Two modules of the Programme completed

Last weekend, the second module of the Programme “Regional Development through EU Funds” was completed. The Programme is being implemented by the European Affairs Fund of the AP Vojvodina in cooperation with the Educons University. Thus, this year’s generation of participants came to half of the educational period.

The interest in the Programme is increasing every year, so now 50 participants are attending this type of training course.

During the first module “Economics, law and policies of the European Union and the association process”, the participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with the teaching disciplines dealing with the EU legal system, the economic aspects of the EU, the EU enlargement – the Republic of Serbia and regional development policies and the EU. In the second module “Regional Development Management”, the participants were informed about the strategic and operational planning at the local level, smart specialization strategy, territorial marketing, IPARD – Pre-accession Instrument for Rural Development and Rural Development.
As part of the lecture “Smart Specialization Strategy”, the participants were divided into working groups for the first time and they received work assignments in a very interesting way. Each group pulled out a certain region of the Republic of Serbia from the hat and it was supposed to identify and present the key sectors, products or services and the comparative advantages of the region.
The groups work will continue in the third and fourth modules as well.
The participants are very active in lectures, they are asking questions and participating in the discussion. In this way, excellent interaction with the lecturers has been established.
Next week starts the third module “Programmes of the European Union”. The novelty being introduced in the fourth generation of the Programme are one-day field visits in Vojvodina. The idea is that the participants can get familiar with examples of good practice: practical examples of how the ideas on paper come to being a project that gain EU funding to be implemented. The first visit is planned to be realized at the beginning of the third module.

The attitude of one of the participants about the first half of the material covered

Nenad Beric, Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism

“I am very pleased with the selection of the teaching disciplines. On the one hand, we have scientific disciplines from the domain of basics of economics, while on the other hand, there are complementary practical disciplines related to the European regulations and IPA funds.
When talking about the lectures, they are really intense: it’s often not easy to stay focused throughout the weekend, but the number of the group and failure to drop classes prove the quality and a common desire to acquire new know-how and skills. Otherwise, I expect from this program to enable me to acquire basic knowledge and skills in analysing, planning and implementing projects on the one hand, as well as a basic understanding of the pre-accession EU funds and mechanisms for their use on the other”.