Anđela Šemić
Education: BA in Political Science – International Relations, module European Integration
Period of Internship: July – September 2021 (at the Centre for Contemporary Politics in Belgrade, Serbia)
During my internship, I had the opportunity to work on the project “Civil society for good governance and anti-corruption in Southeast Europe: Capacity building for monitoring, advocacy and awareness-raising (SELDI)”. Being engaged in the project, I was assigned to conduct research in the fight against corruption and to write analyses and reports in this field. I had the chance to communicate with other civil society organisations engaged in the region and to contribute to producing comparative studies in anti-corruption. I organised but also took part in high-level conferences as well as training and seminars planned as part of the project. I worked in a supportive environment, in which teamwork and availability were the main characteristics. All this has qualified me to get a better understanding of the issue of corruption in the Western Balkan region and the advantages of regional cooperation among governments and CSOs in the fight against it, as well. Considering the knowledge I gained and the skills I developed, the internship was a worthwhile experience and a wonderful opportunity to learn. After the internship, I remained working at the Centre for Contemporary Politics as a Project Assistant on this project. Thus, without a doubt, I would truly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their comprehension and expertise in the fight against corruption in the region.
Eva Juric
Education: Double Masters in European Integration and European Construction, University of Belgrade and European Academic Center of Nancy; Master in Law, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris
Period of Internship: March 29 – May 25, 2018 (at the Center for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria)
My experience working for CSD was a truly wonderful learning experience. During my two months at the Center for the Study of Democracy, as a part of a longer internship for SELDI, a network of which CSD is the secretariat, I worked for the Economic Program. Among the tasks I was assigned were in-depth research, writing, or preliminary research on topics like Russian influence on the Western Balkans, and undeclared work, both very interesting. I was also given the opportunity to take part in high-level conferences as well as a training at another NGO’s venue.
The team at CSD is so welcoming, available to answer questions and eager to involve the interns that you feel comfortable since day one. I was lucky to experience first-hand the work of a civil society organisation, especially in the great learning conditions that are laid out for the interns: supervisors, employees and interns altogether participate in the exchange of ideas and a daily forging of opinions. Without a doubt, I encourage students in the field to spend some time at CSD, if possible, longer than I could. Thank you again for everything!
Anika Heinmaa
Education: Undergraduate Degree in Political Science with Honours and a Minor in History, Dalhousie University, Canada; Undergraduate Degree in Political Science, McGill University, Canada
Period of Internship: 25 May – 11 August 2016 (at the Center for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria)
I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity for an internship with the CSD. I was a part of the Economic Programme, and aided with a number of projects with regards to my specialisation in anti-corruption. The team here was very supportive and communicated effectively with me in order to give me projects in-line with my research interests, which greatly contributed to my professional development here. I provided updates for data and the SELDI newsletter, as well as conducted research and provided support on topics such as anti-corruption in the education sector, corruption in the energy sector, and the impact of EU conditionality on anti-corruption in Bulgaria. The highly-connected nature of the CSD to other CSOs in the region working in anti-corruption, especially through SELDI, also contributed to my wider knowledge and understanding. The knowledge and experience I gained through my work here has proven to be indispensable, as helping with such relevant and challenging projects gave me a lot of inspiration for my upcoming master’s dissertation.
Nicolás Oliveri
Education: Master’s Degree in Applied Economics, University of Alicante, Spain
Period of Internship: 2 June 2014 – 8 January 2015 (at the Center for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria)
I interned at the Economic Program of CSD during six months in 2014. Within the Economic Program, I was involved in the Southeast Europe Leadership for Development and Integrity (SELDI) network, which includes CSOs from nine countries in South-East Europe. Ruslan Stefanov, both my tutor and Director of the Economic Program, and his colleagues allowed me to be fully integrated in the team. It was a great experience to work both autonomously and within a team. I truly recommend this internship program if you are looking forward to working with leading researchers in the field of anti-corruption, organized crime, Civil Society Organizations in SEE and European integration.