The fifth Talents United conference – Back to the Future was rich with symbolism:
The gathering took place in the “Yugoslavia” ceremonial hall, the same venue where the first conference was held five years ago. From the location, which took us on an inspiring journey through the past, to the revival of the original in-person meeting format after Covid, and the review of our activities to date, we symbolically returned to our mission and presented a realistic, progressive vision for the future.
Return
The conference was held in two parts: the first focused on the concept of return, during which we had the opportunity to hear opening remarks from Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Minister without Portfolio Đorđe Milićević, Minister of Energy Dubravka Đedović, and a video message from the Director of the Directorate for Diaspora, Arno Gujon.
The official program of the conference was opened by Ivan Brkljač, Director of Returning Point, with an inspiring speech titled “I Am Also a Circular Migrant,” in which he shared his personal and professional motivations for addressing diaspora and returnee issues, focusing on the benefits that can emerge from this.
Next, Branimir Rakić, Director of Origin Trail, shared how his company is using new Web3 and AI technologies to help address the challenges companies are facing nowadays.
The first part of the conference was concluded by a guest from Ireland, a country that runs successful diaspora engagement programs, Kingsley Aikins, Director of the Networking Institute. He emphasised the importance of diversity within the diaspora and gave several examples illustrating how Serbia can engage its own massive diaspora in new, dynamic ways.
This was followed by a one-hour break dedicated to active socialising and networking, which was one of the event’s key goals.
Future
The second part of the conference focused on the future. It was opened by Bogdan Gecić, a lawyer, founder and partner at Gecić Law, and a Harvard alumnus, who emphasised the importance of studying abroad and the valuable experiences it offers. He encouraged young people to apply to international universities, particularly Harvard. According to him, studying abroad can be accomplished with limited resources, as many scholarships and financial aid options are available to talented international students.
Next, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ana Ilić, took the stage and presented the achievements of the national platform “Serbia Creates,” as well as introduced a new project, “Ložionica,” which offers new architectural solutions for the restoration and redefinition of an industrial space into a business, creative, and artistic complex.
Minister of Science Jelena Begović spoke about the plans for Bio4 Campus, a new scientific complex that aims to unite several higher education institutions and research institutes focused on biomedicine, bioinformatics, biotechnology, and biodiversity, spanning 20 hectares.
As a regular part of the Talents United program, the event continued with a panel discussion featuring Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, who answered participants’ questions and addressed the challenges faced by young returnees. The discussion was moderated by Ivan Brkljač, with contributions from the attending ministers when relevant.
The event was officially concluded with a second networking session, as well as a tour of the ceremonial section of the “Serbia” Palace, formerly the SIV, organised in collaboration with the institution’s curators.
Once again, we would like to thank Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Minister Dubravka Đedović, Minister Đorđe Milićević, and Director of the Directorate for Diaspora Arno Gujon, as well as all the speakers and participants of the conference for their support.
A big thank you also goes to our partners from Brand Vision, state institutions, and the volunteers, without whom this event could not have been executed at such a high level.
Happy holidays, and we look forward to seeing you at the next gathering in 2023!
