Organisation of Serbian Students Abroad
{| class="infobox" style="width: 23em; font-size: 85%;"
|+ style="font-size: larger;" | '''Organisation of Serbian Students Abroad (OSSI)'''
<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding:16px 0;">[[Image:LogoOSSI.png|300px]]</td></tr>
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Type
| [[Student society]]
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Founded
| 1997
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Location
| [[Serbia]]
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Leaders
| Stefan Stefanovic ([[University of Heidelberg]]), President<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Srbija/Radna-mesta-u-Srbiji-za-studente-iz-dijaspore.sr.html |title=Србија : Радна места у Србији за студенте из дијаспоре : ПОЛИТИКА |publisher=Politika.rs |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=S. Babović |url=http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/planeta.70.html:296458-Pamet-u-svetu-zemlja-u-srcu |title=Pamet u svetu, zemlja u srcu | Planeta | Novosti |publisher=Novosti.rs |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref><br>Ana Ranitovic (Oxford University), General Secretary
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Field
| [[Students' union]]
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Purpose
| Connecting Serbian students abroad<ref>{{Cite web|author=I. Mićević |url=http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/planeta.70.html:295417-Srbija-ostala-u-srcima |title=Srbija ostala u srcima | Planeta | Novosti |publisher=Novosti.rs |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Members
| about 600 worldwide
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Website
| [http://www.ossi.rs www.ossi.rs]
|}
The '''Organisation of Serbian Students Abroad''' ('''OSSI'''; Serbian: '''Организација српских студената у иностранству'''; '''Осси''') is a [[Non-profit organization|non-profit]], non-governmental organisation led by [[Serbs|Serbian]] students worldwide, with more than 600 members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://znanje.infostud.com/organizacije/Organizacija_srpskih_studenata_u_inostranstvu-OSSI/144 |title=Studentske i omladinske organizacije - Organizacija srpskih studenata u inostranstvu - OSSI |publisher=Znanje.infostud.com |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>.
The principal goal of OSSI is to support and strengthen the community of Serbian students in the [[diaspora]]<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ossi.rs/index.php?action=about_vision |title=Organizacija srpskih studenata u inostranstvu - Vizija OSSI-ja |publisher=Ossi.rs |date=23 June 2010 |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref> by forming an extensive and dense network of local branches of its students at [[university|universities]] around the world.
==History==
OSSI was founded by a group of Serbian students studying in Europe and North America in mid-July 1997. Among these students was the current [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Serbia)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] of the Republic of [[Serbia]], [[Vuk Jeremić]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/16/world/europe/16jeremic.html | work=The New York Times | first=Nicholas | last=Kulish | title=Recasting Serbia's Image, Starting With a Fresh Face | date=16 January 2010}}</ref><ref>http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/afet/dv/200/200911/2009115cvvukjeremicen.pdf</ref>, who was then completing a degree at [[Harvard University]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hks.harvard.edu/kokkalis/news.html |title=Kokkalis Program |publisher=Hks.harvard.edu |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>. OSSI was virtually inactive from 2002 until 2007 when it was reactivated. As of June 2010, the organisation numbers more than 600 members around the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ossi.rs/index.php?action=about_history |title=Organizacija srpskih studenata u inostranstvu - Istorija OSSI-ja |publisher=Ossi.rs |date=23 June 2010 |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>
==Organisation==
Local branches are the principal units of organisation of OSSI and the focal points of its influence. Eight local branches have been implemented, in universities such as [[Harvard University|Harvard]], [[Oxford University|Oxford]] and [[Donghua University]] of Shanghai.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ossi.rs/index.php?action=local |title=Organizacija srpskih studenata u inostranstvu - Lokalni ogranci |publisher=Ossi.rs |date=23 June 2010 |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>
According to OSSI’s [[mission statement]], its members conduct all activity while respecting the uniqueness of cultures, [[community|communities]] and universities in which they live, constantly incorporating knowledge gained into the development of OSSI and its local branches. OSSI aims to be the most extensive, competent and information wealthy network of Serbian students abroad.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.studiob.rs/info/vest.php?id=54200 |title=Studio B :: Vesti :: Počinje realizacija projekta Upoznaj državu Srbiju |publisher=Studiob.rs |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>
==Activities==
