ReSPA once again took an active role at the Student Professional Practice in Public Administration Fair, held today in Belgrade and organised by the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government. This year, Director Maja Handjiska-Trendafilova was joined by Jelena Mrdak, Programme Manager, further strengthening ReSPA’s presence at this flagship youth-oriented event.

Hosted in a hybrid format at the National Academy of Public Administration and via the virtual platform “Administration Tailored to All of Us”, the Fair opened with remarks from Minister Snežana Paunović. A highlight of the event was the signing of the 2025/2026 Cooperation Programme, reinforcing the state’s strong commitment to partnering with universities in preparing future public servants. The “Partner of the Year” Award Ceremony recognised institutions that have made exceptional contributions to student engagement - an honour ReSPA proudly received last year.

This year, ReSPA contributed to the panel “Talent Management in Public Administration - Regional Examples of Good Practice”, where Director Handjiska-Trendafilova showcased ReSPA’s expanding role in helping Western Balkan administrations attract, develop and retain young professionals. She outlined three pillars of support: evidence and research, including ReSPA’s regional study on talent management; capacity building for managers and HR professionals and regional exchange, with Serbia’s Student Professional Practice in Public Administration Fair highlighted as an inspiring example for the region.

Handjiska-Trendafilova also emphasised her personal commitment to elevating the voice of young people in regional dialogue and presenting public administration as a meaningful career choice. She noted that the region is facing a crucial moment: “administrations urgently need fresh, skilled public servants, while today’s graduates are educated, digitally fluent and value-driven - eager to contribute when given transparent opportunities.”

“We in ReSPA will continue expanding youth-focused activities such as Seasonal School on Talent Management, strengthening Leadership Academy, and new practice-oriented initiatives such as challenge labs, fellowships and innovation projects will all support this mission,” she stated, underlining also the importance of connecting young people with EU and international institutions through study visits, joint events and expert networks.

Finally, Director’s encouraging message to the students considering public service was straightforward: Public administration needs you. It needs your knowledge, your digital skills, your energy and, above all, your values. The public administration of tomorrow will be what your generation decides to make of it.

In her intervention, Jelena Mrdak highlighted concrete regional examples of good practice and stressed the importance of embedding such programmes into strategic HRM and public administration reform frameworks, empowering mentors and managers who work directly with students, and measuring real outcomes rather than counting internship placements. She also underlined the need to maintain strong partnerships with universities and students, and to actively communicate success stories that motivate young people to see public administration as a meaningful career path. As she concluded, “the sustainability of good practices depends not on how many internships we organize, but on how deeply these initiatives become part of the culture of public administration – shaping how we think about young people, talent development, and the future professionalism of our institutions.”

Through strong partnerships with educational institutions and regional actors, the 2025/2026 Fair once again underscored Serbia’s commitment to nurturing a new generation of motivated, capable and forward-thinking civil servants.