Diaspora
Direct
Investments
26-27 September
ABOUT
ICMPD is an international, inter-governmental organisation working in the field of migration and established under public international law in 1993. ICMPD strives for comprehensive, sustainable and future-oriented migration governance, based on solid evidence and in partnership with all relevant stakeholders at national, regional and international levels. ICMPD’s work is based on three pillars: migration dialogues, fostering and supporting intergovernmental cooperation on migration; capacity building, contributing to good migration governance and strengthening national and regional capacities to address migration challenges; and research, supporting evidence-based migration policy making. ICMPD is committed to disseminating international best practices and facilitating the exchange of relevant experiences through local, regional and global events – as this event aims to do. Through the Regional Forum, we aim to promote knowledge sharing on diaspora direct investments in the Western Balkans region and to support network-building between experts. The forum will offer an opportunity to gather government officials from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia, topical experts as well as representatives from international organisations, academia, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations.
The Regional Forum will look at ways to leverage diaspora direct investments and see how a diaspora engagement strategy fits into a regional approach.
OBJECTIVES
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Exchange experiences, facilitate networking and the sharing of good practices from the region in the field of remittances, transnational entrepreneurship and diaspora investments;
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Identify measures to lower financial transaction costs through better use of modern technologies and innovative business models;
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Assess barriers for catalyzing diaspora investments and highlight opportunities for the region;
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Harness the information and lessons learnt to prepare the ground for a Link Up! follow-up project.
Forum
Speakers
Michael
Spindelegger
DIRECTOR GENERAL, ICMPD
Mr. Michael Spindelegger was appointed Director General of ICMPD as of 1 January 2016. He has extensive experience in international relations through his work in the Federal Government of the Republic of Austria. In 2000, he was elected as representative of Austria to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe where he led the Austrian delegation from 2002 to 2006. During this time period he represented Austria at conferences on migration issues. As Minister for European and International Affairs, Mr. Spindelegger worked closely with international organisations in the field of migration and contributed to the policy debate during the Third EU-Africa Summit in Tripoli. After Mr. Spindelegger was appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, he created a State Secretariat for Integration within the Austrian Federal Ministry of Interior.
Martin Ledolter
MANAGING DIRECTOR, AUSTRIAN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Martin Ledolter is a legal expert who has spent most of his professional life in politics, notably serving as a senior political advisor to the Vice Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet of the Austrian Foreign Ministry in the areas of development cooperation, social and health affairs.
Previous assignments included postings as Senior Political Officer in the Austrian Employees’ Association (ÖAAB), as Parliamentary Group Secretary of the Austrian People’s Party, and assignments with a number of law firms.
Martin Ledolter regularly lectures in International Corporate Health Law for post-graduate students at the University of Applied Sciences IMC Krems, Austria, and is a regular guest lecturer at the Vietnam University of Commerce in Hanoi.
In July 2013, Martin Ledolter was appointed as Managing Director of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the operational unit of the Austrian Development Cooperation. In this position he is responsible for the implementation of all bilateral programmes and projects of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) in eleven partner countries in three continents.
Kingsley Aikins
CEO, DIASPORA MATTERS
Diaspora Matters is a Dublin based consultancy company that advises countries, cities, regions, companies and organisations on how to develop strategies to connect with their Diasporas. He has worked with over 30 countries helping them develop strategies and devise policies, projects and programmes. He believes all countries possess Diaspora Capital which he defines as the overseas resources available to a country, city, location or organisation and is made up of flows of people, finance and knowledge. He produced an extensive Global Diaspora Strategies Toolkit and is a recognised expert on Networking. He is an Economics and Politics graduate of Trinity College Dublin and has a postgraduate diploma in export marketing. In his career he worked for 10 years for the Irish Trade Board and IDA Ireland and was based in Sydney, Australia. He then led The Ireland Funds for 21 years, mostly based in Boston USA. In his time with the Funds over a quarter of a billion dollars was raised for projects in Ireland. He was awarded a CBE for his work on Irish- British issues. He is Chairman of LinkedFinance, Ireland's first crowd funding company.
Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal
Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal
HEAD OF SECTION, FEDERAL MINISTRY FOR EUROPE, INTEGRATION AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal started his career at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1985 and has served in various functions since. He worked as Counsellor at the Embassy of Austria in New Delhi (accredited to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka), in Washingtong DC and in the Cabinet of the Federal President of Austria. Later on, he acted as Consul General in Los Angeles as well as Head of Department for Crisis Management and Citizens Service. His latest functions include those as a Head of Department for Press and Information Spokesman at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs; Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information at the United Nations in New York.
