DNCT Alumni Network Mission

The initiative for creation of Dragomir Nikolich Charitable Trust Alumni Network (hereby referred to as the Alumni Network) is based on the fact that, currently, there exists a great number of young Serbian people pursuing graduate-level education (M.A. and Ph.D.) at the various universities in the United States and Europe. At the same time, their home country of Serbia is undergoing a durable and arduous process of transition. In this process, up-to-date knowledge and education are critical. Serbian institutions for higher education, most notably universities and research centers, still suffer the consequences of the decade-long isolation from the world’s information flows and developments in global knowledge. In an age where knowledge and information are regarded as critical resources for sustainable economic, political and social development, transitional countries face the challenge of building information structures enabling them to become part of the global, transnational information space. Lack of access to monetary, human, and intellectual resources and capital, along with sporadic and insufficient support from governmental and non-profit organizations, prevents Serbian educational institutions from assuming a critical role in building knowledge infrastructure needed for the process of transition and the inclusion of Serbia in the global flows of information and capital. Currently, there are a significant number of young Serbs pursuing their education abroad. Throughout the course of their studies, they are exposed to the latest developments in their academic fields. At the same time, they have full access to global information, knowledge, and practices, which are not readily available to their colleagues in Serbia. The amount of intellectual capital that these young Serbs possess is immense, and consequently, their capacity to contribute to the development of their home country is enormous. Today, most of these young Serbs maintain private ties with their home country. However, they do not have a long-term, organized and institutionalized contact with their home universities and research centers in the disciplines of their study. Furthermore, no mechanism is in place encouraging young Serbs to assist each other with job searches, networking, information exchange, funding opportunities, or everyday life recommendations. Young Serbs studying abroad do not form a tight-knit, functional community.