Unbreakable bond between formal and informal education

“At the faculty, you get in-depth, thorough knowledge. It is on such a foundation that you can progress far professionally. The informal part of education is an opportunity to expand your theoretical ideas in such a way that they become applicable in practice. At the faculty, you gain solid knowledge, while through formal education you acquire soft skills such as teamwork, communication skills, etc”, said Filip Ejdus, associate professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences and president of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy.

Professor Ejdus also referred to the role of civil society organizations and compared them with a transmission belt that helps in transferring the knowledge and insights that are being developed in the academy in the field of public policy. However, he added that they are not just a transmitter of ideas, but that significant inputs come from them, which further spill over into academic spheres where they are discussed more slowly and more deeply. Because of such a dual role, internships in civil society organizations are very useful for young people at the beginning of their careers.

Miljana Jovanović, a BCSP intern, commented on the importance of informal education, focusing on the skills she acquired during her internship at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy.

“Formal and informal education cannot do without each other. Informal education is very important since with its help we are able to network and connect with other people who are in the sphere that interests us, and thus we can build our skills and improve. That is exactly why the internship at BCSP was important to me, because it gave me the opportunity to further develop an analytical approach and a critical attitude, but also to connect with young people who have creative ideas”, said Miljana.

BCSP intern Siniša Prodanović also believes that informal education is important for future career development.

“Apart from the really broad formal education that is acquired at the faculty, I consider informal education as a key step towards success in my future career. My experience so far through various workshops, events and internship at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy has helped me improve my a whole specter of skills, especially teamwork and communications. I singled out these skills because I think it is very important to know how an organization works from the inside, but also how to present the complex research work of the organization to the public in the right way”, Siniša pointed out.

In the continuation of the event, students had the opportunity to discuss these topics in more detail in separate virtual rooms and exchange experiences with older colleagues. Through discussions with Jelena Miloradović, OSCE Mission to Serbia representative, BCSP internship alumni Nevena Radosavljević and Bogdan Urošević, as well as Marija Ignjatijević, BCSP internship coordinator, the interns received useful information and first-hand advice on acquiring practical skills at the beginning of their professional careers.

The event was organised within the project “Empowering Youth to Promote Security Sector Reform”, which the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy is organizing with the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Government of Sweden.