He is now the Director-General, Development Cooperation, Humanitarian Affairs at the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs in Vienna.
Edmond Ademi
MINISTER, MINISTER FOR DIASPORA AFFAIRS, THE FORMER
YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Edmond Ademi is Minister for Diaspora Affairs in the Government of the Republic of Macedonia. He has built his career through many working positions. From March to June 2016, he was named as special advisor to the Minister for Interior Affairs, Oliver Spasovski, with main task to coordinate the Ministry activity with the international community for dealing with the migrant crisis. He worked as a specialist for political communication for the American consulting company Pen, Schoen and Berland. From September 2006 to March 2009, he worked in the Embassy of USA in Macedonia, first as a specialist for media and public communication, and afterwards as an assistant to two USA Ambassadors in Macedonia, Gillian Milovanovic and Philip Reeker.
DEPUTY MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND EUROPEAN
INTEGRATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Daniela Morari
Daniela Morari is a career diplomat within the Moldovan Foreign Service and was appointed in March 2016 as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in charge of European Integration and Treaties/International Law. In 2015 – 2016 she worked as Director General for European Integration, in 2013-2015 as Deputy Director General of the General Directorate for European Integration, 2010-2013 as Head of Unit for Political Cooperation with EU within the same General Directorate. In 2007 - 2010, she was counselor within the Moldovan Mission to the EU. In 2004 - 2007, she served in the Department for European Integration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova.
Daniela Morari was part of the negotiating team and subsequently responsible for the overall coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement.
She was the national coordinator of the Visa Liberalisation Process and Mobility Partnership with EU.
Vera Vukićević
DEPUTY ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR CONSULAR AFFAIRS,
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
Mrs. Vera Vukicevic was appointed to the position of deputy assistant minister since the beginning of 2017. She has significant experience working with the Serbian Diaspora. Since 2002 she is a career diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. During her diplomatic career she performed responsible duties both in the Ministry and in the diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Serbia abroad. From 2003 to 2007 she performed the duties of a consul in the Consulate general of the Republic of Serbia in Graz, Austria. In the period from 2007 to 2011, she was the head of the Department for legal and human resources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As Consul general in the Zurich, Switzerland, from 2011 to 2013, she became acquainted with the problems of Serbian diaspora in Switzerland. In the Sector for Consular Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, among other things, deals with the issue of migration and diaspora, she has performed several responsible positions.
Selma Prodanovic
Selma Prodanovic is an internationally awarded entrepreneur, angel investor, and philanthropist. She is passionate about empowering people and creating the future.
She is the founder and Vice-President of the Austrian Angel Investors Association (AAIA) and Board Member of the European Business Angel Network (EBAN). With her company Brainswork, she supported over 400 startups and advised numerous global investors, corporations and organizations. Selma is the founder & CEO of 1MillionStartups platform providing global visibility and support to entrepreneurs dedicated to solving real-life problems. As an Austrian citizen, she was born in Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina), lived in several countries in Europe and North Africa and has been based in Vienna since 1991.
VICE-PRESIDENT, AUSTRIAN ANGEL INVESTORS ASSOCIATION
Selma Prodanovic
Selma Prodanovic is an internationally awarded entrepreneur, angel investor, and philanthropist. She is passionate about empowering people and creating the future.
She is the founder and Vice-President of the Austrian Angel Investors Association (AAIA) and Board Member of the European Business Angel Network (EBAN). With her company Brainswork, she supported over 400 startups and advised numerous global investors, corporations and organizations. Selma is the founder & CEO of 1MillionStartups platform providing global visibility and support to entrepreneurs dedicated to solving real-life problems. As an Austrian citizen, she was born in Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina), lived in several countries in Europe and North Africa and has been based in Vienna since 1991.
Günter Benischek
HEAD OF SOCIAL BANKING DEVELOPMENT, ERSTE BANK GROUP
Günter Benischek is the head of "Social Banking Development" at the Erste Bank Group of the oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG.
He has been working with the Erste Bank since 1974. After two decades of experience in branch sales, most recently as a branch manager, he took over the chairmanship of the council at Erste Bank in 1992, and continued until 2010 (with interruption). He has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Erste Bank. From 1996 to 1998, he directed the project EURO-conversion. From 1995 - 2010 he was also the chairman of the trade union for all bank employees in Austria and deputy chairman of the trade union of private sector employees (GPA). From 2005 to 2010, he was also chairman of the European Works Council of Erste Group. Since 2010, he heads "Social Banking Development". The aim of social banking at Erste Bank is to improve the social situation of people living in Austria to better access banking services. Since 2.1.2014, Mr Benischek has served as a member of the Executive Board of the Second Savings Bank.
