Helping New Generation
Dear members
We met in Melbourne and Sydney for a semi formal event inviting young graduateas and new starters in our professional communities. Our aim was to help them tackle some of the big questions of white collar world. And we certainly did so.
Just last week we were told that some of them even had their first interviews. Exactly this is why ASOP exists!
Thanks to everyone involved!
Team ASOP
We are back!
Dear members and friends
It was exactly four years and four days since our last get together in 2019! COVID has had a huge impact on our operations. BUT WE ARE BACK!
Our recent Strictly Social events in Melbourne and Sydney have exceeded all expectations. It was great to reconnect with so many familiar faces. Particularly delightful was the presence of numerous young newcomers eager to establish professional connections and seek advice and guidance as they embark on their nascent careers.
We also owe some of our Melbourne members an apology. Our organisational skills got a bit rusty and we have not managed to communicate correctly our location. We promise this won’t happen again.
We will be very active it this new year so please keep an eye on our website, LinkedIn group page and your inbox.
Happy New Year, all the best in 2024 and see you soon!
Team ASOP
I know you bre!
Hi all
The title does not only sum up our End of Year Drinks couple of weeks ago, but also demonstrates what ASOP stands for.
It came about when one of our senior members was being introduced to a student who was attending an ASOP event for the first time. Namely, the student used to tutor our member’s children in maths. He is nearing the graduation and wanted to get introduced to ASOP’s network in hope of finding a junior position, or an internship.
This is precisely one of the reasons why we started our journey: to connect our members who are at the start of their careers with our more experienced professionals who can offer support, advice, mentorship and more.
Overall the event was great! Judging by the feedback, probably the best social event so far.
Thanks everyone who attended, happy holidays to all and see you next year.
Team ASOP
Ambassador's Brief 2019
Dear members,
We gathered recently to hear from HE Miroljub Petrovic on the trends and current economic relationship between Australia and Serbia.
It was interesting to hear the Ambassador’s perspective on the key opportunities, including shared service / back office and IT outsourcing to Serbia, potential for additional Rio Tinto investment into Jadar project and creation of local jobs that will support further mining.
By contrast, the presentation surfaced challenges like securing the Social Security Agreement (aged pension), an agreement that most other ex-Yugo countries have secured, examples of unethical importing practices through the Bambi Plazma case study as well as the disjointed approach to importing and marketing Serbian goods in Australia.
Finally, the Ambassador confirmed the Embassy’s role and willingness to act as a sounding board for any ideas that can improve or strengthen the economic relationship between the two countries, or to act as a conduit to the Serbian government bodies that can support the execution of such ideas.
Our sincere thanks go out to HE Miroljub Petrovic for kindly donating the time, and to you members, in both Melbourne and Sydney, for contributing to a most valuable conversation.
Kind regards
Team ASOP
The Swiss Connection
Hi all
Recently I had a great pleasure to speak in front of a group of like minded professionals in Zurich, Switzerland. For some time they have been trying to organise themselves in a similar way to what we do here in Australia. So I was asked to share our Australian experience founded on our work around ASOP.
After a summary of our journey so far and lessons learned, we spoke for a while in an open Q&A forum. It was great to see so much interest and motivation to organise our professional diaspora and help each other further our careers. Very soon several participants have realised that people sitting next to them are not only working in the same industries but are also looking for ways to collaborate. First professional relationships were forged. However, the most refreshing moment was the introduction of www.helse.ch, a business and culture exchange centre. This very successful project has been founded by Evica M. 15 years ago. It perfectly combines business with cultural promotion of Serbian movies, theater and stand up comedy. Evica was able to establish her customer network across Europe and is now starting to do the same in Australia! Bit of trivia: the name Helse is a word play, combining words Helvetia (old word for Switzerland) and Serbia. This strongly acknowledges the local presence of Serbian culture in Switzerland.
Personally I feel very honored to be part of this small yet passionate and global journey to organise and connect Serbian professionals around the world. We are also currently working with similar networks in UK and USA. If you are interested in joining the journey, feel free to contact us.
Kind regards
Nik Mijatovic
President
ASOP Inc.
ASOP Survey Results
Dear members
At the beginning of this year we undertook a member survey – the results are in and paint the picture of ASOP as a very professional organisation, running interesting events which benefit our members. Here’s a snapshot of your feedback:
An overwhelming majority of respondents rate their ASOP experience as 4 or 5 out of 5.
Approximately 85% of respondents consider both the social and formal content to be of high quality, and want more of it.
More than half of the respondents support the annual membership fee model.
BUT…
It seems like there are a couple of myths about what we actually aim to do, so let us break it down:
Our mission is not to fundraise for vulnerable communities in Serbia, although we are currently in talks to Srbi Za Srbe. We do recognise that some of our members would like to help and hence we are looking into facilitating at least a way to do so.
