultural management in both Stockholm and Belgrade. Due to her husband’s diplomatic vocation, Milica has resided with her family in Sweden, Lithuania, Russia, Germany and Serbia. Mrs Lundin was Secretary to the Association of Spouses of Swedish Foreign Ministry Officers from 2006- 2010, while she is also a member of the Association of Swedish Piano Teachers. A mother of two girls age 20 and 23, she is currently in Belgrade in her capacity as spouse of the Swedish ambassador. NALED

SRBIJA KARGO

Electrical Waste Management Improving

Eight New Multi-System Locomotives

Serbia today has over 11,000 manufacturers and importers of products that turn into special waste streams after use, but only 49% of them have submitted annual reports to the competent institutions confirming the amounts sold in 2017. These reports form the basis for establishing and collecting fees for managing these products once become waste. Companies

Serbian rail company Srbija Kargo has bought eight multi-system locomotives made by Siemens AG Austria for nearly €32 million, funded by the EBRD loan. “The new multi-system locomotives will be delivered by the end of March 2019, much sooner than initially planned. Serbia will be the only country in the region to have such modern multi-system locomotives,” said Zorana Mihajlovic. – Serbia will be the only country in the region to have such modern multi-system locomotives – Mihajlovic says and emphasizes that Serbia thereby also gains advantage in the Transport Community, headquartered in Belgrade. The sales and purchase agreement was signed by the acting director of Srbija Kargo Dušan Garibović and representatives of Siemens. “In the next four to five years, Srbija Kargo will invest more than €50 million for overhaul of diesel and electric locomotives to be used on reconstructed and modernized railways,” said Gaqribović “Agreement with Srbija Kargo is very important for the company as it marks a turning point for the upcoming jobs planned in Serbia,” said Udo Eichlinger, CEO of Siemens Serbia. GAZPROM NEFT

BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Interested In Serbia’s Petrohemija Spring Charity Bazaar 2018 that do not pay this fee represent unfair competitors for responsible businesses, since the fee accounts for over 10% of the final price of the product, which represents a disadvantage for those who buy from conscientious vendors. “We must establish fair market conditions with comprehensive fee collection,” said NALED Managing Board Member Stanka Pejanović speaking after a working meeting of NALED members and partners with Environmental Protection Minister Goran Trivan. According to her, “the goal is to improve the unified electronic registry of manufacturers and importers, and to change procedures in order to improve the system of fee collection and the process of collecting waste in local governments. Explaining plans, Minister Trivan said that “management is the main priority of the Ministry, and this project will gather representatives of government, businesses, the civil sector and the academic community, and will use the experience of countries that are ahead of Serbia in this field”.

Russia’s Gazprom Neft and its local subsidiary NIShaveexpressedinterestinthelocalpetrochemical unit HIP-Petrohemija, and in the forthcoming period talks with the prospective buyer will intensify, Serbian Energy Minister Aleksandar Antic said after a meeting in St. Petersburg with representatives of Gazprom. The two discussed higher natural gas imports amid robust industrial

growth in Serbia and further expansion of Gazprom’s subsidiary NIS, as well. HIP-Petrohemija JSC is the largest producer of petrochemicals in Serbia and an important company within chemical industry of Southeast Europe.A Kazakh petrochemical company is also interested in HIP-Petrohemija, as announced by President Aleksandar Vucic during his visit to Astana last June. Vucic didn’t reveal the name of the company. The Serbian Ministry of Economy issued in March 2017 a public call for letters of interest for three state-owned chemical plants, including HIP-Petrohemija.

On Saturday, 19 May, theBISschoolcommunity held another successful charity bazaar event entitled “Seventies Disco Party”. Old gramophone records and disco balls greeted the visitors at the entrance to the school and in the main stage area. The event included a fashion show featuring seventies-style costumes. Although the event started with a sunny cool morning, the weather turned, when a heavy shower threatened to interrupt proceedings. This sudden weather change however didn’t stop the enjoyment as the BIS students, parents and staff all started singing and dancing to disco music on the central stage in the rain (see the BIS facebook page for videos)! The visitors at the event enjoyed stalls selling food of international cuisines and various international souvenirs. In addition, there were numerous stalls with activities for children such as a bouncy castle, face painting, and other games. As in every year the highlight of the bazaar was the raffle draw with many valuable prizes including weekends at exclusive hotels, dinners at fine restaurants, spa vouchers, as well as themed gift baskets prepared by each one of BIS classes. The proceeds of this most successful BIS bazaar will be donated to the University Children’s Hospital in Tirsova (Department for Hematology and Oncology). We look forward to seeing you all next year…

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CORPORATE MARKO PETROVIĆ, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF VISARIS D.O.O. (LTD.)

The World Is Conquered By Good Teams, And We Have One Serbia’s only manufacturer of digital X-ray devices, private company Visaris, exports as much as 85 per cent of its production to twenty countries around the world, but mostly to the U.S., which serves as the best confirmation of their quality. Judging by plans and announced deals, it seems that this company’s time is yet to come

e are competitive thanks to our development team, which creates a high-quality product at a reasonable price. Apart from that, from the very beginning we have adhered to the principle of direct communication – straight talk, which implies sincerity even if that costs us a contract. And that’s something the world appreciates ■ In just 15 years of operating, you have entered into the company of the world’s best producers of digital X-ray devices. What does it feel like to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with, and often even ahead of, companies like Siemens, Kodak, Philips and other giants? - It’s great to be in the company of the best, but that brings with it great responsibility and an obligation to improve and advance. Fortunately, we offer a product that isn’t subjected to impulse buying, but rather implies a complex decision-making process on an investment, and in that sense the brand’s size or level of recognition is not a decisive factor. Moreover, the area in which we operate is extremely well regulated, so the number of competitors and customers-users is reduced to the maximum possible extent. This means 32 |

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that, provided you have good references and an appropriate approach to potential clients, you have a much greater chance of establishing cooperation. It is for this reason that we have adopted

We would like there to be another company in Serbia dealing with this business, because that would enable us to more easily consolidate our interests and would represent a driver that the state could recognise and support the ’straight talk’ principle of direct communication, which implies that we are always sincere, even if that costs us contracts. Before establishing any kind of cooperation, we strive to provide the client with that which is most valuable to them, and that is good advice. This year we are celebrating 15 years since our establishment, just like CorD magazine, so we also wish you a happy birthday and for the next 15 years to be even more successful and meaningful.

■ How superior are your appliances to conventional radiological devices? Is digital radiographic diagnostics safer for both radiologists and patients than 3D devices like CT scanners? - Digital devices produce a higher quality image with lower doses of radiation, and all in just a few seconds. Furthermore, those images are made in a digital format, enabling the creation of permanent archives, as well as rendering them immediate visibility anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Doctors are increasingly using this method due to it having the most favourably small dose of radiation and due to the diagnostic content of the image. 3D modalities, including CT scanners, are undoubtedly very significant and useful techniques, but they are fortunately not a necessity for the vast majority of patients. ■ You are the only company in Serbia to produce a universal digital X-ray apparatus for recording images of patients in all positions. How many are there in Serbia? - We have about 50 installations in Serbia at present and, thanks to the favourable ratio between price and quality, we expect this number to increase in the period ahead. Although the equipment

used in Serbia is on average obsolete, the process of budgeting and conducting procurement processes for public institutions is unnecessarily complicated, slow and often illogical.

much does Visaris contribute to the development of Serbia’s economy? - We rely on foreign suppliers for parts not manufactured in Serbia, but for everything else we use domestic suppliers. We foster lasting and fair relations with everyone. Alongside the multiplier effect on suppliers and obvious contributions in terms of taxes and foreign exchange

inflows, I consider Visaris’s greatest contribution its message to young people in Serbia that, just like in sports, we can also prove victorious in the world when it comes to production and services.

■ You currently export to 21 countries ■ Your devices are 20 to 30 per cent cheaper than devices produced elseon six continents and have more than where in the world that offer the same 500 installed digital systems. What performance. How have you are your plans for expandmanaged this? ing your business? - Certain components, such - We find ourselves in a very dynamic phase of develas flat panel detectors or genopment, with our refererators, are purchased by all ences working for us. We world manufacturers from the have matured enough and same suppliers, so our price proven that we are a stable competitiveness is reflected and long-term partner to in the intellectual part of the our clients. product. We can give thanks We will expand our busifor this to our development ness in three directions: team, which gathers together firstly through our distop computer programmers, tributors under the “Visaris” mathematicians, physicists, brand; secondly through mechanical and electronics service production for engineers, as well as a large large world brands, where number of external associated the Visaris name does not in the fields of biomedical appear at all; and thirdly engineering, radiology and through the development of others. This has allowed us to a new generation of prodperfect the technique of converting raw X rays into images ucts in cutting edge dynamic on screen, which is also the imaging technology, where most complex part of the dewe plan to offer the world 3D vice. Apart from that, we also solutions for X-ray cabinets. have our own solutions for The world’s biggest manurobotics, internal communicafacturers are also heading tion and the synchronisation in this direction, so we are of mechanics, electricity and radiapleased that we will again be able to Thanks to digital images tion, which means that the “eyes, compare ourselves to the best. stored on a computer and brain and nervous system” of the on the Cloud, second device are a work of Serbian logic. ■ You provide the users of your independent opinions, which Technical professions comprise the devices with support 24/7. We predominant profiles among employare required for a large number presume that you are also unique ees. We employ around 50 people, in Serbia in that sense? of medical examinations, can 20 of whom work in development, - In Serbia it only pays for Visaris be quickly obtained even which we consider our greatest sucto provide support 24 hours a day, from a doctor who is on the cess, as there are few private compabecause we have a large number of nies in Serbia that invest so much in clients outside the country, includother side of the world. their own technology and personnel. ing in Australia, Cuba, Taiwan, the Furthermore, we no longer We have people from all schools and United States, South Africa and use various chemicals and other distant locations. This means colleges in Serbia, but we are also nondegradable celluloid, that we are always able to be availinterested in attracting high-quality able to our partners and clients personnel from foreign universities. with which we contribute to both in the country and abroad, preserving a healthy and we see that our users appreci■ Do you rely on domestic or forenvironment ate that very much. ■ eign associates and suppliers? How JUNE

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REGIONAL NEWS

VALUES “Being anchored in the European Union means sharing values and principles, including respect for the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and freedom of expression – because the European Union is first of all a community of values and law.” — JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, European Commission President

CROATIA

Bitcoin Store Opens In Croatia Company “Bitcoin store” has opened its first outlet in Croatia. It sells bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and even issues receipts. The shop is a welcome addition to the steadily growing crypto sector. The team behind the project plans to expand to all major Croatian cities and even other countries in the region. The new walk-in point of sale is located in the Croatian city of Split. The store currently offers direct sales of bitcoin, ether and other altcoins. The premium is around 5 percent on top of the average prices at Coinmarketcap. Customers are given a receipt and proof of purchase for tax reporting purposes. Bitcoin Store is arguably the first of its kind in the country, and probably on the Balkans. Bitkonan, the Croatian crypto exchange behind the project, has plans to offer similar OTC (over the counter) solutions to residents and guests of other major cities, starting from Zagreb and Rijeka. Its team also hopes to expand in the region, depending on demand for this kind of service in neighboring countries.

ROMANIA

Bosch Builds New Offices In Blaj German group Bosch has started work on a new office building at its factory in Blaj, central Romania, which produces sensors, electronic components and parts for the industrial technology sector. Bosch will invest over €7mln in the new building, which will have 5,700 sqm of offices on two floors. Besides office space for about 250 employees, the new building will also host the development labs, which are currently in the factory. Bosch opened its factory in Blaj in 2007. The group has over 6,500 employees in Romania.

