The Swedish Institute Academy for Young Professionals (SAYP) is a training programme developed to build awareness, capacity and resilience in the practice of governance. Are you a young professional in Western Balkans and want to deepen your knowledge about modern sustainble governance? This is the programme for you.

Info:SI Academy For Young Professionals (SAYP)

Available for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia

Open for applications until 22 March

Overview

The Swedish Institute Academy for Young Professionals (SAYP) is a training programme developed to build new networks, knowledge and practices for increased transparency, efficiency and resilience in public administration. The programme also aims to strengthen your individual capabilities to meet the requirements of a modern governance structure. As a SAYP participant, you will be able to expand your own contact networks and share ideas, experiences and challenges with other like-minded professionals.  

SAYP is a collaboration between the Swedish Institute (SI) and Swedish universities, responsible for developing and organising training modules. The modules rely on a mix of modern teaching methods with emphasis on interactivity, collaboration and problem-based learning. The training programme may include webinars, interactive lectures, small-group discussions, study visits and other learning activities allowing to deepen and practice your knowledge. This year, it is possible to apply for the following thematic modules within SAYP: 

  • Collaborative Governance in a Digital Era, Halmstad University
  • Innovation Ecosystems & Entrepreneurship, Lund University 
  • Migration and Integration in the Western Balkans: International Perspectives on Policy and Administrative Challenges for the Development of Inclusive Societies, Gothenburg University & Georgian Institute of Public Affairs  
  • Sustainable e-Government for Resilient and Innovative Democratic Public Administration, Linköping University  
  • Sustainable Public Management, Malmö University 

The programme runs between April and November 2021 and corresponds to approximately two weeks of intensive training. To learn more about the timelines and structure of specific modules, please visit the website  of the respective host universities via the links under ‘How to apply’.   

SAYP will give you:

  • Opportunity to develop your professional skills
  • Tools to apply in your own organisations and local contexts
  • Knowledge within sustainable modern governance
  • Experience of cross-sectorial work environment
  • Personal and professional network
  • Lifelong membership in the SI Alumni Network
  • Exclusive access to Peer Shadowing and other tools for continued learning

Can I apply? 

You can apply to SAYP if you:

  • Are a citizen of and currently working in one of the following countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia
  • Have good command of English language
  • Have a relevant higher education (at least three years)
  • 35 years or younger (born 1986)
  • Employed in one of the following groups:
    1. Policymakers (politicians, government officials, employees of political parties)
    2. Public servants (non-political civil servants working at public organisations)
    3. Civil society workers (CSO/NGO employees)

1. Apply 

You can apply for a SAYP module via the website of the respective organiser (host university). The links are provided in the module descriptions below. If you apply for more than one module, it is very important to rank the modules in order of your preference, as you can only be admitted to one of them.

You need to submit a separate application with a unique letter of motivation for each module you have chosen.

We recommend that you apply for not more than two modules corresponding to your interests and professional role.

Collaborative Governance in a Digital Era* -Halmstad University, 30 participants, (October)

*Please note that the application period for this module differs from the one for the rest of the modules and runs from 1 March to 3 May.

The module prepares participants to excel in a public administration landscape highly influenced by international governance trends and technological development. At the same time, it offers participants a chance to critically reflect upon those trends by accessing cutting-edge research that challenges some of the normative assumptions behind, and it lets participants share knowledge on how these translate to settings characterized by relatively new state formation and small political systems The module engages with theory and practice related to cooperation, coordination, collaboration and digitalisation as specific governance modes that differ from those that historically formed the modern public administration organization.”

For application and more information visit Halmstad University´s homepage.

Innovation Ecosystems & Entrepreneurship – Lund University, 30 participants, (May – June)

This three-week online programme focuses on innovation policy and innovation systems, especially the linkages between policies and how the support system for innovation and entrepreneurship works in practice. Another clear focus area is entrepreneurship – how to encourage, support and develop entrepreneurship through the innovation ecosystem. The programme is led by lecturers experienced in online pedagogy and the set-up is interactive with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning, including workshops, assignments, independent reading, pre-recorded and live lectures, project work, discussions and opportunities to exchange experiences and establish new contacts and networks.

For application and more information visit Lund University´s homepage.

Migration and Integration in the Western Balkans: International Perspectives on Policy and Administrative Challenges for the Development of Inclusive Societies – Gothenburg University & Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, 22 participants (September – November) 

This module aims to assist public servants, policymakers and civil society workers in developing a more comprehensive understanding of the diverse political, societal, and administrative challenges associated with migration and integration relevant to the Western Balkans. It focuses on identifying good practices at all levels of governance. The module relies on a mix of lectures, problem-based learning exercises, seminars and project work, providing participants with a rich analytical and practical toolkit.  The module will take place online for three days each in both September and October, plus five days on site in Tbilisi, Georgia in November.

For application and more information visit Gothenburg University´s homepage.

Sustainable e-Government for Resilient and Innovative Democratic public administration (SeGRID) – Linköping University, 30 participants, (April – August) 

Digitalization processes challenge contemporary means of governance, calling for a need of smart and sustainable use of digital technologies. The Sustainable e-Government for Resilient and Innovative Democratic public administration (SeGRID) curricula aims to develop skills for improving core public values such as efficiency, transparency, accessibility, equality and other public values through the use of digital technologies. SeGRID focuses on the digitalization of government services and administration, conceptualized as e-government. This digitalization has given rise to new demands from and opportunities for citizens, professionals and policymakers. This Swedish Institute Academy for Young Professionals (SAYP) module aims to develop skills and build knowledge in order to address the challenges surrounding sustainable e-government – such as resilience, innovation and democracy in a digital society. SeGRID focuses on interactivity, the sharing of experiences and best practices, and on the importance of collective knowledge building.  This year SeGRID will combine an online DigiWeek alongside an on-campus week in Sweden in order to provide participants with the best learning experience possible.  

For application and more information visit Linköping University´s homepage.

Sustainable Public Management , Malmö University, 30 participants, (May – July) 

Sustainable Public Management is a training programme at Malmö University, developed to build awareness, capacity and resilience in the practice of governance. The programme offers a helicopter perspective on good governance and is built around the idea of course participants’ sharing of knowledge and know-how. The course is structured thematically, covering topics such as, public management, governance, transparency, anti-corruption, gender equality and public ethics. Throughout the course each student will participate in a cross-country group and present a project at the end of the course. Facilitating the group work is done by a series of lectures on social and public innovation.

For application and more information visit Malmö University´s homepage.

2. Evaluation of applications (March-April)

The evaluation and selection process is carried out by the universities, arranging SAYP modules. Please note that SAYP alumni/alumnae, willing to participate in the programme again, will not be given priority in the selection process.  

3. Admission (exact date may change)

The Swedish Institute will contact the successful candidates by e-mail to offer them a place in the programme and ask them to confirm their participation before the specified date. The candidates, placed on the reserve list, will also be notified by e-mail.  

For more information please open this link

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