Our mission is not to organise cultural events, although we gladly support cultural events organised by our contributing members.
We are here to connect Serbian professionals in Australia and become an influential professional association able to positively serve both the Serbian and Australian communities. We seek to foster knowledge, training and networking opportunities for our members that will benefit their careers and professional development. And so far we have done this successfully!
Facilitating employment opportunities is high on our agenda– and we are happy to report we already do this, especially for our members who recently migrated to Australia.
Also important to understand is that ASOP membership is a reciprocal one. As much as it is about our group delivering to its members, it is also about our members actively contributing to ASOP’s growth.
The majority of responds have asked for more organised meetings as well as more flexible ways to attend. Here is where you can help: Attendance numbers do affect our ability to secure the right speakers and deliver quality content, and so we need your help to spread the word. Simply share our website with one click on:
Or simply bring along your fellow Serb professionals to our next meetings!
What we are working on:
Developing a half-yearly or yearly annual events calendar, to help you plan your attendance
Furthermore we commenced working on a mentoring framework where our junior members will be able to tap into the wealth of knowledge and experience of our more senior members.
Considering member engagement channels beyond LinkedIn and our website
Our committee would like to thank you for your input and ongoing contribution.
Kind regards
Team ASOP
Our First Finacial Sponsor
Dear members
We are very proud to say that we have our first financial sponsor! Our deepest gratitude goes out to Radomir Vransevic and his company Fusion Professionals.
“Fusion Professionals is an Australian Technology solutions provider, focused on helping customers to solve their data problems.
We specialise in modern data platforms, enabling customers to extract value from their data and gain a competitive edge.
Whether you are in your own data centre or on the path to the cloud we help customers with their technological journey and pride ourselves in establishing long lasting successful relationships.”
Radomir’s generous financial contribution to our organisation will help cover our ongoing administration costs and will enable us to invest in marketing and membership growth.
ASOP continuous to seek sponsorship from its members and external entities. We offer a range of services to our partners and sponsors based on our reach and capabilities. If you are interested in assisting the group, feel free to contact us.
Kind regards
Team ASOP
ASOP on SBS Serbian
Hi all
The Australian Serbian community has professionals in various industries who are exceptional at what they do. Many are capable of making a difference to their wider communities through their careers. ASOP was founded and remains committed to contributing positively to the Serbian and Australian communities while helping Serbian professionals thrive in Australia.
By connecting with other likeminded professionals of Serbian background, sharing our knowledge and expertise and providing a supportive environment, we have the capacity to nurture a strong, exemplary workforce in this country.
We invite all of our members to engage actively with ASOP and experience the full benefits of belonging to one such organisation. Furthermore we ask to keep promoting ASOP to their networks as there are still a lot of people unaware of our organisation, which is a loss for us all.
As part of our Promo Month of April our leadership has visited SBS Serbian radio program, met with Biljana Ristic and spoke about our organisation. Feel free to share following interview with your networks.
Kind regards
Team ASOP
First Meetić & Greetić
Dear All,
ASOP’s Meetić & Greetić on Friday April 12th was a great success - for both Melbourne and Sydney! The events were held at The Waterslide Bar, Southgate and at Vessel, King Street Wharf, respectively. This strictly social event attracted many newly registered members, who were able to connect with existing members and find out more about ASOP.
The general feedback was that attendees appreciated the generosity of knowledge and expertise shared, and the provision of a supportive environment , particularly to those newly arrived in Australia. There was an overwhelming sense that we’ve established a terrific professional network, and that we need to keep growing!
We invite all of our members to continue engaging actively with ASOP and promoting it within their networks, so that we can experience the full benefits of belonging to such an organisation.
With all our events, be it strictly social or professional development, ASOP always aims to realise its values: to NETWORK, CONTRIBUTE and GROW.
Thank you to all for making the events a success. Let’s stay connected!
Team ASOP
PS: Yes, we could do with a better photographer! :)
Pathways to Directorships and Partnerships
Dear all
Last week we met in Melbourne and Sydney to hear some amazing career journeys from our guest speakers. We would like to sincerely thank George Simic and Branko Panic for sharing their stories and providing valuable advice to all attendees. It was a very interactive and captivating session. We received great feedback from everyone present:
“Firstly, my expectations were to assess the credibility of this event which I have been invited to on a number of occasions and only just attended. This group of individuals are very credible, a group of professional individuals that could make a difference to their institutions they represent, but also for our community position in Australia. I see the advantages ASOP could provide us as a group but also as individuals in terms of networking and support for one another moving forward. The strength we have as a community is underrated, from my first attendance I can see the strengths ASOP instills and will only continue to grow. ASOP has my support! “
“A very interesting and insightful session with two business leaders of our community. A big thank you to George and Branko for taking the time to share their experiences with us.“
“As I’ve expressed on the night, I found the presentations very insightful into how extraordinarily successful senior professionals can relate their career journeys in a down to earth way.