ALBANIA

EBRD Funds Albania's Main Rail Link Upgrade Albania has received a €35.5mln grant from the European Union and a €35.9mln loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to upgrade a rail line and build a new stretch. A bank statement did not specify loan terms, but did say that the project would “make a tangible difference to people and businesses.” The upgrade of the 34-kilometre -long segment from the capital Tirana to the main port of Durres and a new 7.4-kilometre rail link from Tirana to the international airport will cost €90mln, with the remainder funded from the local budget. Albania’s 420-kilometre rail network is in a dilapidated state, with pre-1990 diesel-powered engines and wagons. BULGARIA

Labor Unions Want An 18% Increase In Teacher Wages Bulgarian Labor Unions Want an 18% Increase in Teacher Wages from the Autumn Archive, Minister of Education Krasimir Valchev agree but it should happen from January 1, 2019. Labor unions insist that this should happen from the October 1st this year. At present, the average gross salary is about one thousand and eighty leva (€550). According to the statistics of 90,000 teachers in Bulgaria, only 3.8 per cent are young. The average age of educators is 55. In 2017, 3,500 young teachers entered the system. According to the union, the reason for this is low wages.

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10 THINGS

TO STIMULATE BUSINESS IN SUMMER MONTHS

Summer is a good time to do business, plan for new business and get prepared for the fall. June 30th for many companies ends their financial half-year, other companies are in the middle of evaluating what to do in 2018. Either way the summer presents new sales opportunities for your business.

1. Plan your weeks. 2. Get out and visit your clients. 3. Send a note to clients. 4. Create special sales packages when supply is high and demand is low. 5. Prioritize your clients and show some appreciation to them accordingly. 6. Ask for a referral! 7. Keep your eyes and ears open! 8. The summer is a great time to network! Go to meetings. 9. What do you read at the beach? Summer is a great time to educate yourself. 10. Work and play hard in the summer!

COMPETITORS “The EU is aware that it has strong competitors in the Balkans. There is no vacuum in international relations. If one pulls out or doesn’t want to act, somebody else will,” — SRĐAN DARMANOVIĆ, Montenegrin Foreign Minister

FYR MACEDONIA

MONTENEGRO

Number of Tourist On the Rise

Government Signs €250mln Loan Arrangement With World Bank

The number of tourists staying in Macedonia rose by 17.3% yearon-year in the period January-March, reaching 144,365, the country’s statistical office said. The number of domestic tourists rose 10.1% year-on-year to 50,860 in the first quarter of 2018, whereas the number of international visitors increased 21.5% to 93,505, the statistical office said in a statement. The number of overnights spent by tourists in Macedonia in the review period increased 17.7% on the year, reaching 305,263. Out of the total number of foreign tourists who visited Macedonia in March, 10.7% came from Bulgaria, 10% from Serbia and 9.3% from Greece.

The Montenegrin government has signed a EUR250m loan arrangement with the World Bank in a bid to ensure macroeconomic stability and improve the living standards, the Finance Ministry said in a Friday statement. The loan will have a repayment period of 12 EMANUEL SALINAS, World Bank country manager forMontenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina (left), and Minister DARKO RADUNOVIĆ years and a four-year grace period. The loan will have an annual interest rate of six-month EURIBOR + 2.95%. The agreement was signed by Finance Minister Darko Radunovic and World Bank country manager for Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina Emanuel Salinas. Radunovic said that signing of the loan affirms the credibility of the government’s fiscal consolidation measures. He pledged to continue reforms to meet the criteria for securing another World Bank loan arrangement to further strengthen the state budget. Salinas called on the government to focus on job creation and maintaining a favorable economic environment to achieve inclusive growth.

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CORPORATE ALEKSANDAR MARKOVIĆ, METALAC GROUP CEO

There’s Something In Metalac Polka Dots Gornji Milanovac-based Metalac Group is preparing to celebrate its 60th birthday with fantastic results and ambitious plans. The year of their Jubilee will, they say, only confirm their consistency in being commercially excellent and socially responsible, which should not be doubted

corporate culture, which supports the community and the development of people in a personal and professional sense, is one of our greatest values. We care about them, invest in them, and they return that to the company many times over with their dedication – says Metalac Group CEO Aleksandar Marković for CorD.

the latest PC, with an installed software for computer design? That convinced me that I was in the right place, and Metalac has since grown in every sense.

of managers able to lead the company. The key for us in our selection of people are the Metalac’s 4Ps: Poštenje, Poverenje, Posvećenost i Poštovanje (Fairness, Trust, Commitment and Respect). This is the only thing around which there is no controversy, no dilemma and no deviation.

■ Your appointment is the result of a policy of selecting, educating and training employees, especially supervisors and managers. Will you also stick to the axiom that people are an irreplaceable resource? - I was nominated as the first among equals from a team of five executive directors, each of whom could have been in my place. That is the fruit of many years of work of the previous management team, and it is our duty to leave behind a new generation

■ Your salaries are above the national average and always paid on time, while you also pay bonuses and scholarships for your young employees who are regular students... Do you have benefits for all? - There is no company that is sustainable over the long-term and which doesn’t seriously engage with its employees in one way or another. There are, of course, benefits that apply to all employees, especially when it comes to their children, but management bonuses, additional insurance and similar benefits are only available to those who have earned them. It’s important that employees know nothing is to be taken for granted.

■ You’ve been at Metalac for 25 years. What has changed during that quarter of a century; and what has remained the same? - I arrived at Metalac during the time of inflation and sanctions, in 1993. As an exportorientated firm, Metalac didn’t have enough work, but the burden of the We established the Metalac crisis was carried equally by all. Salaries Foundation in 2006, because were low and tended to vary, depending in the previous six months only on the time of the day when they were converted into a Deutschmarks, and one baby had been born locally, the management found a way to pay while last year we reached a them twice a week, in order to ease that total of 64. To date, we have problem. utilised around 600,000 euros That was a big school for me, but, as a young engineer, what meant the most to welcome the births of 550 to me were the computers. Can you girls and boys, which is our imagine my happiness when I entered best investment my new office for the first time and saw 36 |

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■ Others discuss a population policy, while you are implementing one. Do all of your workers still receive from the Metalac Foundation 1,000 euros for their first child, 2,000 for a second and 3,000 for a third? - For a fourth – 4,000, for a fifth – 5,000 ... and so on. Today, when young women abstain from establishing a family due

to their work and careers, we prove that it is not only possible to fuse the two, but also desirable. We also provide support for employees when it comes to schooling for children, while we also own about 40 apartments that are given for lifetime use by couples without children and single parents. ■ Metalac kitchenware is among Europe’s biggest and most successful producers of kitchenware. Are there any homes in Serbia and the region that don’t have at least one of your enamelled saucepans? - I don’t believe there is, and supporting this claim is also data on market participation in Serbia and some countries of the region. Metalac has been manufacturing kitchenware for almost 60 years and that is still the company’s main business and historical core. We are also unique in that we manufacture and enamel our products under the same roof, and that means both stainless steel and aluminium kitchenware with various inseparable coatings, and in that we also have our own production of decorative stickers, handles and packaging. This enables us to offer our customers superior and authentic design, and good delivery deadlines, all at reasonable prices. ■ You export as much as 70 per cent of the kitchenware you produce to 25 countries worldwide. Do you have special product lines for each of them? Where are the most demanding customers? - In Western Europe, we mainly work for large chains or renowned wholesalers and appear under their trademarks. This is a good job for a manufacturer, because you don’t have to worry about stockpiling and retail sales. In creating our own lines under the “Metalac” name, we need to understand the specificities of markets and be continuously innovative, which is why we appear every year at the Ambiente fair in Frankfurt to present around 30 different designs that we know to be ahead of their time. ■ According to your development strategy, you envisage revenue increasing by 16 per cent by the end of 2021, earnings growing by five per cent annually and profits reaching €6.6 million... Is that plan achievable?

- No matter how pretentious it might sound, with good work and planning these plans can be realised. Provided, of course, there is no impact from risks that cannot be predicted, such as geopolitical escalations and the like. For the next three or four years, we have planned investment projects worth 10 million euros, because there is no development without investment. We are also entering into the digital transformation process, both

externally and internally, which is vital to our long-term sustainability. ■ You recently opened your new outlet in Belgrade’s Knez Mihailova Street? Will Metalac pots with polka dots become a national souvenir? - The saucepan with polka dots has become an international souvenir that is sold throughout Europe. As one of our old clients from Germany says, that’s part of European cultural heritage. It is interesting how such a pot awakens emotions in everyone, whether they are from the former Yugoslavia, England, Germany... There is something in those polka dots.

■ Could you share with our readers the story of the three envelopes that each new director receives from his predecessor? - Company President Dragoljub Vukadinović introduced this custom on 4th April 2005, when he handed the director’s baton on to his long-time colleague. These envelopes contain instructions on what to do in the case of a problem arising for the company. In the first two are operational instructions on how to overcome a situation, and if Our investments always go in that does not help, the last instruction three directions – replacement reads: “Write three new envelopes”. of equipment, expansion This story shows how no manager is there by the grace of God, but rather of capacity and strategic must achieve results. adjustment, which, according My predecessor didn’t open those to the new development three envelopes, so I inherited them unstrategy, is primary touched on 4th April this year, also from president Vukadinović. I then promised myself that if I had to open them, I would open the third one immediately. ■ You’ve entered your jubilee 60th year of operations. When you celebrate, the whole Milanovac gains. What are you preparing for the birthday? - Gornji Milanovac gains every day with its Metalac, which has 2,150 employees. We have developed new programmes in the last 10 years and are slowly returning the Factory of Automotive Parts to the path of success, just as we reinvigorated trade enterprise ‘Proleter’. We secured full operational employment for 450 new workers, built a modern football stadium, continued to help six sporting clubs, to encourage birth rates etc. ■ JUNE

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WORLD NEWS

SERVANT “When politics is no longer a mission but a profession, politicians become more self-serving than public servants.” — EMMANUEL JEAN-MICHEL FRÉDÉRIC MACRON, President of France

NETHERLAND

Barclays Boss Fined $871,000

TIP Trailer Leasing Group Sold For €1bn

Barclays boss, Jes Staley, has been fined $871,000 by regulators for breaching rules as he attempted to unmask a whistleblower. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) sharply criticized Staley, saying he failed to “act with due skill, care and diligence” in his response BARCLAYS' CEO JES STALEY to an anonymous letter received in June 2016. Barclays said it would cut Staley’s 2016 bonus by $678,000. The total fine amounts to about a fifth of his total compensation. The CEO earned over $3 million in 2016 and received a bonus of $1.8 million. The fine could have been more than $1 million, but Staley was given a 30 percent discount for settling at an early stage. In June 2016, Barclays’ board received anonymous letters raising concerns about the recruitment of Tim Main as head of the bank’s financial institutions group in New York. Main was a friend and former colleague of Staley when the latter was at JP Morgan. Staley tried to identify the author of the letters using the bank’s internal security unit. He accused the letter’s writer of harassment and trying to “maliciously smear” Main. “Mr. Staley breached the standard of care required and expected of a chief executive in a way that risked undermining confidence in Barclays’ whistleblowing procedures,” said Mark Steward, the FCA executive director.

British private equity firm I Squared Capital has acquired trailer leasing group TIP Trailer Services for about €1bn from the Chinese HNA Group. TIP, one of the leading logistics players in Europe, will keep its Amsterdam headquarters, the Financieele Dagblad said. HNA acquired TIP from GE Capital in 2013 but is now selling off assets to trim its debt. Under HNA TIP’s trailer park expanded from 48,000 units to 66,000, and made several acquisitions including Twant Heetkamp in Limburg. TIP has operations in 17 countries in Europe and Canada. The company reported operating profit of €49m on turnover of €517m in 2017 and said last year it aims at annual sales growth of 20%.