Elfriede Sixt
FOUNDER, FINTECH ACADEMY, EXPERT ON BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY
Elfriede Sixt: CPA, auditor, author of the book 'Bitcoin and other decentral transaction systems: blockchains as basis for a crypto economy' (in German), and business angel focused on tech startups, innovative business models and regulatory issues.
Bistra Kumbaroska
Regional Program Coordinator, Impact Innovator, Poet, Impact Hub Vienna
Co-founder of international youth network Mladiinfo International and the first impact accelerator in Macedonia, Social Impact Lab, Bistra is best described as a community innovator, entrepreneur and a poet. She spends her time inspiring, witnessing and supporting courageous steps made by humans, combining innovative tools for impact and entrepreneurship In 2008, she became one of the core drivers of a movement that resulted with today's most popular youth web portal in CEE Region: Mladi Info (www.mladiinfo.com), enabling hundreds of young people to get access to free education, mobility and grants in a fully transparent way. Her passion for entrepreneurship took her on a journey through Europe, Sub-Sahara Africa, and South-East Asia, supporting young people to create meaningful jobs for themselves. At the moment she lives in Austria, where she is regional program manager for Social Impact Award and Investment Ready Program, enabling social entrepreneurs in CEE region to build or scale their social start-ups. She has organized, facilitated and shared her experience at more than 130 international conferences and summits so far.
Malin Frankenhaeuser
HEAD, POLICY UNIT/DIRECTORATE FOR POLICY, RESEARCH AND STRATEGY, ICMPD
Malin Frankenhaeuser heads ICMPD’s newly established Policy Unit, leading the organisation’s work on migration policy analysis and development, engagement and collaboration. Prior to this she was responsible for developing the activities of the Migration and Development Competence Centre, which to a large extent consisted of working with both governments and diaspora associations in finding new and better ways to enhance diaspora engagement and outreach. After eleven years of working in the field of migration, her areas of expertise ranges from comprehensive migration governance issues, regional mobility, policy coherence and the migration-development nexus, to integrated border management and irregular migration. She has been involved in capacity building projects, studies, policy analysis, as well as global and regional migration and development dialogues. Before joining ICMPD in 2006, she worked for a human rights foundation managing grants to CSOs in East Africa and South Asia, and also did a brief spell with the EU Delegation to the OSCE. She holds a Master of Social Science in peace and conflict research from Uppsala University.
Valerie Wolff
PROJECT MANAGER, ICMPD
Valerie Wolff is an economist specialised in entrepreneurship and diaspora direct investments. As part of ICMPD’s Policy, Research and Strategy Directorate, she advises and oversees projects in her field of expertise. Prior to this, she worked as a researcher with the United Nations Development Group and managed projects, including with the UN Kosovo Team in Kosovo, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Ms Wolff started as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras in the area of SME development (2002-2004). As she is passionate about making good and impactful business ideas grow, she has been advising and supporting SMEs in Honduras, USA and Austria. She is the founding member of COMYSTAL and VELLO bike.
Vesna Dimitrijević
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, DIJASPORA MEDIA/IDEAPRO
Vesna Dimitrijević is the author and host of numerous TV shows covering issues of Serbian diaspora living in Austria. In 2011, the European Society for Education and Communication (ESEC) awarded her the "Erasmus Euro Media Awards" for "Diaspora Live", for outstanding quality and educational value in addressing European society and contributing to its development. She is the president of the Association for Intercultural Communication and Integration "Diaspora Media“, and editor-in-chief of the web portal www.dijaspora.tv .
Vesna Dimitrijevic is one of the founders of new business and media center IDEAHOUSE in which activities of economic, cultural, media exchange and cooperation with a special emphasis on Balkan countries. Organization "Diaspora Media" is a media partner in the realization of conferences, presentations, seminars, round tables and a number of other activities for the purpose of promoting Serbian economy and culture in Austria and Serbian diaspora living in Austria.
Svetlana Milutinović
RESEARCHER, CONSULTANT, ICMPD
Svetlana Milutinovic is an international expert in the field of transnational migration studies.