One of the chief activities of OSSI seeks to organise internships and placements for its members in both the private and public sector in [[Serbia]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vesti-online.com/Dijaspora/drzava/Nemacka/Vesti/58225/Letnja-praksa-u-Srbiji-za-studente-iz-dijaspore- |title=Letnja-praksa-u-Srbiji-za-studente-iz-dijaspore |publisher=Vesti-online.com |date=27 May 2010 |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=“” |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OQU09bKsT4 |title=Podrsticaj studentima u inostranstvu |publisher=YouTube |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref> including the [[Government of the Republic of Serbia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mzd.gov.rs/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=2&cid=1193 |title=Ministarstvo za dijasporu Vlade Republike Srbije |publisher=Mzd.gov.rs |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Srbija/Radna-mesta-u-Srbiji-za-studente-iz-dijaspore.lt.html |title=Radna-mesta-u-Srbiji-za-studente-iz-dijaspore |publisher=Politika.rs |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>
The "pOSSIbilIty Project"<ref>http://www.ossi.rs/index.php?action=possibility</ref> is geared towards finding adequate internships and employment in the [[private sector]], while the "Meet Serbia" project (Serbian: Упознај Србију; '''Upoznaj Srbiju'''<ref>http://www.rts.rs/page/stories/sr/story/125/Društvo/740892/Upoznaj+Srbiju</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.danas.rs/danasrs/drustvo/projekat_upoznaj_drzavu_srbiju.55.html?news_id=195498 |title=Dnevni list Danas | Društvo | Projekat „Upoznaj državu Srbiju“ |publisher=Danas.rs |date=21 July 2010 |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>) sets up internships for a select group of successful Serbian students from abroad in the [[Government of Serbia|Ministries of the Republic of Serbia]]. In the summer of 2010, the project placed 46 students in all the ministries of Serbia during a four-week timespan in which they were to get acquainted with the functional organisation of the state administration, meet some of Serbia's ministers such as [[Vuk Jeremić]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kurir-info.rs/vesti/politika/jeremic-sa-srpskim-studentima-iz-dijaspore-46527.php |title=Jeremić sa srpskim studentima iz dijaspore - Politika | Kurir |publisher=Kurir-info.rs |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://vesti.krstarica.com/?rubrika=scg&naslov=Minister+Jeremic+talks+with+Serbian+students+abroad&lang=1&sifra=e919ae872d8ea99701aa694a240a3b30&dan=20&mesec=08&godina=2010 |title=Minister Jeremic talks with Serbian students abroad - Serbia - News from Serbia - Cruiser |publisher=Vesti.krstarica.com |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>, [[Ivica Dačić]]<ref>http://www.ekonomist.rs/en/news/serbia/128498.html</ref><ref>http://www.balkans.com/open-news.php?uniquenumber=65600</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://glassrbije.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65997&Itemid=188 |title=Projekat “Upoznaj Državu Srbiju” |publisher=glassrbije.org |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vesti-online.com/Vesti/Srbija/70596/Drzavna-administracija-na-testu-studenata-iz-dijaspore |title=Vesti online / Vesti / Srbija / Državna administracija na testu studenata iz dijaspore |publisher=Vesti-online.com |date=27 May 2010 |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref> and compile a feedback report of their impressions which was then presented to the prime minister of Serbia, [[Mirko Cvetković]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://glassrbije.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67579&Itemid=188 |title=Izveštaj Srpskih Studenata Iz Inostranstva O Volonterskom Radu U Vladi Srbije |publisher=Glassrbije.org |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref><ref>http://www.rts.rs/page/stories/sr/story/125/Društvo/754042/Predlog+za+bolju+administraciju.html</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://diplomske.com/news/studenti-predali-izvestaj-premijeru/ |title=Studenti predali izveštaj premijeru |publisher=Diplomske |date=21 August 2010 |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>, additionally signing a bilateral memorandum with the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Serbia)|Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs]] for further cooperation between the organisation and the Serbian government<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/130311.html |title=Saradnja Ministarstva spoljnih poslova i OSSI-ja :: emg.rs:: Sve najnovije ekonomske vesti i vesti dana - Srbija, region, svet |publisher=emg.rs |date= |accessdate=26 September 2010}}</ref>.
The second and other major part of OSSI's activity is advisory and supportive, aimed at helping out students in all three phases of their academic careers --– the application phase, during undergraduate studies as well as during postgraduate studies.
The organisation equally strives to promote dialogue and cooperation among its members, between them and their academic and local communities, as well as with their colleagues in Serbia and international organisations around the world through its multi-annual [[General Assembly|assemblies]], round tables and lectures, as well as through its numerous projects<ref name="autogenerated1"/>.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2010}}
[[Category:Student organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1997]]
[[fr:OSSI]]
[[sr:Организација српских студената у иностранству]]
[[sv:Organisationen för Serbiska Studenter Utomlands]]