For the second year in a row, GMV has taken part in the Internship Program of German Business for Balkan countries. This internship program was launched in Germany and aims to train students and recent graduates to embark on their professional careers in leading companies in the technology sector, contributing to the improvement of the economic development of their home countries. 

This internship program can be traced back to the assassination of Dr. Zoran Djindjic, the democratically elected prime minister of Serbia, who lived as a dissident in Germany for several years. He became a reference figure in the political, social, and business life of the country. Upon his return to Serbia, Djindjic always referred to Germany as a role model in economic and political terms. 

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the program, which has provided education to over 1000 young professionals from the Western Balkans and Croatia over the past two decades. 

GMV’s headquarters in Germany hosted three students this year and is already considering possibly participating in the program in the 2024-2025 academic year. The internships take place between July and December, involving students with successful academic backgrounds in their home countries who aim to apply their skills in Germany. The ultimate goal is to empower young students to secure relevant positions in their home countries, thereby contributing to the economic growth of the region. In fact, many participating companies have subsidiaries in Western Balkan countries where interns from the program begin working after completing their scholarships. As acknowledged by GMV’s subsidiary in Germany, “in these times of a shortage of qualified talent, this program is an outstanding opportunity to expand GMV beyond our borders and establish connections with some of the brightest students of their generation.”

Among the students who have been part of the Internship Program of German Business at GMV Germany is Dren Ibrahimi from Kosovo. “During my time at GMV, I have been exposed to a wide range of technologies that I had not worked with before. Now I feel much more confident in using them in the future. The most enriching aspect of this experience has been the opportunity to work on space projects and witness how such complex systems are developed and maintained by workers from different fields of knowledge.” For Dren Ibrahimi, “meeting people from different cultures has been a decisive factor in my growth.” 

Mia Gudic, who completed her internship within the Galileo Program, also recounts her positive experience. “During my internship at GMV on the Galileo Project, I delved into diverse technologies, gaining confidence and skills applicable to real-world scenarios. The experience of contributing to space projects has been both rewarding and enlightening, offering insights into complex systems and interdisciplinary collaboration. Engaging with a multicultural team at GMV has not only enriched my professional knowledge but also broadened my cultural understanding“.

Pavle Ciric from Serbia also describes his internship at GMV as an enriching experience. “GMV has set the bar very high for all the work I will undertake in the future. These internships have increased my interest in the aerospace sector, and throughout all the phases, I have received support from my colleagues, which has made the work on each project easier.”