WHO ARE WE?
Public Policy Research Center (CENTER) is a team of innovative researchers and digital enthusiasts deliberating on the future of work in Serbia, as well as inclusive security and the creation of sustainable partnerships focused on social change. The CENTER was founded in year 2010 as an independent think tank aiming to contribute to the development of a sustainable, prosperous and just society in which the opinions and concerns of all citizens are equally heard and appreciated.
The CENTER strongly believes that the future of work should be addressed immediately if Serbia desires to keep a high quality of employment legacies in place. The future transformation will depend on today’s responses of policy-makers, business leaders, and workers in Serbia.
FOW2019
The second national conference “The Future of Work – Visions in Conflict” (FOW2019) will discuss a range of prospects for the future of Serbia in the light of international organisations’ opposing views of government and corporate accountability for the welfare of workers in the emerging knowledge-based economy. FOW2019 debates the following questions: what policies are needed to promote the development of the new economy in Serbia whilst ensuring dignified work? What are the likely outcomes if choosing the wrong path? If you find these issues inspiring, join us on 4 and 5 December 2019 in the Mata Milošević Hall at Belgrade’s Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade.
AGENDA
15:00 – 15:40 Registration of participants and refreshments
15:40 – 15:50 Welcome Note
15:50 – 16:30 Keynote Address
16:30 – 17:30 Plenary Session, Part I | Confronting visions, conflicting policies – top – down perspective
The opening session will provide a critical overview of the differences between key global stakeholder visions of the future of work. Broadly, the session will unfold different perspectives on the likely effects of the ongoing technological revolution and globalization on economic outlooks, job creation and retention, and relations between employees, businesses and the state, and how related policies should change in response to these effects.
Among the questions to be discussed are: How much scope is there in the definition of decent work? What are the root assumptions driving the differences in labor-regulation visions? How do the two approaches ensure social cohesion? Or are the concepts of social cohesion the ones that differ? Are there any likely entries for the convergence of these two visions? To what an extent will countries be able to remain sovereign in pursuing their values and policies in the context of the new global business models and globalization of work?
17:30 – 17:55 Networking Coffee Break
17:55 – 18:55 Plenary Session, Part II | What is the future of work in the Western Balkans countries: European visions in the mirror
The session revolves around three interconnected issues. The first deals with the ongoing debate of the ability of Europe to keep pace with technological advancements in Asia and related labour cost efficiency without sacrificing labour rights and the welfare state. The second concerns the repercussion of Europe’s choices on the future of the Western Balkans (WB), and the third is related to ability of WB countries to use – or lose – their human capital.
The following questions will be tackled: Is the EU able to create a unified approach to the challenges posed by the digital transformation to workers’ rights? How do new EU Member States cope with the digital transformation and the future of work context? What do out-migrations of the workforce from the WB region tell us about changes to the technological landscape and the emerging digital divide between countries? Who or what might be driving forces for the transformation of WB and Serbian economy from labour-intensive to high value-added knowledge-based economy?
18:55 – 20:30 Reception (cocktail & finger food)
End of Day One
9: 30 – 10: 25 Session One | Bottom-up view: Who has the last word?
The session will address the same question as the Opening conference session, yet in the opposite direction, namely what happens if and when the contrasting visions of the global stakeholders need to be translated and operationalised at the national economy level. The session will discuss possible futures of work, Serbia’s economic outlooks, job creation and retention, relations between employees, businesses and the state and effects of these changes on relevant policies.
The following questions will be debated: What are the common denominators in policies proposed by the IMF, WB, ILO, and EU to the Serbian Government? How do they (such as industrial policy, tax policy, reforms in education, social security and labour legislation, etc.) affect the decent work agenda of today? What kind of policies are needed for the future to “leave no one behind”?
10:25 – 11:05 Speed Debating | How do we fit?
The speed debate will address one question: How should the values of the decent work agenda enshrined in the Serbian Labour law be rewritten in line with the needs of the companies and workers in new types of businesses? Based on their own experience with business processes, the interlocutors will debate on how they cope with fitting workers’ rights into new business agendas.