9 THINGS

Twitter Urges Users To Change Passwords Twitter urged its more than 300 million users to change their passwords, saying they had been unintentionally “unmasked” inside the company by a software bug. The social media site said it found no sign that hackers accessed the exposed data, but advised users to change their passwords to be safe. “Due to a bug, passwords were written to an internal log before completing the hashing process,” he said. We found this error ourselves, removed the passwords, and are implementing plans to prevent this bug from happening again,” said Parag Agrawal Twitter chief technology officer The San Francisco-based internet company did not specify how many passwords were exposed or how long the glitch made data vulnerable to snooping.

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YOU SHOULD DO BEFORE A VACATION

FRANCE

Investing €1.5bln In Artificial Intelligence France will invest €1.5 billion into artificial intelligence (AI) research and development up to 2022, the Élysée Palace presidency announced last month. Macron has said he does not want France to “miss the AI train” as he introduces measures designed to compete with the United States and China, the current global leaders in AI technology. The new proposals are aimed, in part, at luring more top researchers to the country. Tech giants including Samsung, Google and Fujitsu have already announced plans to set up new AI centres in France. Microsoft, which has pledged to invest $30 million in France, opened France’s first AI school in Paris earlier last month to train students for the jobs of the future with a free seven-month course. The school plans to train 400,000 students over the next three years. The French government is focusing on a multi-pronged strategy to boost its AI industry focusing on four sectors: defence, health, transport and environment.

A vacation should be a relaxing reprieve from your chaotic work life. However, if you don't adequately prepare for it, you could return feeling even more stressed than you did when you left. Here are eight things you should do to prepare for your vacation: 1. Be strategic with your schedule. 2. Create a customized autoreply email message and outgoing voicemail. 3. Contact high priority clients or customers a week or two before you leave. 4. Start prioritizing your workload early, recognizing you'll lever get everything done. 5. Look ahead at your calendar. 6. Decide upon and communicate your "rules of engagement" while you're away. 7. Make a checklist 8. Let colleagues know well in advance of your vacation plans. 9. Empower and trust people on your team.

DILEMMA

JAPAN

“If you have the new customs partnership, you have a crazy system whereby you end up collecting the tariffs on behalf of the EU at the UK frontier. If the EU decides to impose punitive tariffs on something the UK wants to bring in cheaply, there’s nothing you can do.”— BORIS JOHNSON, UK Foreign Secretary RUSSIA

Toyota Announces Record Net Profit

Russian Gas Sales To EU Hit Record High

To y o t a M o t o r Corp. announced last month that it booked a record net profit for the last business year, despite uncertainty caused by once-ina-century changes faced by the automobile industry and PRESIDENT AKIO TOYODA rising protectionism. Toyota said its net profit reached ¥2.49 trillion (€95bln) for the business year that ended in March, surging 36.2 per cent from a year earlier thanks mostly to the weaker yen and cost cutting. Annual sales jumped 6.5 per cent from the previous year and operating profit rose 20.3 per cent. Profit jumped in all regions except North America, where profits were more than halved by the cost of customer incentives in the local market. Globally, the Aichi-based automaker sold a total of 10.44 million units during the period, while it expects to sell 10.5 million units for the following year.

In the first quarter of this year, Gazprom’s gas deliveries to Europe reportedly increased by 6.6 per cent against the same quarter a year ago. The deliveries to European countries kept on growing last month, even after the winter heating season ended. Sales of Russian gas to Europe reached 70 billion cubic metres from January to April. According to rough estimates, the company may sell a record volume of natural gas throughout the entire history of gas exports, including the Soviet period. The Russian gas monopoly continues hurdling antitrust barriers to build the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is aimed at doubling the existing capacity of the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia to Germany. Gazprom also completed the deep-water section of the first thread of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. The company last month said it was ready to build the Nord Stream 3 pipeline, if necessary.

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CORPORATE PROFESSOR JASNA BALOH, DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE DOBA BUSINESS SCHOOL, MARIBOR

Education For The 21 Century st

In the 10 years that the representative office has been open in Serbia, studies at the DOBA Business School have been completed by 410 students, 64 per cent of whom advanced following graduation, and most of whom have rich experience and major ambitions this represents a connection with their birth country and language.

tudents pursuing online learning in the Serbian language have three Bachelor programmes and three Master programmes available in the fields of business, international business, marketing, and sales and tourism, and they see the highest value in the faculty’s flexibility, the availability of professors and tutors, as well as the ability to acquire special competences and soft skills. ■ Ten years have elapsed since the first generation of students enrolled in Serbia. Have your expectations been fulfilled? - Serbia was the first stop for the DOBA Business School ten years ago when it began expanding its exclusive internationally accredited online programmes to foreign markets, while today those studies include more than 1,200 students from 46 countries around the world. Our expectations have certainly been fulfilled. Our work during 10 years in Serbia has been marked by the success and satisfaction of students, connecting with the economy, expanding knowledge in companies, practical graduate and master dissertations and excellent online tutors. Otherwise, as many as half of our students who opt to study in Serbian live and work outside of Serbia, and for them 40 |

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■ Your model for fully online learning is internationally accredited. How do students communicate with professors; how do they prepare for and take exams; is there any consultation...? - Our model of online learning is one of our biggest and most successful research and development projects. We are the only educator in Serbia to conduct 100%

All of our professors are Slovenes who speak Serbian, while our online tutors are Serbs who complete a threemonth course – with only the best being able to become part of the DOBA Business School team. We also have programme managers who follow students, as well as excellent technical support online studies and we are the only faculty in Southeast Europe with internationally accredited online studies that can be compared to those of the world’s best universities. Our competition doesn’t succeed in outdoing us, because high-quality online studies are organisationally demanding – good personnel is required, i.e. professors who are almost constantly accessible, and who are practical and come from the

economy. Tutors are also required, as specialists in a particular field who are available to students seven days a week. Students are online practically every day, for many hours, and that is their way of life. As such, viewed from their perspective, flexibility is the greatest advantage of this type of study. But flexibility requires discipline, good organisation, active weekly work and the timely submission of course work. ■ Alongside professional knowhow, increasing value is being attached to the special competences and “soft skills” that are key to advancement. Do you develop them among your students? - We last year conducted research among employers in Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Turkey on the soft skills that they will need by 2020. Proving to be the most important to them were: problem solving skills, customer focus abilities, risk management and crisis communication, while creative and critical thinking, as well as the use of digital/social media, are also highly valued. These skills are actually at the essence of all of our programmes, because online studies develop teamwork, digital communications, networking and the organisation of time better than classical studies. ■ For all those seeking additional information, everything is available via our Serbian website: www.doba.rs.

FEATURE NEW SURVEY OF THE GERMAN-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Conditions For Doing Business In Serbia

The results of a survey conducted by the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce in Serbia during February show that ratings of the economic situation in Serbia for 2018 have improved compared to previous years

alf of respondents rated expressed his satisfaction with the the economic situation good results of this year’s survey. as satisfactory, while 12% “The reactions of companies are even rated it as good. positive again. The improvement However, 38% of respondents of the overall economic situation in saw no improvement and believe Serbia over the past years certainly that the economic situation could contributes to this,” said Ambassador Dittmann, adding that this “is worsen in Serbia compared to 2017. the result of important reforms of It is important to emphasise the Government of Serbia, dedicathat companies rate their own tion to which should continue in operations as being better than MARTIN KNAPP (left), Dr RONALD SEELIGER and H.E. AXEL DITTMANN the future.” the general business climate. More Summing up the results of the than half of respondents rated their as well as the quality and availability of local survey, AHK president Dr Ronald Seeliger own operations as good, 40% satisfactory, suppliers. Recognition of this factor is linked concluded that this year’s survey among and only 8% said that their business results to the successful supply chain initiatives German investors in Serbia shows the trend were insufficient. Business forecasts for the implemented by the AHK. of further growth in satisfaction among current year also contained more optimistic Within the framework of the survey, companies assessing business conditions views than during the period two years ago, which was conducted by the Germanin Serbia. “This year, after a full decade, so 56% of respondents expect improvement, Serbian Chamber in 16 countries of Central for the first time we have come signifi37% expect an unchanged business situaand Eastern Europe, participants also tion, while 6% fear its deterioration. cantly closer to the assessment of business evaluated other countries. Thus, in the When it comes to the development of conditions prior to the onset of the global category of desirable economic locations, business and additional employment in economic crisis and its disastrous effects 2018, 37% of companies don’t plan to on all economies, which is an important increase their number of employees, shift. On the other hand, for the past In order to help the state 56% consider that there will be new three years our members have identified the same factors as negative. That is employment, while only 6% announced deal with negative factors, why – in order to help the state a possible reduction in their number of we will freely propose that the precisely deal with these negative factors as soon employees. During 2018, more than half Government of Serbia as possible and to maximum effect – we of surveyed companies said that they will freely propose that the Government plan to increase investments, while 8% establishes an advisory body of Serbia establishes an advisory body of announced a decrease in investments. of German investors German investors. The Chamber will offer When it came to assessments of its knowhow and experience, and the the factors impacting on business Serbia ranks 11th among 19 countries, as idea is that, in direct contact between our operations in Serbia, the worst were aswas the case in previous years. Companies sessed as being: the fight against corrupexperts and representatives of the Governthat already operate in Serbia have a bettion and crime, legal security, transparency ment, in a quick and non-bureaucratic way, ter opinion of Serbia than companies that in public tenders, the tax system and tax we will contribute to solving the problems have never operated in our country. administration, as well as the efficiency of that make it more difficult for businesses to And although Serbia was commonly aspublic administration. work in Serbia.” sessed as still being a very desirable destinaGerman-Serbian companies gave The AHK Serbia conducted its survey tion for investment, competition in Eastern satisfactory ratings to criteria related to on the economic environment in Serbia and Central Europe is very strong, ensuring the labour market in Serbia: companies are among its member companies for the 13th that Serbia must work hard and actively to satisfied with the level of productivity and time. There are nearly four hundred German improve overall business conditions. motivation of employees, their qualificacompanies currently operating in Serbia and German Ambassador H.E Axel Dittmann tions, academic education and labour costs, employing more than 45,000 workers. ■ JUNE

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CORPORATE ANTONELLO FACCHINI, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF BRAND “BARBOLINI”

Belgrade’s Men Appreciate Italian Fashion Antonello Facchini, creative director of Barbolini, often comes to Belgrade on business, but also because he likes the pace of development of our capital, its good restaurants with delicious food and beautiful women. Barbolini also plans to open new shops here, because men in Serbia show an increasing interest in fashion

op fabrics, cuts, processing and creativity are timeless symbols of fashion and the need of modern men who are interested in aesthetics, quality and details. All Barbolini brand items bear the label “Made in Italy”, which distinguishes it significantly from the competition ■ Are you visiting Belgrade for the first time? - No, no! I often come to Belgrade, whenever I find the time. Apart from business reasons, I also come because I think Belgrade is a very beautiful and exciting city. Incredible changes are taking place here, so every time I’m pleasantly surprised to see how your capital is developing and how many new projects are being implemented or planned. Moreover, people also eat great here and there are excellent restaurants, so I always try to fuse business and pleasure. ■ Tell us something about your brand. - Barbolini is a male brand. It was created through the transferring of the tailoring tradition from father to son, only for the factory production of trousers in the 1970s, via the

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complete production of garments in the 1980s, to lead to the emergence of the brand “Barbolini” as a total male look, with production expanded to also encompass shoes, shirts, sweaters, ties etc. What is very important is that all articles are produced entirely in Italy. So, everything is Made in Italy, which distinguishes us significantly from the competition. ■ You are the creative director of Barbolini. From where do you draw inspiration?