Being a sinologist and a social anthropologist, she is interested in the migratory flows of people, ideas and knowledge between the East and the West. Recently, she has been especially focused on transnational entrepreneurship. She has conducted some pioneer research on the Chinese transnational entrepreneurs in the region of Southeast Europe, as well as on the Serbian transnational entrepreneurship, having her papers published by the most prominent international publishers.
Her work experience also includes teaching and various managerial positions spanning different state institutions, the EU projects and NGOs. She is currently based in Belgrade, Serbia.
REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR WESTERN BALKANS AND TURKEY,
MIGRATION DIALOGUES AND COOPERATION, ICMPD
Tamer KILIÇ holds the position of the Regional Coordinator of ICMPD for Western Balkans and Turkey Regional Office. Mr.Kılıç served with the United Nations and European Union Missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2001-2012 in various functions, focusing on overall security sector issues as well as migration, asylum and border management matters. Before that, he worked at the Ministry of Interior, Turkish National Police between 1995-2001 in the field of Migration, Asylum and Border Management. He holds a graduate degree from the Faculty of Law,Ankara University.
Tamer Kilić
Roland Bimo
H.E. AMBASSADOR, ALBANIAN EMBASSY IN AUSTRIA
Roland Bimo is an electronic engineer specialized in Information Technology (from 'Qing Hua' University, Bejing) and also a graduate of History with a doctorate thesis on 'Albania and the new security architecture'. His first work experience was with the Albanian state oil company 'Fier' as an engineer for processing seismic information. In 1982 he decided to join the Foreign Service of Albania, and has served since in Tirana, Bejing, Warsaw, Washington DC, Budapest, Brasilia, amongst other. Between 2010-2012, he was Director of the Albanian National Institute of Diaspora at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later engaged as Diplomatic Adviser to the Chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania.
Isma Stanić
HEAD OF UNIT FOR ECONOMIC, EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC
AND CULTURAL COOPERATION, MINISTRY OF HUMAN RIGHTS
AND REFUGEES, SECTOR FOR DIASPORA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
Isma Stanic is the Head of Unit for Economic, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation with Diaspora in the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina (since October 2008). She holds a B.A. degree in Oriental Studies and master's degree in Gender Equality, with master thesis on gender and migration. She has extensive experience working on Diaspora issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Within the scope of work, she participated in many conferences, seminars, working and expert groups on diaspora and mainstreaming the concept on migration and development into relevant policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She contributed to the drafting of the Policy on Cooperation with Diaspora of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted in April 2017.
Kushtrim Sheremeti
CHIEF OF CABINET, MINISTRY OF DIASPORA, KOSOVO*
Famous actor and TV/Film producer based in Kosovo who for a long time served as a civil society activist in the field of culture youth and media. His latest engagement: working as a Chief of Cabinet and Senior Political Adviser of the Minister of Diaspora in the government of Kosovo (Mr. Valon Murati).
Milica Rebić
COORDINATOR FOR MIGRATION AND DIASPORA COOPERATION
GIZ SERBIA
Milica Rebić has been working as a Coordinator for Migration and Diaspora for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH since October 2017.
As a seasoned professional with a focus on project management and partnership building she has been working over 10 years for international development organizations and non-profits on such subjects as migration, education and employment.
Her work within a global GIZ Program Migration for Development is focused on knowledge sharing through development-oriented migration. As a part of her portfolio, she coordinates the program components "Cooperation with diaspora" and "Service for Returning Experts in the Republic of Serbia".
Ardian Spahiu
PROJECT MANAGER, UNDP Kosovo
Ardian Spahiu has been serving as Project Manager of the Diaspora Engagement in Economic Development (DEED) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kosovo since 1 June 2013. Mr. Spahiu has a professional background of almost 20 years with a national and international track record-based experience, combined in the fields of Programme and Project Management, Strategic Capacity Building and Development, QA/QC and M&E - of which almost 17 years include international organizations such as CARITAS, OSCE, US/DOJ, UNDP and USAID. After 3 years with the OSCE and 1 year with US/DOJ, in 2004 he was seconded by OSCE as the Capacity Bulding Adviser and later as Governance Adviser with the UNDP to the Ofice of the Prime Minister of Kosovo. In 2009, he was apointed as the Vice Consul of Kosovo in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Prior to the current position, he served for 2 years as Programme Specialist for M&E with USAID in Kosovo.