11:05 – 11:30 Networking Coffee Break
11:30 – 12:25 Session Two | Bottom-up view: Letters from reality
The aim of this session is to offer a view on changes to the nature of work coming from practice, companies, and employees, in the context of digital transformation and Industry 4.0. The session will focus on the dynamics of human capital and its creation mechanisms, significance, and typologies, including supply and demand of digital competencies and relevant gaps in local labour markets. It will, thus, address issues surrounding the development and transformations of human capital needed for the economy of the future and a thriving society.
The panellists will debate the following questions: What is the state of digital competences among Serbian workers? What kind of human capital is needed for what kind of economy of the future? How do companies invest in human capital, informal education, and employee training? How to reduce inequality and close the gap between two “classes” of workers: the ones who possess skills that are in high demand and those with fewer skills?
12:25 – 13:05 Speed Debating | Who is After my Head?
Based on their own insights, the interlocutors will discuss one question: How to identify the right talent and what is the role of HR in the new economy?
13:05 – 14:10 Light Lunch
14:10 – 15:15 Session Three | Bottom-up view: In light of changing labour market do we have to rethink social protection system?
The session will debate the rise in non-standard forms of employment (NSFE) and their consequences on the social security system.
The panellists will discuss the following issues: What are the limitations of the existing labour law and how should it be fixed to accommodate new needs of employers and employees? How to ensure the quality and sustainability of the state health care system, social protection and the state pension system? Who should bear the cost of changing labour market in need for new skills?
15:15 – 16:00 Vote for the Future! (Closing session)
speakers
Jelena Zarkovic Rakic
Associate Professor Faculty of Economics University of Belgrade
Vladan Ivanovic
Vice Dean for International Cooperation, Faculty of Economics, Kragujevac
Tanja Jakobi
Executive Director Public Policy Researach Center
Sasa Popovic
Cofounder and Director Vega IT Sourcing
Paul Stubbs
Senior research fellow The Institute of Economics, Zagreb
Aleksandar Vidojevic
Finance and Administration Director Heads Adriatic
Senad Jasarevic
President Labour Law and Social Security Association of Serbia
Zarko Sunderic
Director Center for Social Policy
Ana Martinoli
Associate Professor Faculty of Dramatic Arts
Sava Marinkovic
Cofounder mySkin, ScanZ, Teleskin
Jovan Protic
National Coordinator International Labour Organization Serbia
Sreten Vranic
Social banking department Erste Bank, Novi Sad
Jana Novohradska
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for investment and informatisation Slovak Republic
Carsten Vollrath
CEO at Swiss IPG Partners Group AG
Sonja Avlijas
Researcher Researcher, Paris Institute of Political Studies
Kori Udovicki
Founder and President Center for Advanced Economic Studies (CEVES)
Ekkehard Ernst
Future of work and AI specialist International Labor Organization ILO
Francine Pickup
Resident Representative, UNDP Serbia
Indie Johar
Social entrepreneur, architect and futurist
Branka Anđelkovic
Co-founder and the Program Director Public Policy Research Center
Jasminka Čekić-Marković
Director, Centre for Educational PoliciesPRODUCTS
About the Faculty of Dramatic Arts
For over a decade, the Belgrade Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU) has been focusing on the application of digital technologies in the arts, culture, and the media. In addition to computer and 3D animation, the school offers courses in video games, virtual reality, and digital media theory. The FDU’s Interactive Arts Lab has become widely recognised for the wealth of experience it offers both teachers and students.
The FDU offers an inter-disciplinary master’s course of study in Digital Transformation of the Media and Culture, which allows students to gain a broad range of varied knowledge in the digital realm whilst also giving them a comprehensive set of skills required for actively contributing to today’s media and culture. The school intends to remain committed to improving its learning outcomes by enhancing its technical capacities and developing new courses, as dictated by emerging trends in the arts and media markets.