Belgrade’s men appreciate and follow Italian fashion; they are able to recognise top-quality materials, cuts and processing. Likewise, I think the relationship between quality and price is very good at Barbolini, which is very important today

- Commercial director Maurizio Grimaldi and myself are from Apulia, a region of sun and sea in the very south of Italy. The colours and scents of Apulia, as well as its long tailoring tradition, are my main sources of inspiration. ■ In Belgrade you have outlets in the Ušće, Delta City and Rajićeva shopping centres. Do you plan to open any others? - I must first note that we found an extraordinary partner in PROMODA, which is a company that deals with the import and retail of Italian garments in Serbia and the region. We share exactly the same values and vision for the development of the Barbolini brand. What is certain is that a Barbolini store will open this autumn in Novi Sad, in the “Promenade” centre. Moreover, we are also impatiently awaiting the opening of the grandiose new “Belgrade Waterfront” retail centre, because we will certainly be present there too. We are also considering a larger shop format. ■ Why only men’s fashion? What about women? - Uh, now you’ve found me out with a question... It is only by walking along Knez Mihailova Street that you can you see how beautiful and well-dressed Serbian women are. Indeed, when I see such beautiful women, I want to design a collection for them. I am truthfully considering a women’s collection, but for now that’s just a vision. ■

PROFILE

VERA MADŽGALJ Chief Executive Officer at BELhospice

uring the course of the last year, the BELhospice multidisciplinary team has managed to care for more than 800 end of life cancer patients and helped their family members in need to overcome difficult situations of not being able to properly care for their loved ones and ensure they can face the end of life with dignity. We succeeded in licensing our home care service and preparing for renovation of the Hospice Day Centre, which will start at the beginning of June 2018. The funds for the implementation of these activities were secured through solidarity among special people – those who recognise the need of our beneficiaries and are willing to participate in making changes. In this process, BELhospice received great support from the Honorary Patrons Committee, chaired by his excellency Belgian Ambassador Leo D’Aes, more than 150 volunteers, local governments, the corporate sector, prominent individuals who supported our fundraising events like the Marathon, Charity Ball and other sporting events, as well as grants enabled by the European Union, the Norwegian Embassy and our

Doing Something Meaningful Feels Special A year has passed since I received the great opportunity to lead the BELhospice team. It's been a special call and a great challenge, both in implementing services that improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, and in establishing the first hospice in Serbia partner Hospices of Hope England. As we aim to create a hospice centre with an inpatient unit, I think that the message has started to reach a wide audience. The authorities have now recognised the need for a holistic approach to hospice care and we will advocate that we work together with them to help us put this in place. In addition, our staff and partners are now really engaged on this cause and are so excited about the benefits the new hospice centre will bring to those under our care.

We succeeded in licensing our home care service and preparing for renovation of the Hospice Day Centre, which will start at the beginning of June 2018 We strive to create partnership with our government institutions and enhance the quality of services, which will ultimately lead to enabling better implementation of human rights and ehnacing our prospects of becoming a better socicety. I believe that hospice care will

expand markedly. We already have NGOs and agencies contacting us from around the country, wanting to learn from us. At BELhospice we want to launch a hospice care service for patients with other life-limiting illnesses, not just cancer, and to do so in several cities in Sebia. Qualifications in strategic managment and project managment, as well as more than 15 years of experince in leading development projects financed by the EU, UNICEF and UNOPS Serbia, and working on a range of small scale to high policy level projects, while working for international organisations such as the International Committe of the Red Cross, CHF International and the Norwegian Peoples Aid, will all help on the implementation of ths project. A special contribution is provided by the peple who support us – our Honorary Patron Committe members, individual volunteeers and coprorate sector representatives who enforce solidarity. These are the people who support the BELhopsice mission of achieving the goals it has set for itself. And we will achieve those goals, as we believe in them!  JUNE

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Pictures Of

INTERVIEW

SONJA ĆIRIĆ

MILOŠ ŠOBAJIĆ ARTIST

Photo by Dusan Zjalic

PERSECUTION

Last month saw the closing of an exhibition of Miloš Šobajić at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. Why are we highlighting this information? Because this was the eighteenth solo exhibition of this great artist. With his first exhibition coming when he was just 21, this total means that he has held an average of two solo exhibits annually throughout his career 44 |

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■ The title of the exhibition ’Fleeing and Choking’ awakens innumerable associations. Why did you choose this title? - Somewhere towards the end of preparations for the exhibition, I realised that a more adequate title would be ’Persecution’. The images I selected depict all persecutions of civilisation, from biblical oppression to the latest forced migrations of people from North Africa, via the Great Exodus of Patriarch Arsenija III Čarnojević, which is the most significant for us Serbs. I fused all of those persecutions in this exhibition to form a general fleeing.

Photo by Andjela Grozdanic

his latest exhibition is part of celebrations marking the centenary of Vojvodina’s accession to Serbia. Under the title ’Fleeing and Choking’, Miloš Šobajić exhibited 16 largeformat paintings, two video works and two monumental sculptural installations. A native Belgrader, following graduation from the Belgrade Faculty of Fine Arts in 1972, Šobajić relocated to Paris. He gained recognition on the artistic map of Europe and the world and went on to exhibit on almost all continents, while his works are included in the collections of many world museums. He returned to Belgrade in 2005, in order to establish Megatrend University’s Faculty of Arts and Design. He now spends his time living and working in both cities.

Not all of the paintings exhibited were new works – among them were works painted twenty years ago, but all correspond to the context of the story of persecution. In fact, it is possible in all of my pictures to see ■ Where are we fleeing to? God expelled us from Heaven into a a man avoiding traps on the road - God expelled us from Heaven into hellish land ruled by the Devil, and and trying to escape some trouble. I a hellish land ruled by the Devil, we’ve been fleeing since then, unable remember that when I came to Paris and we’ve been fleeing since then, to settle in any way they told me how all of us who come unable to settle in any way. And from the Balkans paint pictures of this eternal persecution has taught such topics because there have often been a lot of wars here. I didn’t us to always be ready to pack and flee if we cannot defend ourselves. agree with that, because I didn’t feel any pain as a result of World War The basic theme of the Novi Sad exhibition was the Masaccio fresco II, which ended as I was born. There’s no fear of war within me. I’m ’Expulsion from the Garden of Eden’, created around 1430, in which an only feeling that for the first time now, when the planet is becoming a angel dressed in red robes can be seen above Adam and Eve, who are place filled with danger. I’ve included the title ’Place of Great Danger’ exiting the garden with heads bowed. This is the main reproduction in in many of my pictures. I was born at the most beautiful juncture of the video through which I present all possible exoduses of this world. the last century and spent my first fifteen years amazed by the amount of beauty on the planet. Those were the wonderful 1950s, ’60s and even ’70s, without an inkling that a cataclysm would occur. And then...

INSTALLATION, PERSECUTION FROM PARADISE

■ You oppose the so-called New World Order, which you describe publicly as being the cause of the trouble on the planet. What are your arguments? - The new world order, the International Community, governs all decisions around the world. Did you know that the International Community comprises only eight per cent of the planet’s population: America, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand? And when one says JUNE

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’International Community’ it appears as though it’s a community of all nations, and not that 92 per cent of the world’s population is enduring the decisions of the eight per cent with all the power. I hope that some balance will eventually be achieved.

system of values. Everything must be in the apotheosis of the banal; for us to feel like we could have done it when we look at it. There is no glorification of art. An artist mustn’t think that he is special.

■ Publishing house ’Vukotić Media’ recently published your book ’Slikaj i ćuti’ [Paint and Shut Up], an autobiographical and controversial account of art. Firstly, how come you opted for this non-visual medium in your career and, secondly, should the title of the book be read with a commanding, irreverent tone? - I’m constantly writing and noting something, so the book emerged somehow spontaneously. The title too. Specifically, the system requires that a painter has nothing to say. That’s why exhibitions are organised in which everything is stated in advance, without originality; exhibition that avoid feelings in order for everything to be banal glorifying of the system. The title is autobiographical: I was once sitting in a bistro in Paris with a delegation of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia and at one point I asked the head of the delegation if it was true

A painter is a subversive element, and painting, if it is worthy, is subversive. The artist became an individual in the 20th century, and that’s not in accordance with the will of the system

that President Tito was only 163 centimetres tall. A hush came over the table, and then the delegation chief asked me, “Are you a painter?” You are! Well then, shut up and paint, and leave it to us comrades to think!” A painter is a subversive element, and painting, if it is worthy, is subversive. The artist became an individual in the 20th century, and that’s not in accordance with the will of the system. I think an artist should oppose all flags, be his own person and suffer the consequences. However, three thousand years of Pharaonic art refutes what I just said: that art remains unsurpassed, despite being dictated by power.

■ Your book is also a critique of the current art scene. What irritates you about it? - The fact that visual art has been inserted into fine art over the past 40 years. Visual art is fake; those are exhibitions of works made from piles of ripped little papers, car number plates, pre-painted walls etc. The system loves such works and immediately places them in museums. In that way, the system impacts on the masses and human minds. That’s because when someone tells you that piles of ripped little papers represent art and you respond by saying that you do not understand it, then you are declared an ignorant fool. Just as you are dubbed a fool if you’re not amused by Anglo-Saxon humour. The slogan of the system is that we are all artists, because that’s the only way to ensure that nobody stands out; that’s the only way for there to be no contradicting of their 46 |

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MILOŠ ŠOBAJIĆ: Heads

■ You often exhibit in large museums abroad, while your works form parts of famous collections. All these successes are a result of your personal talent, skill and work, yet your foreign exhibitions

writers and five composers on all scenes around the world. How does a painter whose surname ends in ‘ić’ compare with Kiefer? He is a great painter of high quality because the state chose him and stood behind him, and he would only have been a great painter and nothing more if the state wasn’t behind him.

■ The public here is also inclined to look with less objective eyes at the works of an artist who has exhibited abroad... - ...that’s correct; it’s enough for him to have hung a picture in some entranceway in Paris. Many boast of having exhibited in Paris. Paris welcomes everyone and has an audience for everyone. Paris attracted people with its light, and many burned on that light as though flying into a night lamp. I think that our Dado, who lived in Paris, is the greatest painter generally – not the greatest Serbian, Montenegrin or French painter, but the greatest in general. He’s fascinating. You know, while

MILOŠ ŠOBAJIĆ: Running away

I think an artist should oppose all flags, be his own person and suffer the consequences

MILOŠ ŠOBAJIĆ: The last step

I was in Paris there were 65,000 registered painters. In a hundred years it will be known what is good among everything that is being exhibited today.

ŠOBAJIĆ wirh spose MAJA T. IZQUIERDO

are considered as national successes by the public here. The same phenomenon applies to any successful athlete, scientist etc. How would you comment on this? - You know, when someone says that someone is a French painter or a German painter, that means that the state has allocated money to promote that artist in order to promote itself. In our case, this would mean that Serbia should allocate major funds to lead five painters, five

■ Rounding off the story with an anniversary, let’s turn to your 80th solo exhibition. Large format works are only for large walls, right? - There are people who have large walls and my pictures adorning them! I often sold paintings in Paris to companies located in modern buildings with spacious white walls. The pictures exhibited in Novi Sad almost all belong to my legacy of works that I gifted to Belgrade. A place was recently identified where my legacy works will be housed, and I think that my legacy house will open by the end of September. ■ JUNE

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FACES & PLACES

SEE MORE WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM 27/4/2018

King's Day Celebrated In Belgrade On the occasion of the King’s Day national holiday of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dutch Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Henk van den Dool and Ms Kasia Pawelska hosted a reception at Belgrade’s Kalemegdanska Terasa Restaurant. The reception was attended by members of the Dutch community in Serbia, representatives of the Serbian Government, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of civil society and the business sector. King’s Day (Koningsdag) is a national holiday celebrated in the Kingdom of the Netherlands every 27th April, to mark the birthday of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander.