I found that extremely appealing. There’s nothing more encouraging and inspiring to a less work experienced person, than having someone at the top of their career bring it all back to basics and present a realistic pathway to getting there.
Thank you again for the time and dedication in organising these events for us, they’re invaluable.”
We also had the pleasure to welcome some new members. A thank you goes to our long standing members who introduced them to ASOP.
Kind regards
Team ASOP
Support our Youth, Support Serbian Festival Sydney 2019
Hi all
Here is a great opportunity to support our youth in Australia by sponsoring this year’s Serbian Festival Sydney.
Advertisements run from $99 to $1365. Additional information can be found here:
2019 Sponsorship Kit – https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Wm2OL4zuvlGX_14y27L7aFCjozq8Cbo0
2019 Magazine Ad Specs - https://drive.google.com/open?id=11AaWd8OV6LlqnkHy371ejpwFWtEtg2G5
For all additional inquiries please reach out to sponsorships@serbianfestival.com.au
Don’t miss this great opportunity to advertise your business and support our youth at the same time!
Kind regards
Team ASOP
End of Year Drinks - Melbourne and Sydney
Dear members
We met last Tuesday in Melbourne and Sydney to celebrate another successful calendar year of ASOP’s diary. Instead of writing about how good it was, we decided to share with you an email from one of our new members:
Hi Tamara
It was delightful to meet both you and the rest of the ASOPers :) last night.
Thank you for including me and organising the gathering. The whole philosophy behind ASOP is truly wonderful and with so many Aussie Serbs slaying it in their work and lives, it's a good idea to bring us together where we can both add value and learn from each other, this is sorely needed. (When I say Aussie Serbs, I include everyone whether born here or not).
It was an enjoyable evening and nice to share our insights, stories and personal perspectives. I look forward to connecting further in the future.
Have a great day.
Best regards
So dear ASOPers, see you next year!
Kind regards
Team ASOP
Australian Money - A work of art, design and a history story
Thank you to all who made it to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) on November 7 in Sydney. And for those of you who couldn't make it - we saved some fun - take a look at the Dollar Bill - The Decimal Currency Jingle created by the RBA to support the changeover from the imperial to the decimal currency system.
Despite the fact it was a working, rainy day, ASOP's presence was 13 people strong - an excellent turn out. The chuckle in the room was a testament to the interesting facts shared with us by the RBA staff. We learnt a great deal about monetary notes and their place in the Australian history, with the security features on the notes being particularly impressive (and so was touching a money sheet of $2,000 worth in $50 notes). There was a healthy dose of pride in the room, with recognition that Australian money really is something special (and more than just looks!). Why is that?
Australia developed the world-first polymer ('plastic') bank notes back in the '60s.
The most recent edition of the notes is a world-first to have the top to bottom windows.
The damaged notes are recycled and can find their way into containers used in fish and chips shops. The attached photo shows one such container; it was made from $50,000 worth of $20 notes.
Unlike many other countries in the world, our notes feature predominantly women. Read more here about the faces on our bank notes.
The RBA museum visit that followed was equally insightful (another few photos attached), displaying a lot of historical facts and money sheets that are printed in layers until they receive their final look. The hour long visit ended with the obligatory photo, some parting gifts from the RBA and a commitment to returning to further explore the exibits (lunch break is too short for the wealth of information presented at the museum).
Team ASOP
P.S.
Unfortunately the Economist who was going to present to us had to pull out at the last minute, but here's the answer you've all been looking for. Why is the appropriate/required inflration rate between 2% and 3%? It is actually based on historical behaviour and responsiveness of the Australian economy. Not some complicated economic model. Just is. Simple :)
Serbian Government Survey about Diaspora
Dear members
Below is the invitation from Serbian government to participate in an anonymous survey about highly qualified Serbs in diaspora. Please take five minutes to complete this important questionnaire.
Pozivamo Vas da učestvujete u anketi koju sprovodi Kabinet ministra bez portfelјa zaduženog za demografiju i populacionu politiku u saradnji sa Republičkim zavodom za statistiku i Udruženjem "Centar za život - da nas bude više". Anketa je deo istraživanja o visokoobrazovanoj dijaspori i povratnicima iz inostranstva, a njena svrha je prikuplјanje podataka o osnovnim karakteristikama, stavovima i planovima visokoobrazovanih građana Republike Srbije i država iz regiona koji Srbiju smatraju za maticu, a žive i rade u inostranstvu.
