Fostering OSF Alumni Network of Serbia and the Western Balkans

Project “Fostering OSF Alumni Network of Serbia and the Western Balkans” Belgrade Open School is conducting from June to December 2015 with support of the Open Society Foundations. This project is a part of initiative for fostering cooperation among alumni of the Scholarship Programs of the Open Society Foundation.

Project goals are to contribute to regional Western Balkan cooperation and to improve OSF Scholarship Programs alumni role in policy dialogue on regional social, political and educational issues.

Project objectives are:

1. to strengthen the Alumni Network of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) among scholars and alumni from Western Balkans focusing on Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo[i];

2. to raise capacities (level of knowledge and skills) of selected alumni for participation in policy development and advocacy;

3. to enhance cooperation between EACs in the Western Balkans.

Main project activities are:

* Creating the platform for the alumni cooperation of the Open Society Foundations

* Regional alumni teams creating

* Mentorship on the policy briefs producing

* Regional Alumni Conference

* Advocacy workshop for alumni

Trough activities on this project Belgrade Open School is showing that it shares the main values with the Open Society Foundations: critical thinking, freedom and open intelectual exchange, tolerance between diferent cultures and respect trough local perspectives.

Educational Advising Centre (EAC) of the Belgrade Open School in Serbia has been providing effective support to the OSF Scholarship Programs from 2002. During that period EAC Serbia has administrated different scholarship programs for graduate and doctoral studies for more than 300 students in Serbia. Being scholar of the OSF is much more than opportunity to improve individual competencies and career opportunities.

[i] In accordance with the provisions of the UN and EU documents