AMBASSADOR HENK VAN DEN DOOL

8/5/2018

Israel's 70th Independence Day Celebrated The Embassy of Israel in Serbia marked the 70th anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence with a formal celebration. Speaking to guests, Israeli Ambassador H.E. Alona Fisher-Kamm said that, despite the challenges that her country has faced during the past decades, Israel has managed to preserve its democratic values and spirit of tolerance, creating a society that intertwines different religions, cultures and nations. Ambassador Fisher-Kamm emphasised that relations between Israel and Serbia are based on mutual understanding, friendship and solidarity. She pointed out that as many as 70 Israeli companies are currently operating in Serbia and that their presence contributes to overall positive relations between the two countries. The celebration was attended by members of the Government of Serbia and the diplomatic corps in Belgrade, as well as representatives of the economic and cultural life of Serbia.

9/5/2018

Serbia Marks Europe Day The anniversary of the Schuman Declaration and the historical launch of what went on to become the European Union was marked by the European Union Delegation in Serbia, headed by H.E. Ambassador Sem Fabrizi, with a Europe Day reception held at the Belgrade Museum of Contemporary Art. Speaking at the reception, Ambassador Fabrizi said that the European Union has left the door open to Serbia and that Serbia’s commitment to the EU accession process means changes for the whole of society in the direction of prosperity, democracy, the rule of law and collective security. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić pointed out that Serbia and the Europe Union are increasingly connecting in terms of economics and infrastructure, building shared values and aspirations, and creating a common development path.

Ambassador of Israel to Serbia ALONA FISHER-KAMM

ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ, REBECCA FABRIZI, SEM FABRIZI and ANA BRNABIĆ

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14/5/2018

Africa Day Ambassadors of African countries resident in Serbia organised a formal reception to mark the occasion of Africa Day and the Day of Serbian-African friendship,. The hosts of the event were Algerian Ambassador and Dean of the African Group, H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Moroccan Ambassador H.E. Mohamed El Amine Belhaj, Tunisian Ambassador H.E. Seif Allah Rejeb, Egyptian Ambassador H.E. Amr Aljovaili, Angolan Ambassador H.E. Emilio Jose de Carvalho Guerra, DR Congo Charge d’Affaires a.i. Paul-Emile Tshinga Ahuka, Libyan Charge d’Affaires a.i. Mounir M. A. Abougharin and First Secretary of the Embassy of Guinea, Moussa Camara. Addressing guests at the reception, Ambassador Chebchoub announced that Africa is moving in the direction of progress, peace and stability, and that Serbia is invited to build strong partnership relations with the countries of this continent.

AMBASSADORS OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES RESIDENT IN SERBIA

18/5/2018

Argentine National Day The Ambassador of Argentina to Serbia, H.E. Ricardo Fernández, hosted a celebratory reception to commemorate the occasion of the National Day of the Argentine Republic. Speaking in his address to guests, Ambassador Fernández said that Serbia and Argentina have enjoyed cordial and excellent bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1928. The reception, held at Metropol Palace Hotel Belgrade, was attended by members of the diplomatic corps and senior officials of the Serbia Government. Ambassador RICARDO FERNÁNDEZ and Embassy Secretary JUAN BAUTISTA CARTASCINI DEL RIO with spouses

Ambassador RICARDO FERNÁNDEZ

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FACES & PLACES

SEE MORE WWW.CORDMAGAZINE.COM

19/5/2018

Norwegian Constitution Day Celebrated

AMBASSADOR ELDAR HASANOV 28/5/2018

The First Century Of Azerbaijan Marked In Belgrade The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Serbia has organised a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which on 28th May 1918 became the first democratic and secular republic in the Islamic world. In his opening remarks, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Eldar Hasanov stressed that Azerbaijan and Serbia are strategic partners and reminded of the 20year successful cooperation between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations. These relations have recently been raised to an even higher level by the Joint Action Plan on Strategic Partnership in the areas of transport, justice and health, that was signed on 21st May by the presidents of the two countries. The reception was attended by Serbian Parliament Speaker Maja Gojković, ministers in the Government of Serbia, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the political, public and cultural life of Serbia. JANNE KNUTRUD, Deputy Head of Mission (left), Ambassador SANNES BJØRNSTAD (far right)

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway and the Association of Serbian-Norwegian Friendship hosted a celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day – this country’s biggest national holiday – at Belgrade’s Kalemegdan Fortress. Speaking on this occasion, H.E. Ambassador Arne Sannes Bjørnstad said “We celebrate the Day of the Norwegian Constitution, which was adopted on 17th May 1814. It granted rights to citizens and was revolutionary at the time. We celebrate this day in our communities all over the world, and here – together with the Serbs – we celebrate the friendship between Norway and Serbia”. The Norwegian Constitution holds a special place in Norwegian history, not only because it enhanced Norway’s independence, but also because it laid strong foundations for the country’s democratic development.

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MY LIFE JELENA KOVAČEVIĆ, PROFESSOR, DEAN OF NYU TANDON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Maths

By MILOŠ BELČEVIĆ P h o t o : P R I VAT E A R C H I V E

IMPACTS LIVES From the neighbourhoods of Belgrade and a childhood love for puzzles and patterns, via Master and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University, working at Carnegie Mellon, the co-founding of a company and the spreading of innovation and knowledge at respected universities and conferences across Europe and the U.S., to taking up the reins of the Tandor School of Engineering, progress has been a long road for Jelena Kovačević, and an exciting journey JUNE

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fter 15 years at Carnegie Mellon, in April 2018 Jelena Kovačević became the first female dean of the Tandon School of Engineering, the engineering school at New York University, during its 160-year history – marking yet another major step forward in her career. This proud institution dates to 1854 and is rooted in the tradition of innovation, entrepre-

include numerous scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs, as well as over 2,000 CEOs and leaders of large corporations, university and academic leaders, even politicians and national presidents. There are four Nobel Prize winners among its past and present alumni and faculty members. Talking about Jelena and her new role, New York University President Andrew Hamilton pointed out that being an outstanding academic is just one side to her personality: “She impressed us not just with her scholarship, but also with her thoughtful approach to strategy, leadership, and execution; the future of the engineering profession and education; and the promise of Tandon’s Brooklyn location and NYU’s global outlook. We were also struck by her down-to-earth manner, her resolve, and – a crucial requirement for life in New York – her warm sense of humour. “Jelena intuitively understands that this is a ‘moment’ for Tandon. And we have complete confidence that she knows how to build on Tandon’s momentum and the burgeoning local tech sector. One of NYU’s historic strengths is setting high ambitions for itself, and finding the right leaders to achieve them. In Jelena Kovačević, we have found just such a person.” “I loved math I was a little girl; I was attracted to patterns, GRADUATION IN RWANDA 2017 puzzles, anything I had to figure out. My dad People also need role models, those with whom they used to play games can identify. That’s necessary, but not enough. Once in with me that used to ina workforce, women have to feel valued and respected volve pancakes (‘your mum made five, your neurship and invention for the greater good of society, with brother ate three, how many are left for you?’), leading to a mission to use its engagement for intellectual, social and some very sweet maths! I studied electrical engineering in economic impact in the New York region, across the nation Belgrade because that’s where I was told I could do maths. and around the world. Then I understood that I could do math that has an impact The New York University Tandon School of Engineering is on people’s lives. I had a fantastic education in Belgrade, the second oldest private engineering and technology school from primary school onwards. I had inspirational teachers. I in the United States. Established as the Brooklyn Collegiate attended the Mathematical Grammar School, which allowed and Polytechnic Institute back in the 1854, Tandon graduates me to do maths to my heart’s content. I kept on learning and 52 |

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growing throughout that time, and that has never stopped. I pianist Vladimir Horowitz perform live, but unfortunately I love a challenge and love putting myself in conditions where didn’t manage to: he died in 1989.” I’m outside my comfort zone; this is where I learn.”But what “It’s funny, but I felt at home in New York. It felt like Belgrade but bigger; messy, not super clean, but so alive! about the moments from Jelena’s days in Belgrade that had When it comes to my first days at New York’s Columbia an impact on her future career? University, I was incredibly excited. Everything was new; “As I said, I went to the Mathematical Grammar School. That we’d grown up watching movies set in New York, and now was (and remains) the school that produces the team for the Mathematical Olympiad. We went to university, and most of us ended up studying electrical engineering. They formed a special maths class for us, because we were so advanced. We were taught by the best professors and followed a different schedule than the rest of the students. I entered the first exam (sort of like a midterm) confident, cocky even. I was from the Mathematical Grammar School – I didn’t really need to study. Well, guess what, I failed that exam, and they kicked me out of the special class. That was a rude awakening. I was used to maths being easy, and then everything else being easy. So, I worked and worked and worked throughout that entire year, harder than ever before. I aced the final exam (a year’s worth of material). Believe me, from then on, whenever I would feel that surge of arrogance, I would at least question it. There’s nothing wrong with confidence, just as long as I don’t let it derail me.” ELEKTRIJADA, OCTOBER 1980 “A couple of my friends from the My dad used to play games with me that used to involve Mathematical Grampancakes (‘your mum made five, your brother ate three, how mar School and Univermany are left for you?’), leading to some very sweet maths! sity went to Caltech in 1986; that gave me an idea that I could potentially do the same thing. At the time, of I was there. Eating from the little Chinese containers with course, there was no internet, so we would go to the Americhopsticks was a treat! Around Columbia, there were grocery can Library (reading room), to get test prep books, get ready stores and drugstores open 24/7, so we would go out and for TOEFL (test of English as a foreign language) and GREs I would go shopping for food at midnight :) I immediately (graduate record examinations). I didn’t know much about found friends and even an advisor in short order, and that American schools apart from the obvious things, so I applied was the best decision I made. I was taken by his enthusiasm to a few and eventually decided to go to Columbia, because and creativity. He was just a young assistant professor, but I also wanted to be in New York. I wanted to hear famous today he’s the president of EPFL and one of my closest friends JUNE

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(Martin Vetterli). I also met my husband at Columbia; when my daughter was born in 1994, my husband was working at Columbia, so we would spend hours with her on its lawns. All in all, those were important years for me.” “Are there some things I miss from Belgrade? Yes. I miss my family (extended family). My parents are no longer alive, unfortunately, but my mother’s sisters still live there and I’m

diploma thesis on a Commodore 64), there was no way to search for something on the web because there was no web, social media didn’t exist, nor did smartphones, etc. This is all to say that the way we are connected today across the globe is much tighter and feels more intimate. Our students are entering the workforce and will be dealing with this global world; from collaborating with colleagues in distant locations to products that have to appeal across cultures. Universities are perfect vehicles for both educating students to navigate and be successful in this global world by modelling it within their environments (academics are a culturally diverse population), as well as by working with industry to develop technologies that can work and have an impact across the globe.” “My field of research is called signal processing; it is intimately connected to data science and machine learning. A signal can be an audio or video signal, but also a more abstract notion of a signal in a social network (for example, your date of birth, the school you attended etc). The idea is to understand and represent those signals so that you can do something with them (process). For example, you can compress a video signal and transmit it, you can extract information from a medical image about cancer etc.” “I moved into academic adminWITH DAUGHTER AND HUSBAND istration cautiously, as My field of research is called signal processing; it is intimately I had been extremely connected to data science and machine learning. A signal can happy as an academic – I had my students and be an audio or video signal, but also a more abstract notion of research; I was passiona signal in a social network ate about teaching and exploring new ways of doing it, while I was also writing books, which is something I very close to them. I also miss the Belgrade of my youth, but love. But then I thought of something my dad often said, ‘Try that Belgrade is linked to that formative time in my life, so it it, and the worst thing that can happen is that you don’t like would be hard to recreate. If you’ve seen the TV series from it, then you can try something else.’ So, that’s what I did, and that time in the ‘70s, Grlom u jagode [The Unpicked Strawberries], it takes me back to that Belgrade.” I discovered that I loved it. I love the sense of service and the “The world we live in is very different from that of my fact that I give back to the institution, to the people, to the youth. Personal computers were just arriving (I wrote my community. I know it sounds corny, but that sense of purpose 54 |

