Backgrund

Sustainable evolution of countries in the region, with unequal development levels and at different stages of transitional, institutional, functional and structural transformations, can be achieved only in the context of regional integration.

As countries move from transitional to the post-transitional stage of economy, institutional changes, sustainable development, financial markets’ efficiency, stabilization and economic restructuring become the focus of public policy making. This also includes political and macroeconomic stability, prospects of growth, better usage of natural resources, defining property rights, policy making, establishing regulatory framework, as well as improving the quality of physical and social infrastructure (transport, communication, skilled labor, and public services).

The course will cover the following topics:

• The transition process in the Western Balkans (past, present and future);
• The role of development agencies and companies in fostering entrepreneurship;
• The EU open access policy and technology transfer in the SME (small to mid-sized enterprises) framework;
• Human capital as a basic premise of moving towards the knowledge- based society;
• The agricultural policy movement towards the EU Common Agricultural Policy;
• Eco-tourism and ethno tourism as factors of rural development;
• Creating values in inland waterways transport;
• Environment protection;
• Examples of regional resources exploitation (the river Danube Strategy, organic agriculture, slow food production, marina development, etc.)

Intended learning outcomes

• To develop an approach to problem - solving and generate original ideas on most effective utilization of available resources;
• To learn about benefits of regional cooperation (based on concrete examples and theoretic scenarios) and discover methods of achieving country and regional development through strengthened individual and institutional skills and knowledge;
• To identify most adequate economic reforms, changes and improvements in public policy and mechanisms for enhancing transparency and competition on the trajectory to EU;
• To learn about the EU financial assistance framework and ways of improving competitiveness, entrepreneurship, innovative potential, research and technological development;
• To get acquainted with the principal obstacles to investment while, at the same time, developing specific resource- based mechanisms to facilitate trade and investment in the region.

Venue: Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management, Novi Sad, Serbia

Number of ECTS credits: 3

Language of instruction: English

Further information: http://eng.fimek.edu.rs/summerschool/summer_school.html.

Source: Information provided by organisers.

Date:
From: 22 August 2011
To: 29 August 2011