Sanjin Arifagic
Chief of Party, USAID Harnessing BiH Diaspora for Economic Development Activity, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sanjin heads the USAID Diaspora Invest project that helps leverage diaspora’s input into policy-making, provides technical assistance and grants to diaspora investors, and enables sustainable local platforms to connect diaspora investors and local businesses. Before joining USAID, Sanjin was the SEE 2020 Coordinator at the Regional Cooperation Council and led efforts to develop and implement economic cooperation projects between RCC’s 13 SEE participating governments. He also managed a boutique investment bank in the SEE region, worked as a business development officer and project manager at the IFC/The World Bank group, and consulted for IBM Management Consulting Services and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has in-depth experience in the public and private sector throughout South East Europe with expertise in economic development, privatization, restructuring, corporate governance, and financial advisory.
Brendan Filipovski
RESEARCH MANAGER, MACEDONIA 2025
Brendan is the Research Manager at Macedonia 2025. He is tasked with transforming Macedonia2025 into a respected research centre. He is also a key advisor on diaspora issues. Prior to Macedonia 2025, Brendan worked for Australia’s central bank for over 10 years, in the areas of payment system policy, risk management, and asset-backed securities. He has also worked for the Australian department of industry, and a small hedge fund. Brendan has a Bachelor of Economics (with Honours in Applied Economics) and a Bachelor of Commerce from the Australian National University; and a Masters in Political Economy from the University of Sydney.
Lukas Gehrke
DIRECTOR, POLICY, RESEARCH AND STRATEGY DIRECTORATE,
ICMPD
Lukas is responsible for ICMPD’s migration policy programme, research and strategy development, knowledge management as well as for External Relations. He is in charge of ICMPD’s expertise development and knowledge management; moreover, he holds responsibility for strategy and policy analysis in all areas of migration, migration management
and governance questions, migration and development, legal migration, asylum and protection as well as border management, irregular migration, migrant smuggling and trafficking, as well as social cohesion and integration.
From 2010 to 2016, as Director of Southern Dimension at ICMPD, Lukas had the overall responsibility for ICMPD’s operations in Africa, Middle East and Gulf, Central and Latin America, as well as thematic responsibility for asylum and protection, migration and development, and labour migration and integration programmes.
Konstantin Bekos
REGIONAL DIRECTOR SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE
AUSTRIAN FEDERAL ECONOMIC CHAMBER/
ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA
Konstantin first started in the Department of Trade Policy and Foreign Trade at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber before taking up the function as Commercial Atttaché in Warsaw, Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt am Main. He has placed a strong emphasis in his work on web-based infosystems and services, which he could carry out for the Foreign Trade Department, Section of Technology and later ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. Next to this, he also served as Commercial Counsellor in Riyadh, Bratislava and more recently in Ankara in charge of Turkey and Georgia. Since August 2016, he is the Regional Director for Southeastern Europe for ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.
HEAD OF UNIT, Private Sector and Development, AUSTRIAN
DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Gunter Schall
Gunter Schall heads the unit Private Sector and Development of the Austrian Development Agency, the operational unit of Austrian Development Cooperation. He is responsible for both, private sector development in partner countries and the engagement of Austrian private sector in development cooperation. Before joining Austrian Development Agency he was working at the Federation of German Industries (BDI) where he was responsible for international trade and development policy issues. Gunter Schall holds a Ph.D. in Economics.
Miljenka Plazonić Bogdan
FACILITATOR/HR CONSULTANT
Miljenka Plazonić Bogdan is a professional facilitator and HR consultant. She is using participatory group processes as an engine in establishing long-term collaboration and creating solutions for further development and growth of the organizations. She is working across sectors, with many years of experience in the profit and non-profit sector.
Miljenka is an active member of the Art of Hosting (www.artofhosting.org) network since the early stages of the network. She is one of the cofounders of the Impact Hub Zagreb, the first Croatian co-working space and a community for development of entrepreneurs, that promotes entrepreneurship and its positive social influence.
Miljenka lives in Zagreb and works in the EMEA region, as a facilitator through her company Šesti oblik (www.sestioblik.hr) and as an international HR consultant through the ITO United Change consulting network (www.ito.co.at/en).
DAY 1
Tuesday, 26 September. Location: Hofburg
08:30-09:00
Registration and Coffee
09:00-09:15
Welcome Remarks
Michael Spindelegger, Director General, International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)
Martin Ledolter, Managing Director, Austrian Development Agency (ADA)
09:15-09:50
Keynote address: Diaspora Matters
Kingsley Aikins, CEO, Diaspora Matters
09:50-10:50
Panel Discussion: Remittances as a Catalyst for Investments?