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of doing something larger than oneself is what drives me.” Ph.D. studies at Columbia University, many years at Carnegie “When it comes to my new role at Tandon, I think an imMellon, sharing knowledge through lectures, working with portant question is what this means to the girls and boys out students and books, and taking over the helm at NYU’s Tandor there. If they see that leadership is not tied to a specific gender, School of Engineering – a proud institution with a tradition race, sexual orientation or cultural background, they will feel spanning over 160 years and past and present alumni and empowered to imagine themselves and strive for what they want.” alumnae that include Nobel Prize winners, scientists, inventors Many policymakers and scholars have noted that STEM and entrepreneurs, CEOs, leaders and event national presidents. fields have been predominantly male occupations – from their origins back in the 18th century and the Age of Enlightenment, to the present time. How can we inspire and give access to STEM to more young women? “I’m not sure I have a great answer to this. Why is it that in countries like ours we have many more girls studying maths and science than in the U.S.? It starts at home, exposing your kids to everything and letting them follow their interests. But it extends to what influences them later, their friends, the media etc. If all girls see in magazines is how to have great hair and makeup (and don’t misunderstand me, I love hair and makeup, and romantic comedies) that’s what they’ll pursue.” “People also need role models, those with whom they can identify. That’s necessary, but not enough. Once in a workforce, women have to feel valued and respected.” “My advice to young women starting out on a career in science and engineerThe only thing that matters is what drives you internally. ing would be: If that’s Find people you can trust, mentors, and go to them what you love, go for it. when you are uncertain or need a sounding board. Put yourself The only thing that matin situations where you can learn and never, ever accept ters is what drives you internally. Find people that you are ‘less than’ you can trust, mentors, and go to them when you are uncertain or need a sounding Like the threads of the Brooklyn Bridge’s steel cables, fabricated by a Tandon graduate in the second half of the 19th century, board. Put yourself in situations where you can learn and never, threads of knowledge, innovation and perseverance span across ever accept that you are ‘less than’.” continents and times, from Serbia to America, from generation It’s been a long road: from Belgrade and a childhood love to a generation, from shore to shore, from story to story. It is for maths and puzzles, impacting lives through mathematics, those threads that keep the world in place as the road goes on. ■ searching for knowledge and researching through Master’s and JUNE

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CHILL OUT FRANCE

PARIS MUSEUM OPENS DOORS FOR NUDISTS ▶ Palais de Tokyo contemporary art museum in Paris is the first museum to opened its doors to nudist visitors, granting them special visiting hours to tour an exhibit in a one-off naturist event. A park in the east of Paris, the Bois de Vincennes, last year trialled the city’s first dedicated nudist zone, and the space recently re-opened ahead of the summer months. Naturist campaigners said the museum event, with around 160 attendees, was a breakthrough in one of the culture capitals of the world. According to the Association des Naturistes de Paris which has 88 000 followers in Paris alone, there are 2.6 million naturist practitioners in France. Next in store is a nudist clubbing night planned for later this year.

police on their official WeChat account. “All 10 households have family members involved in serious drug related crimes,” said a Huilai government employee. “We notified them beforehand.” While some supported the move, many saw the message as defamatory and a violation of privacy rights.

CHINA

POLICE MARKED ‘DRUG-DEALING FAMILY’ HOMES ▶ Police in China’s Guangdong Province sprayed the words “drug-dealing household” on the homes of 10 families accussed of having a member accused of a drug-related crime, then removed it after public outcry. Huilai county government officials said the move may have violated defamation laws, media reported. The graffiti, aimed at warning local residents against drug trafficking, was posted by Huilai county

USA

BIG MACS LOVER ▶ Dan Groske hails from Fond du Lac, U.S., and is known for being the guy that’s eaten the most Big Macs. He claims that Bic Macs comprise 90-95% of his solid food intake. Groske loves

SERBIA

BASKETBALL EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP OF SERBIAN DIASPORA ▶ The Basketball European Championship of the Serbian Diaspora, which gathered Serbian athletes from several European countries for the 22nd time, was held in Belgrade from 18th to 21st May. Speaking at the opening of the event Deputy Mayor of Belgrade Andrej Mladenović

addressed the contestants. Welcoming them to the event, Mladenović said: “Basketball brings together and unites people from all over the world. We are very proud that basketball has given a lot to our country and our capital city”.

McDonald’s Big Macs so much that he holds the Guinness World Record for eating them, a record he has held since 2016. “I love the patties, I love the sauce, I can’t get enough of it,” said Groske. He claims to have eaten at least one Big Mac per day since 17th May 1972. It all started when he got his first car, drove it to his local McDonald’s and discovered the Big Mac. He had three for lunch that day alone. He returned twice that day and ate a total of nine Big Macs. Guinness World Records began taking notice when Groske tallied 28,788 of these doublepatty sandwiches eaten, but now his tally exceeds 30,000.

FINLAND

FINLAND HAS WORLD'S BEST AIR QUALITY ▶ According to World Health Organisation statistics, the cleanest air in the world is in the Municipality of Muonio in Finland’s Western Lapland. Muonio has only four microgrammes of particles of under 10 micrometres in a cubic metre, while the world’s dirtiest city - Nigeria’s Onitsha - has almost 600 microgrammes. According to the WHO’s recommendations, the annual average of PM10 particles should be a maximum of 20 microgrammes per cubic metre. According to the WHO’s statistics, the levels fall below that everywhere in Finland, even in its major cities. According to the WHO, Finland - including its urban areas - had an average of 12 microgrammes per cubic metre in 2011. The corresponding quantity in India is 134. Only a tenth of Europe’s urban population enjoys air as clean as this.

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PORTUGAL

ISRAEL SINGER WINS EUROVISION SONG CONTEST ▶ Israel’s Eurovision entry won with a landslide victory at the annual singing competition held in Portugal. The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the 63rd edition, which took place for the first time in Portugal following the country’s first victory at the 2017 contest in Kiev, Ukraine. The winner of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is 25-year-old Netta Barzilai, who took home the crown thanks to her performance of TOY, which featured an unusual chicken dance. She performed to a backdrop of Maneki-nekos, a Japanese figurine depicting a waving cat that is thought to bring the owner good luck.

Overton Avenue. “I love to have a birthday,” Overton said. “That’s another day. I hope I live another five years.” Overton is believed to be the oldest living American, the third-oldest living person in the world and America’s oldest surviving World War II combat veteran.

USA

OLDEST LIVING AMERICAN TURNS 112 ▶ Richard Overton celebrated his 112th birthday on 11th May with a community celebration at his East Austin home on the street that now bears his name -- Richard UK

WHAT GIVES BEES THEIR SWEET TOOTH? ▶ Scientists have discovered bees linger on a flower, emptying it of nectar, because they have sugarsensing taste neurons which work together to prolong the pleasure of the sweetness.

INDIA

FIRST INDIAN ARCHITECT TO WIN THE PRITZKER PRIZE

TOMMY CHARLTON MAKES HIS ENGLAND DEBUT AGED 72 ▶ The younger brother of World Cup heroes Jack and Bobby Charlton said it was a dream come true when he took to the field for his England debut. At the age of 72, Tommy Charlton played for the England Over-60s side as they took on Italy in their first ever international match at the Amex Stadium in Brighton. The grandfather-of-six said he was proud to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers, who both played in the 1966 World Cup Final. The younger Charlton brother, who currently plays for the Mature Millers walking football club in Rotherham, said representing his country was ‘the most incredible privilege and a dream come true.’

▶ Famed architect Balkrishna Doshi, also known as B.V. Doshi, won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize to become the first Indian winner in the award’s 40-year history. The Pritzker Prize is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture. Doshi, 90, designed renowned buildings throughout his home country, with an emphasis on public institutions and economical housing. Some of his most famous structures include the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and the Aranya Low Cost Housing complex in the city of Indore. Asked about his architecture philosophy, Doshi said: “Architecture is a backdrop for life.” Speaking in an interview, he said “I think it is very, very significant that this award has come to India. The government, officials, those who take decisions, cities – everyone will start thinking that there is something called ‘good architecture’ [and that] lasting things can happen. [Only] then can we start talking about urbanisation and urban design.”

Newcastle University researchers report that the bees’ taste neurons found on their proboscis -- their mouthparts -- fire intense signals for up to 10 seconds -- much longer than the taste neurons found in other insects. Bees visit flowers to obtain nectar, a sugary solution which they eat to feed their colony and to fuel their flight. Bees can taste sugars on their proboscis and, when in contact with food, taste neurons on the proboscis are activated, signalling the presence of food. JUNE

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LOCAL SPORT – RUGBY LEAGUE

MARK R. PULLEN, RED STAR RLC DIRECTOR OF FO OTBALL

Rising RED STAR Red Star RLC is going from strength to strength as it strives to join the rugby league world elite

he best hobbies are those that enable us to pursue our dreams whilst attending to our daily responsibilities. However, sometimes an opportunity arises for such hobbies to develop into serious endeavours with specific plans that move more determinedly towards achieving dreams that previously seemed unattainable. This is precisely what has happened at Red Star Rugby League Club over the last year – with the club’s volunteer administrators being approached by investors from Australia who recognised the potential of the club and opted to join the board and help steer further development from within. This has resulted in Red Star RLC quickly transforming from a strictly amateur club striving to develop and thrive in a sport that’s relatively new to the region, to a semi-amateur club with professional aspects that’s developing a functional academy, as a future conveyor belt of local talent, and striving to become an elite professional club competing across the continent, and perhaps around the world. 58 |

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Red Star remains undefeated in all competitions so far this season, sitting at the top of the Serbian RFL First Division and the Balkan Super League, with the most points scored and the fewest conceded; the club’s senior first team has already secured the annual Serbian Super Cup and amassed the longest winning streak in the club’s history. Dominating locally and regionally represents the first step in the club’s on-field development, but much more remains to be done if Red Star is to one day prove competitive with its own homegrown talent against French, British and Australasian clubs. The first sterner tests are expected later this year, when Spartak Moscow and the UK’s Woolston Rovers (Warrington) are scheduled to visit Belgrade to take on the mighty Red & Whites, which will enable the Serbian club to gauge the progress it has achieved throughout this gruelling season, against opposition from beyond the region. The club is also hoping to end the season with an exhibition match in Belgrade against a professional club from the UK’s League One (third division) competition.

