After the assassination on Zoran Djindjic, Serbia’s Prime Minister in 2003, the Eastern Committee of German Economy in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development and the Zoran Djindjic Fund, initiated the Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme. The goal was to preserve the legacy of Prime Minister Djindjic and to bring Serbia and its people closer to the European Union. The internship programme offers young Serbian professionals the possibility to gain practical experience in leading German companies and at the same time it strengthens the economic relations between Serbia and Germany.

In 2007, after three very successful years, the Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme of German Business was extended to the other countries of the Western Balkans.

Within the framework of the Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme, young graduates and students complete three to six months long internships in leading German companies and they get an insight in German business culture. After their stay in Germany, the students will use their experience and contacts to support the reconstruction in their home countries. The programme serves to intensify the regional reconciliation, economic relations and create a cross-sectoral network of young, cosmopolitan professionals in the region.