Chair: Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Head of Section, Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Austria
Edmond Ademi, Minister, Minister for Diaspora Affairs, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Daniela Morari, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Republic of Moldova
Vera Vukićević, Deputy Assistant Minister for Consular Affairs, Republic of Serbia
10:50-11:30
Coffee Break and Family Photo
11:30-12:30
Panel: Financial Inclusion and the Digital Transformation
Chair: Selma Prodanovic, Vice-President, Austrian Angel Investors Association and Board Member of the European Business Angel Network
Günter Benischek, Head of Social Banking Development, Erste Bank Group
Elfriede Sixt, Fintech Academy, Blockchain Technology
Bistra Kumbaroska, Regional Program Coordinator, Impact Hub Vienna
Q&A
12:30-13:30
Lunch
13:30-14:00
Presentation: Global Policy Discussions - Remittances, Investment and Development
Malin Frankenhaeuser, Head, Policy Unit/ Directorate for Policy, Research and Strategy, ICMPD
Q&A
14:00-14:30
Presentation: ICMPD Study on Facilitating Diaspora Investments to Serbia
Chair: Valerie Wolff, Project Manager, ICMPD
Vesna Dimitrijević, editor-in-chief, Dijaspora Media/IDEAPRO, Austria
Svetlana Milutinović, Researcher, Serbia
Q&A
14:30-16:00
Global Reach with Local Needs: Business Opportunities and Challenges
Chair: Tamer Kilić, Regional Coordinator Western Balkans and Turkey, Migration Dialogues and Cooperation, ICMPD
Roland Bimo, H.E. Ambassador, Albanian Embassy in Austria
Isma Stanić, Head of Unit for Economic, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation, Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, Sector for Diaspora, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Kushtrim Sheremeti, Chief of Cabinet, Ministry of Diaspora, Kosovo*
Q&A
16:00-16:15
Coffee Break
16:15-17:15
Entrepreneurship and Investments: Mobilising and Engaging Diasporas
Chair: Valerie Wolff, Project Manager, ICMPD
Milica Rebić, Coordinator for migration and diaspora cooperation, GIZ Serbia
Ardian Spahiu, Project Manager, UNDP Kosovo*
Sanjin Arifagic, Chief of Party, USAID Harnessing BiH Diaspora for Economic Development Activity, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brendan Filipovski, Research Manager, Macedonia 2025
Q&A
17:15-17:30
Closing Remarks
Lukas Gehrke, Director, Policy, Research and Strategy Directorate, ICMPD
18:30- open end
Invitation-only dinner at the Augustiner Keller
DAY 2
Wednesday, 27 September. Location: Austrian Chamber of Commerce
IN FOCUS: SERBIA
WORKSHOP ON DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES (8:30 – 13:30)
Day 2 will focus on specific opportunities and challenges in the field of diaspora investments in relation to Serbia. It should provide a venue to openly discuss this topic and to brainstorm about a project that could stimulate private sector growth and diaspora engagement in Serbia. The Link Up! Serbia study shall provide the basis for this discussion.
*08:30-09:00
Registration and coffee
09:00-09:10
Welcome remarks
H.E Ambassador Pero Janković, Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Austria
Konstantin Bekos, Regional Director for Southeastern Europe, Advantage Austria, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, ADVANTAGE Austria
Valerie Wolff, Project Manager, ICMPD
09:10-09:20
Borislav Kapetanović
Key message from the Serbian Umbrella Association in Austria
09:20-10:20
Agenda announcements & Introductions of participants from Serbia
10:20-10:30
Presentation of the results of the study and main recommended measures
10:30: 10:50
Coffee break and family photo
10:50-11:45
Group discussions I: Opportunities and benefits of measures for local communities – getting diverse perspectives
11:45-12:15
Group discussions II: Recommendations - Priority measures and actions that can be taken/ Next steps and future involvement, with presentations and open discussion
12:15-12:40
Presentation from each table
12:40-12:50
Open discussion
12:50-13:00
Formal closing
Gunter Schall, Head of Unit, Private Sector and Development, Austrian Development Agency
13:00-13:30
Lunch
The
Agenda
The
Venues
Location of the forum venues
DAY 1 - 26.09.2017
08:30-17:30
HOFBURG, Heldenplatz, 1010 Vienna, Austria
(Entrance to the OSCE Permanent Council).
5th floor, room 533
DAY 2 - 27.09.2017
08:30-13:30
AUSTRIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Wiedner Hauptrstr. 63, 1040 Vienna
Conference room 7, mezzanine floor
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