Become A Member

Join Red Star RLC and support the club’s valuable work, both on and off the field, for as little as 1,000RSD annually. Executive membership, which costs 5,000RSD annually, brings with it special benefits on merchandise, clubhouse usage and game-day offers. For more details, please visit http://rlkcrvenazvezda.com/ti-si-deo-zvezde/

In the meantime, Red Star RLC has established its first reserve team, Red Kangaroo (Crveni Kengur), which is competing in the Serbian RFL Second Division, and remains unbeaten after its first two competitive matches, and has launched a comprehensive school promotion and academy project. To date this spring alone, more than 120 boys and girls aged from 12 to 18 have signed up to train at the club and learn how to play rugby league. The next stage is to present the sport to even younger kids – given that children in the world’s top rugby league nations start playing at the tender age of five or six – and to establish constant school promotion activities and an interschool league under the auspices of the Red Star Rugby League Academy. The club also hopes to develop regular competition in ‘touch’ rugby – as one of the world’s most inclusive team sports and one of the fastestgrowing recreational sports – and intends to develop the nine-a-side format of the game, with the first ‘Belgrade Nines Tournament’ due to take place in the summer of 2019 – forming part of the northern hemisphere’s annual triangular 9s competition – London, Toronto, Belgrade! For the senior playing squad, investment has enabled the club to hire a professional coach from Australia (former Mounties assistant coach Trev Smith) and three overseas players (Jack O’Brien – Australia; Sam Herron – Scotland; Monte Gaddis – U.S.A.). However, the club’s development has also enticed top local talent, with former Dorćol Spiders and two-time Serbian Player of the Year Stefan Nedeljković now among Red Star’s senior playing squad, while BRK Red Star Rugby Union ace and national team captain of the other code, Aleksandar Ðorđević, is also playing – and starring – for the Serbian rugby league champions under a dual-registration agreement. Validating the club’s work on the grassroots development of players

Academy Aces The Red Star Rugby League Academy is open for children aged from 12 to 18. Younger categories are set to be introduced in the near future, as young as under-8s. Alongside basic motor skills and athletic

is the fact that several Red Star products are currently competing professionally in France. This year saw Red Star stalwart and Serbian international Miloš Čalić join clubmate and countryman Vladica Nikolić with a professional contract at French ‘Elite 1’ club Villeneuve. These two top talents serve to prove that Red Star, and Serbian rugby league in general, is capable of developing players that can go on to compete professionally abroad. D eve l o p i n g p a t hways fo r players is an important part of the club’s work and the growth of its academy, which is why Red Star RLC is establishing partnerships with elite clubs and academies around the world – to ensure talented youngsters with professional aspirations don’t slip through the net. Whether those are short-term inter-academy exchanges, joint merchandising projects, player loan agreements or fully professional player contracts, Red Star places high value on its links with other clubs around the world. However, Red Star RLC is also seeking to grow and expand at a community level. In this age of screens and solitude, sporting clubs have an opportunity to develop as pillars of the community – bringing people together not only to participate in sport and support competing teams, but also as a forum for community initiatives and social action. That’s why the club’s vision is to become both an elite professional club and a large community club, with all members pushing to achieve personal excellence and to develop the sense of community that is today sadly lacking. From its base at Ada Ciganlija, Red Star Rugby League is not only developing an exciting sport that suits the Serbian tradition of team ball sports and contact sports, but also a club that can prosper and function without handouts, developing athletes and club members who have a strong community spirit and sense of belonging. ■

abilities, the academy trains youngsters in the touch, tag and full contact versions of the sport, whilst also advising them on personal nutrition and exercise plans, promoting teamwork, discipline and dedication. Moreover, in partnership with the NGO sector, the Academy also

encourages its members to attend courses and workshops that promote social and community values – because the best athletes are also rounded individuals with strong values. For more information on academy membership, please contact info@rlkcrvenazvezda.com

JUNE

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CULTURE CALENDAR

Exhibition ‘Splendors of the Renaissance’

Creative Workshops ‘Saturday for the youngest’ EU info Centre

1-15 – Novi Sad Museum

Attire donned by Renaissance nobility comes to life in “Splendors of the Renaissance”. The exhibition features 15 spectacular reconstructions of courtly clothing from the late 15th to the early 17th century; each costume is displayed

Scorpions 10 – Štark Arena – 20.00

adjacent to a reproduction of the portrait in which it appears. The original costumes were worn by Duchess Eleonora di Toledo, Isabella d’Este, Vincenzo I Gonzaga (4th Duke of Mantua), and other members of the Medici and Gonzaga families, as depicted in paintings by such celebrated artists as Bronzino, Giulio Romano, and Titian. The reconstructions were created by the King Studio in Italy under the direction of Fausto Fornasari. The exhibition will be open every day except Monday from 10 am to 6 pm.

In more than 50 years of long career, one of the most famous German groups, she has sold over 100 million albums and is legally located in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Prominent for “heroic metal heroes” and “ambassadors of the deadline”, they won numerous awards, including two “World Music Awards” and several “Echo” awards. Their songs “Still Loving You”, “Wind of Change” and “Send me an Angel” became the timeless hits that are still played today on radio stations. Despite the incredible success of these ballads, Scorpions are primarily hard rock band that brings fierce energy on the stage of songs such as “Rock You Like An Hurricane”, “Blackout”, “Dynamite” and others.

Cinéclub: On connaît la chanson, Alain Resnais, 1997 13 - Institut français – 18.00

Cinéclub invites you to the French

Screening of the opera ’La Forza Del Destino’ 18 – Italian Cultural Institute – 18.00 The Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade, in cooperation with the Theater Reggio from Parma, is hosting a showcase of the opera screening of the Verdi Festival, an important opera festival held annually since the 1980s. The screening includes five of Verdi's

operas, which are among the most important productions of the Verdi Festival: Rigoletto, Nabucco, Aida, Makbet and the Power of Destiny. Opera ’La Forza Del Destino’ will be screened with English subtitles.

The year 2018 in the European Union was declared a Year of Cultural Heritage. Within the campaign dedicated to this topic, the European Union Information Center in Belgrade prepared various activities presenting the cultural heritage of Serbia and Europe. For the youngest citizens, EU info centre organised a series of creative workshops under the name ‘Saturday for the youngest’, aimed at meeting the culture and cultural heritage of Europe and Serbia.

Institute this spring, with an array of new films. Film gatherings are held from 6 pm to 8 pm, in the mediateque. Screenings are free of charge and are led by a French Institute professor, with whom guests will be able to share impressions of the film while also practising their language skills. June screening will be held on 13th June: On connaît la chanson, Alain Resnais, 1997.

Vasil Hadžimanov Band

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recorded songs, Binta Sound Studio and the Residence of the German Ambassador in Belgrade. Recording and production are entrusted to Mark Perić, co-production by Vasil Hadžimanov, design by Dejan Mandić, and executive production by Nataša Hadžimanov. In addition to Vasil and there is a great team of composers Branko Trijić, Miroslav Tovirać-bass, Peđa Milutinović- drums and Bojan Ivković- percussion/vocal, the young saxophonist Rastko Obradović and vocal soloists Dean Bowman and Marta Hadžimanov, who will also join the band on the scene as guests on June 13th. The same evening, after the concert, Vasil and Band will sign their latest album “Lines in Sand”.

Plan B - Festival of Subversive Film 15-17 – Belgrade Youth Center

13 – Bitef art cafe summer stage – 22.00

Vasil Hadžimanov Band will hold a concert promotion on the occasion of the release of the new album, on June 13 in the summer club Bitefartcafe, in Kalemegdan. With this concert, VHBand will present its seventh album in line with the line ’Lines In Sand’ to its audience. ’Lines in Sand’ contains 12 live-

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Every Saturday 11-13pm professional artists with many years of experience working with children will hang out with the youngest making Parthenon, Dutch clogs, Eiffel Tower, masks of the Venetian carnival and much more. To apply, email info@euinfo.rs or by phone, from 10 am to 7 pm on 011 / 40 45 400.

At a time when value systems depend on money, power, force, and interests that individuals, groups or entire countries change depending on current goals, they are increasingly disenfranchised, humiliated, and discarded. Discarded from society, state, colleague, friends, even the closest - family. These modern Don Quixotes, people whose illusions are crumbling, trying to keep the minimum

of dignity and choosing the fundamental rights that belong to them, become archetypes of the fighter, whether they are men, women or children. This year’s PLAN B is about them. About lonely but courageous, humble, but persevering, about the culprits seeking redemption, about the fighters without illusions. Programme: domomladine.org

Belgrade Latino Marathon 9 – Republic Square – 17.00

Tourist Organization of Belgrade will host the 9th Belgrade Latino Marathon to be held on Saturday, June 9th at the Square of the Republic under the slogan “Whistling at 8”. The 9th Belgrade Latino Marathon will gather dance couples from Serbia and abroad, as well as junior and senior representatives and dancers of Belgrade Latino dance schools and organisations that will perform on stage on Belgrade Square of Republic, which will also host live concert & afterwards an open-air latino party that will last until midnight. Belgrade’s Latino Marathon is organised annually by the Tourist Organization of Belgrade and presents the culmination and high point of all parties, dancing nights, workshops and festivals that throughout the year are organised in Belgrade and provides a unique opportunity for Latin dance schools and organisations from all over Serbia to present their choreographies and workshops. Belgrade’s Latino Marathon has also been responsible for the fact that

Exhibition ’Heroes of Spanish Sport’ 28 June – 11 September – Instituto Cervantes The exhibition "Heroes of Spanish Sport" is a story of Spanish sports champions. From the Olympic Games held in Barcelona in 1992 to the present day through various EFE photographers' pictures created in many countries of the world that bring us closer to the many sports figures. Exhibition urge viewers to wonder about the meaning of the effort, spirit and courage of the champion. The new concept of this exhibition is designed exclusively for the exhibition space of the Cervantes Institute in Belgrade, where the initial setting is complemented by the selection of the most prominent Serbian athletes who were part of the Spanish league in different

Belgrade is ranked as a major Latino destination not only in Europe but the whole world.

Big Bend RTS & John Fedchock 23 – Doma Sindikata Hall – 20.00

The Big Band of Radio Television Serbia ends the spring season with an extraordinary artistic gift and a musical challenge worthy of a significant anniversary. After many years our guest is one of the most famous and recognised World

BELEF Summer Festival 22 June – 15 July 27th Belgrade Summer Festival A summertime multimedia festival, BELEF is staged in the open air or in alternative city spaces. It unifies three great arts – theatre, music and painting. The festival explores various city spaces and facilities, contents and innovative forms of artistic expression. BELEF strives to reflect the sensibility

categories and sports disciplines Photos of the great Spanish "heroes" like Rafael Nadal, Carolina Marín, Ona Carbonell o Andrés Iniesta will join the Serbian sports stars who had a great influence on the Spanish sport, such as Radomir Antić, Peđa Mijatović, Sava Milošević or Darko Kovačević who have greatly contributed to the development of European sport.

Big Bend leaders. John Fedchock and his New York Big Bend are in the “last word” of achievements in excellent music playing and the quality of Big Bend as formations and phenomena in jazz music. Our ensemble can proudly state the fact that one such artist wrote a review for the latest CD release Big Bend RTS & Samuel Blaser ‘’ AQUARELL ‘’. We are sure that the new Kombank Hall, John Fedchock and Big Bend RTS, are a real synergy for an unforgettable evening in the year of the anniversary of our orchestra (1948-2018).

Gitarijada 28-30 – Zaječar

Gitarijada is the oldest festival of unaffirmed rock band rock bands. Gathering tens of thousands of participants and visitors from the country and abroad, this festival is among the most important musical events in the region. The event aims to encourage and affirm the artistic creativity of young Rock’n’roll musicians, which since its inception, as a planetary phenomenon, has become a universal means of youth communication and an integral segment of contemporary urban culture. Programme: gitarijada.rs

of Belgrade citizens and artists in all segments of its program. Programme: belef.rs

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Speed Business Meeting Of Four International Business Associations

26 APR

27 APR

Austrian-Serbian Networking Event Held At The Embassy Of Austria

Speed Business Meeting of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (CCFS), the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (ISCC), Nordic Business Alliance (NBA), and for the first time, members of the Japanese Business Alliances in Serbia (JBAS) was held in Belgrade. It gave the opportunity to representatives of more than 40 companies, through quick eightminute meetings to meet representatives from other foreign and domestic companies and expand their network of business contacts. In front of all associations, Danijela Čabarkapa, executive director of the Japan Business Alliance, addressed the gathering to present the activities of this association.

ALEKSANDAR NEDELJKOVIĆ, MARLENE BURGSTALLER, BENEDIKT BRAWENZ and SABINE KROISSENBRUNNER

03 MAY REPRESENTATIVES OF NBA, CCFS, ISCC, JBAS

08 MAY

Ambassador Bilgiç Meets Istanbul Businessmen

H.E. Tanju Bilgiç, Turkish Ambassador to Serbia, met with the members of Association of Istanbul Businessmen & Industrialists. The aim of the meeting was a discussion on the investment and cooperation projects between Serbia and Turkey.

