Organisation of Serbian Students Abroad

Organisation of Serbian Students Abroad (OSSI)
Founded 1997
Type Student society
Purpose Connecting Serbian students abroad[1]
Location
Field Students' union
Members
 about 600 worldwide
Key people
 Aleksandar Jakovljevic (St. Francis College), President[2][3]
Vuk Kesic (University of Mount Olive), Vice President
Website www.ossi.rs

The Organisation of Serbian Students Abroad (OSSI; Serbian: Организација српских студената у иностранству; Осси) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation led by Serbian students worldwide, with more than 600 members.[4]

The principal goal of OSSI is to support and strengthen the community of Serbian students in the diaspora[5] by forming an extensive and dense network of local branches of its students at universities around the world.

History

OSSI was founded by a group of Serbian students studying in Europe and North America in mid-July 1997. Among these students was the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Vuk Jeremić,[6][7] who was then completing a degree at Harvard University.[8] OSSI was virtually inactive from 2002 until 2007 when it was reactivated. As of June 2010, the organisation numbers more than 600 members around the world.[9]

Organisation

Local branches are the principal units of organisation of OSSI and the focal points of its influence. Eight local branches have been implemented, in universities such as Harvard, Oxford and Donghua University of Shanghai.[10]

According to OSSI’s mission statement, its members conduct all activity while respecting the uniqueness of cultures, communities and universities in which they live, constantly incorporating knowledge gained into the development of OSSI and its local branches. OSSI aims to be the most extensive, competent and information wealthy network of Serbian students abroad.[11]

Activities

One of the chief activities of OSSI seeks to organise internships and placements for its members in both the private and public sector in Serbia,[12][13] including the Government of the Republic of Serbia.[14][15]

The "pOSSIbilIty Project"[16] is geared towards finding adequate internships and employment in the private sector, while the "Meet Serbia" project (Serbian: Упознај Србију; Upoznaj Srbiju[17][18]) sets up internships for a select group of successful Serbian students from abroad in the Ministries of the Republic of Serbia. In the summer of 2010, the project placed 46 students in all the ministries of Serbia during a four-week timespan in which they were to get acquainted with the functional organisation of the state administration, meet some of Serbia's ministers such as Vuk Jeremić,[19][20] Ivica Dačić[21][22][23][24] and compile a feedback report of their impressions which was then presented to the prime minister of Serbia, Mirko Cvetković.,[25][26][27] additionally signing a bilateral memorandum with the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs for further cooperation between the organisation and the Serbian government.[28]

The second and other major part of OSSI's activity is advisory and supportive, aimed at helping out students in all three phases of their academic careers --– the application phase, during undergraduate studies as well as during postgraduate studies.

The organisation equally strives to promote dialogue and cooperation among its members, between them and their academic and local communities, as well as with their colleagues in Serbia and international organisations around the world through its multi-annual assemblies, round tables and lectures, as well as through its numerous projects.[5]

References

  1. ↑ I. Mićević. "Srbija ostala u srcima | Planeta | Novosti". Novosti.rs. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  2. ↑ "Србија : Радна места у Србији за студенте из дијаспоре : ПОЛИТИКА". Politika.rs. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  3. ↑ S. Babović. "Pamet u svetu, zemlja u srcu | Planeta | Novosti". Novosti.rs. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  4. ↑ "Studentske i omladinske organizacije - Organizacija srpskih studenata u inostranstvu - OSSI". Znanje.infostud.com. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Organizacija srpskih studenata u inostranstvu - Vizija OSSI-ja". Ossi.rs. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  6. ↑ Kulish, Nicholas (16 January 2010). "Recasting Serbia's Image, Starting With a Fresh Face". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/afet/dv/200/200911/2009115cvvukjeremicen.pdf
  8. ↑ "Kokkalis Program". Hks.harvard.edu. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  9. ↑ "Organizacija srpskih studenata u inostranstvu - Istorija OSSI-ja". Ossi.rs. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  10. ↑ "Organizacija srpskih studenata u inostranstvu - Lokalni ogranci". Ossi.rs. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  11. ↑ "Studio B :: Vesti :: Počinje realizacija projekta Upoznaj državu Srbiju". Studiob.rs. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  12. ↑ "Letnja-praksa-u-Srbiji-za-studente-iz-dijaspore". Vesti-online.com. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  13. ↑ “”. "Podrsticaj studentima u inostranstvu". YouTube. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  14. ↑ "Ministarstvo za dijasporu Vlade Republike Srbije". Mzd.gov.rs. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  15. ↑ "Radna-mesta-u-Srbiji-za-studente-iz-dijaspore". Politika.rs. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  16. ↑ http://www.ossi.rs/index.php?action=possibility
  17. ↑ http://www.rts.rs/page/stories/sr/story/125/Društvo/740892/Upoznaj+Srbiju
  18. ↑ "Dnevni list Danas | Društvo | Projekat "Upoznaj državu Srbiju"". Danas.rs. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  19. ↑ "Jeremić sa srpskim studentima iz dijaspore - Politika | Kurir". Kurir-info.rs. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  20. ↑ "Minister Jeremic talks with Serbian students abroad - Serbia - News from Serbia - Cruiser". Vesti.krstarica.com. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  21. ↑ http://www.ekonomist.rs/en/news/serbia/128498.html
  22. ↑ http://www.balkans.com/open-news.php?uniquenumber=65600
  23. ↑ "Projekat "Upoznaj Državu Srbiju"". glassrbije.org. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  24. ↑ "Vesti online / Vesti / Srbija / Državna administracija na testu studenata iz dijaspore". Vesti-online.com. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  25. ↑ "Izveštaj Srpskih Studenata Iz Inostranstva O Volonterskom Radu U Vladi Srbije". Glassrbije.org. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  26. ↑ http://www.rts.rs/page/stories/sr/story/125/Društvo/754042/Predlog+za+bolju+administraciju.html
  27. ↑ "Studenti predali izveštaj premijeru". Diplomske. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  28. ↑ "Saradnja Ministarstva spoljnih poslova i OSSI-ja :: emg.rs:: Sve najnovije ekonomske vesti i vesti dana - Srbija, region, svet". emg.rs. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
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