State Secretary Dell’Ambrogio in Serbia at the invitation of Prime Minister Vučić
Bern, 06.02.2017 - The State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, is on an official visit to Belgrade at the invitation of Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić. Together with the prime minister, the state secretary will officially launch the ‘From Education to Employment’ project, led by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The state secretary will also give a talk at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and at the University of Belgrade.
Vocational and education and training (VET) will be at the centre of discussions with Mr Vučić, which will also be attended by a number of ministers, including the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, Mladen Šarčević. Mr Dell’Ambrogio will present Switzerland’s system of vocational education and training at a public conference organised by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
During his visit, Mr Dell’Ambrogio will participate in the official launch of the ‘From Education to Employment (E2E)’ project. The project, supported by the SDC, aims to improve the framework conditions for employment by offering more VET programmes in the south and south-west of Serbia. Around 40,000 young Serbs could benefit from the E2E project. Mr Dell’Ambrogio will meet with several partners in the project, which will be implemented in close collaboration with various stakeholders from the Serbian and Swiss public and private sectors.
The visit will also highlight the excellent collaboration between the two countries in the field of research: many Swiss and Serbian researchers are cooperating in particular in the European Union’s Framework Programmes. With this cooperation in mind, Mr Dell’Ambrogio will give a talk at the University of Belgrade, and will visit the city’s Science and Technology Park, which is home to 36 companies, including two Swiss start-ups. The technopark was inaugurated by Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann in 2015. It is the first institution of its kind in Serbia and has become a major player in the innovation ecosystem.
Switzerland and Serbia
Around 1,800 Swiss nationals live in Serbia, and some 69,000 Serbian nationals live in Switzerland. Nearly 200 Swiss companies are active in Serbia. Swiss direct investments in Serbia have created around 3,800 jobs, making Switzerland one of the largest foreign direct investors. Since 2006, around fifty young Serbian researchers have benefitted from the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship.
Address for enquiries
Anouk De Bast
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
International Relations Division
Tel. +41 58 463 31 76
anouk.de-bast@sbfi.admin.ch
Publisher
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
http://www.sbfi.admin.ch