AMBASSADOR BILGIÇ with members of Association of Istanbul Businessmen & Industrialists

Learning About Malaysia

As part of its outreach programme, the Embassy of Malaysia conducted an interactive lecture with the students and teachers of the Karlovačka Grammar School in Sremski Karlovci, known for its extensive language curriculum. The lecture delivered by the Chargé d’Affaires Nik Ady Arman saw the participation of more than 100 students, who were given a briefing on Malaysia, with a focus on its rich cultural heritage, linguistic diversity and the basic introduction on the evolution of its national language, Bahasa Malaysia.

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Embassy of Austria in Belgrade established Alumni Club, an Austrian-Serbian network, in December 2017 with the aim of connecting Serbian people from various industries who got their education in Austria, and in doing so, contribute to the return of “the best minds” to Serbia. Within the Alumni Club, Embassy hosted WU Executive Club event. Sabine Kroissenbrunner, Deputy Head of Mission at the Austrian Embassy welcomed guest and expressed the embassy’s support for the creation of a strong Austro-Serbian alumni community and stressed the importance of international collaboration. Marlene Burgstaller, Deputy Head of Advantage Austria, shared exclusive insights during her keynote speech and drew attention to the already thriving Austrian-Serbian economic relations.

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NIK ADY ARMAN, with school Principal RADOVAN KOVAČEVIĆ and pupils

10 MAY

Australian Embassy And Chopin Fest Host A Piano Concert

AMBASSADOR JULIA FEENEY and IRENA MILOJKOVIĆ

10 MAY

The Australian Embassy and Chopin Fest hosted a piano concert by renowned Australian pianist and professor Michael Leslie, in the Belgrade City Hall. The concert was attended by Ambassador of Australia H.E. Julia Feeney, Political and Public Affairs Officer at the Australian Embassy Irena Milojković, members of the diplomatic corps and cultural life of Belgrade. Concert supports charity action ‘Daruj Talentima’ which raises funds through both financial donations and used and new instruments for the most talented students of music schools. Chopin Fest is organised by the art association Kreartiva, with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Belgrade as a sponsor and with the support of the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade, the Office of the Representation of the Republic of Srpska in Belgrade and the Embassy of Australia.

100th Anniversary Of The Democratic Republic Of Azerbaijan

Ambassador of Azerbaijan H.E. Eldar Hasanov and the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Cultural Center of Azerbaijan in Belgrade and the National Theater hosted a concert dedicated to the Azerbaijani-Serbian friendship and the 100th anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan. Concert attended by numerous members of diplomatic corps featured prominent Azerbaijani and Serbian musicians and the National Theatre Symphony Orchestra.

AMBASSADOR ELDAR HASANOV with AMBASSADOR of Turkey TANJU BILGIÇ

10 MAY

Swiss Embassy Hosted The Concert Of The Vocal Choir Bern

11 MAY

Ambassador Hougård Opens 7th BUDI Festival

H.E. Ambassador Anders Hougård opened 7th BUDI Bijenale in Pančevo. This year’s festival has Denmark as a theme and is inspired by Danish culture of children’s upbringing. Danish movies, Hans Christian Andersen plays, LEGO workshops, exhibitions and much more will be on display in Pančevo until 11th June. “Denmark has nurtured long and strong tradition of culture for children. It is important because today’s children are tomorrows leaders.”, said ambassador of Denmark to Serbia at the festival opening.

Swiss Choir “Collegium Vocal Bern” performed at the “Raša Plaović” hall of the National Theater in Belgrade, under the auspices of the Swiss Embassy. Works of Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns, Gabriel Faure and nine Swiss folk songs were performed under the conductor Michael Crass. The concert was attended by Ambassador of Switzerland H.E. Philippe Guex, Ursula Läubli, Director of The Swiss Cooperation Office Serbia and Counsellor at the Embassy of Switzerland, as well as members of the diplomatic corps.

AMBASSADOR HOUGÅRD at the festival opening

URSULA LÄUBLI and AMBASSADOR GUEX

AMBASSADOR has also visited an elementary school OŠ „JOVAN JOVANOVIĆ ZMAJ”

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11 MAY

Museum Of African Art And Embassy Of Egypt Launch Public Courses In Egyptology

Ambassador of Egypt to Serbia Amr Aljowaily opened the first course in Egyptology organised by the Museum of African Art in cooperation with the Egyptian Embassy in Belgrade. The course will be held in the English for the foreign diplomatic community and will be held in parallel with a longer version of the course in the Serbian language.

11 MAY

AMBASSADOR AMR ALJOWAILY(centre)

Japan Speech Contest Held At The Embassy Of Japan

YANA MIKHAILOVA and MAJO MICOVIĆ

11 MAY

Swiss-Serbian Chamber Of Commerce Members’ Reunion

At the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SSCC) Members’ Reunion, held in the premises of Nestlé Adriatic, guests were welcomed by SSCC President, Majo Micović, and the reunion host, Yana Mikhailova. Mijo Mićović presented SSCC’ new project ‘’League of successful’’, whose main objective is to recognise individual SSCC members who have shown dedication and commitment to the Chamber and its mission, as well as to their fellow Chamber members and the Swiss-Serbian business community. The winners will be announced on a special occasion which will be held in June.

AMBASSADOR MARUYAMA and NAOKI TSUKADA with contest winners

Students of the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade, the Eighth Belgrade High School, the Čačak High School and the Šabac High School competed at the ninth edition of the Japanese Speech Contest held at the Embassy of Japan in Belgrade. This year, an expert jury composed of Japanese Ambassador H.E. Junichi Maruyama, director of Mitsubishi in Belgrade, Naoki Tsukada, Prof. dr. Dalibor Kličković, from the Faculty of Philology at the University of Belgrade and Naoki Kitamura from the restaurant Sushi. The special jury award was given to a student of the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade, Teodora Danilović, whose project is entitled on the topic “Why I love Japan”.

Open Door Day At The Embassy Of Slovakia

The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Belgrade for the third 12 year in a row held Open Door Day. MAY Ambassador of Slovakia H.E. Dagmar Repčeková welcomed guests who had the opportunity to enjoy the presentation of Slovakia, its customs, culture, tradition, gastronomy and handicrafts. Open Door Day was enriched by the representatives of the Slovak national minority from Selenča, who prepared a rich cultural and artistic program. The funds that collected from the sale of food and beverages will be handed to the children shelter Svratište in AMBASSADOR DAGMAR REPČEKOVÁ Belgrade.

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SSCC President MAJO MICOVIĆ

14 MAY

Ambassador Of Morocco Gives Lecture On Moroccan Foreign Policy

H.E. Mohammed Amine Belhaj, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Serbia, held a lecture on the topic “Moroccan Foreign Policy: Priorities, Initiatives and Challenges”, within the “Ambassadorial Forum” of the Institute for International Politics and Economy. The lecture will be published in the next issue of the scientific journal of the Institute “Review of International Affairs”.

AMBASSADOR MOHAMMED AMINE BELHAJ (left)

15 MAY

The 85th International Agricultural Fair In Novi Sad

16 MAY

The Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad this year opened with 1,500 exhibitors. At the opening, Branislav Nedimović, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, said that the Agricultural Fair is a “symbol of Serbian agriculture”. He also added that the time has come to stabilise the agriculture and pointed that the Government of Serbia opened EU IPARD funds and invited farmers to apply. French Ambassador H.E. Frédéric Mondoloni said that his country has been participating in the Agriculture Fair for several years now and that this year companies, agricultural producers and banks will be present. The Finnish Embassy delegation lead by Ambassador H.E. Pertti Ikonen visited Agricultural Fair and met with the Team Finland partners in the agricultural sector.

MINISTER BRANISLAV NEDIMOVIĆ

AMBASSADOR MONDOLONI at the French booth

The Finnish Embassy delegation lead by AMBASSADOR IKONEN

Lecture On The Algerian Experience Of Promoting Peace

On the occasion of the 1st anniversary of “International Day of Living Together in Peace” initiated by Algeria, and adopted by UN General Assembly on 8th of December 2017, H.E. Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Ambassador of Algeria to Serbia, delivered a lecture entitled “The Algerian experience of promoting peace, tolerance and national reconciliation”. Numerous members of the diplomatic corps attended a lecture held at the Faculty of Law.

AMBASSADOR ABDELHAMID CHEBCHOUB

‘CorD Agribusiness Serbia 2018’ displayed at the booth of the Ministry of Agriculture

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16 MAY

UAE Embassy Opens ‘The Power Of The Union’ Exhibition

The exhibition “The Power of the Union”, organised by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Serbia, was opened yesterday at Kalemegdan Fortress, in honour of the centenary of the birth of UAE founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates H.E. Dr Mubarak Saeed Ahmed Al Dhaheri addressing guests said that this photo exhibition aims to familiarise citizens and tourists with the history, culture and tradition of the UAE. The exhibition will run until 16th June.

17 MAY

IWC Annual General Assembly

At the annual General Assembly of the International Women’s Club, ladies of the IWC elected a new Executive Board for the 2018-2019 term. Mrs Milica Lundin, a spouse of the Swedish Ambassador, was chosen as the new IWC President. Other board members are Vice-President Christine Skrutkowska, Representative of the Organization Lea Kummer Vasiljević and Secretary Sonia Punin. The IWC expressed their aim of attracting new members and empowering the Club, which will help to enrich the social and humanitarian aspect of the Club, as well as contribute to its fundraising activities. With the new structure of the Club, it is also expected to attract a higher number of diplomats to join and help in raising the importance of the International Women’s Club and visibility of its efforts in Serbia.

24 MAY

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International Networking Cocktail

18 MAY

LEADER Project Serbia 2018 Grand Finale

BRYAN BEATON, MIHAILO VESOVIĆ and FILIP PETROVIĆ with the LEADER 2018 winners

The educational program “LEADER Project Serbia”, from the Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario, took place in Belgrade for the third year in a row. At the end of an intensive two-week course, 37 attendees presented their business plans to a jury formed of the five Canadian LEADER instructors, Filip Petrović, Trade Commissioner at Embassy of Canada, Mihailo Vesović, Special Advisor to the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and Bryan Beaton, a member of the Board of Directors of the CANSEE association. The winner and best business idea is a team comprised of Valentina Čolić, Vladimir Jovanović and Milan Stojanović, second place Jovana Stanković and Tamara Jevtović took the third place at the LEADER Project 2018.

The International Networking Cocktail, hosted by eleven international business associations, attracted more than 200 people. Mostly top management representatives of member-companies from the bilateral chambers of commerce operating in Serbia enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere on the Vizantija boat, using this opportunity to network, make contacts and share views with Swiss, German, French, Nordic, Italian, Belgian, Greek, Representatives of the eleven Japanese, Croatian, Slovenian international business associations and Canadian business people.

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AMBASSADOR MUBARAK SAEED AHMED AL DHAHERI

21 MAY

JBAS General Assembly Held

The third regular General Assembly session of the Japanese Business Alliance (JBAS) was held at the premises of the Development Agency of Serbia (RAS). In the framework of the educational activities within JBAS, gathered members had a chance to learn more about the mentoring program through the presentation held by Ana Žegarac, director of Sector for planning and development, DAS. Mentoring program is realised according to the RAS methodology developed in long-term cooperation with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Honorary member of JBAS, and includes professional business development monitoring as well as comprehensive and timely customer support. It is agreed, potential possibilities for closer cooperation between JICA, DAS and JBAS within the project to be defined in the following period.

GORAN PEKEZ, ANA ŽEGARAC and DANIJELA ČABARKAPA