Rezultati ovog istraživanja, zajedno sa rezultatima iz "Istraživanja o migracijama studenata" koje je sprovedeno u prvoj polovini 2018. godine i u kojem je učestvovalo preko 11 000 studenata sa skoro svih akreditovanih fakulteta, akademija i visokih škola u Republici Srbiji (rezultati istraživanja nalaze se na: ), http://www.mdpp.gov.rs/doc/Migracije-studenata.pdf trebalo bi da doprinesu bolјem sagledavanju trenutnog stanja u oblasti migracija i da pruže pouzdanu osnovu za donošenje novih mera populacione politike koje se odnose na stvaranje povolјne klime za usmeravanje kapaciteta visokoobrazovanih građana koji žive u zemlјi i u inostranstvu, a koji imaju želјu da učestvuju u razvoju Srbije na svim nivoima.
Molimo Vas da svojim odgovorima na postavlјena pitanja doprinesete uspešnoj realizaciji ovog istraživanja. Za popunjavanje upitnika potrebno je maksimalno pet minuta. Napominjemo da se lični podaci koji budu prikuplјeni tokom istraživanja neće objavlјivati. Javno mogu biti korišćeni samo uprosečeni podaci na nivou kompletnog uzorka.
Takođe, molimo Vas da ovaj e-mail prosledite Vašim prijatelјima i kolegama s kojima ste u kontaktu i koji, poput Vas, žive van Republike Srbije, kako bi što više naših građana učestvovalo u istraživanju.
Upitnik se nalazi na sledećoj adresi: http://webrzs.stat.gov.rs/DVSS/
Unapred vam zahvalјujemo na saradnji.
Srdačan pozdrav iz Srbije
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_diaspora
Corporate Membership Opportunity for Red Star Belgrade RLFC
Dear members
We have a unique opportunity to sponsor one of the best Australian Serbian projects we have come across in recent years: Red Star Belgrade RLFC.
In early 2017 Red Star Belgrade RLFC board has been joined by our members Colin and Marina Kleyweg. Since then, the team has delivered some amazing results. The most recent being the invitation to Challenge Cup, the world’s oldest knockout Cup competition.
Brand exposure that Red Star Belgrade RLFC can offer is quite diverse and far reaching. All required information can be found in following corporate membership pack.
Please remember, this is so much more than just a sport! We see this as bringing together the best of both worlds: Serbian passion and strength mixed with Australian wisdom and professionalism!
Kind regards
Team ASOP
Learn more about Australian-Serbian trade relations
Australian Serbian Chamber of Commerce (ASCC) is hosting an event at the International Chamber House on Tuesday 23 October and is extending the invitations to our member base.
The event - Australia-Serbia Services Trade: On the Path to Growth, aims to connect business leaders involved in the services trade between Australia and Serbia and more broadly within Central and Eastern Europe.
We encourage you to attend this event! Registration is required, see below for details.
First formal meeting in Perth: A retrospective
On September 28 we held our first formal meeting in Perth. The rich and informative program slides are now available online. The topics cover interesting facts about business, mining and rugby league in Serbia. Also attached is the Tesla Forum pack - a Perth based organisation that gathers around the legacy of Nikola Tesla, visionary scientist and inventor, whose life and work symbolise the triumph of science, peace and cooperation among nations.
Red Star Belgrade Rugby League Club
Mining Opportunities in Serbia
We also successfully trialed video conferencing from other locations and will aim to make our future presentations accessible via video link for cities where we still don’t have chapters established.
Radio Televizija Srbije has recorded the event and published the video online. You can find it at the bottom of this post!
A sincere thank you to our Perth team for organising such a great first event!
Serbian Professional Excellence in Australia and Globally
We would like to send our best wishes to Aleksandar Kovacevic for winning Australian FinTech Awards 2018. Aleksandar and his company Audeamus Risk offer world’s first Resilience Intelligence Platform which is gaining global focus and recognition. https://lnkd.in/g63C3Th We are very proud to call Aleksandar our member!
Dear members, please join us in congratulating him on his achievements.
Kind regards,
Team ASOP
Call for Architects
Dear members
Recently we have received a request to open this year's Global Architecture Profiling (GAP) exhibition organised by Melbourne School of Design at University of Melbourne. This time GAP has set its eyes on Belgrade.
Further details can be found under following link https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/events/global-architecture-profiling-2018-belgrade and in the attached invitation which is extended to all of our members.
As we've been given the honor to open the event, we would like to call upon architects amongst you who are interested to be a part of this. Please contact us ASAP on contact@asop-ing.org.au!
Kind regards
Team ASOP
Strictly Social a success!
Hi all
Based on member feedback, we hosted the first in a series of social events in Melbourne and Sydney. It was a great opportunity for members to meet informally and catch up over a drink or two.
The cold weather didn't stop more than 15 people turning out in Melbourne, while our first social event in Sydney attracted 17 people. Congratulations Sydney! ;)
We'll be organising more social events across both locations in the future - and we look forward to getting to know more of you personally over the next few months. Keep an eye out on our website and LinkedIn page for details.
Kind regards
Team ASOP
