It has already been a month since Federica, our volunteer and IVY Reporter, joined our team! Some of you who follow our social networks may already know this, but we would like to take this opportunity to introduce her properly and share more about her role.

Her tasks within the Joint Secretariat of our Programme will focus on communication activities, including managing social media, reintroducing our previously discontinued newsletter, following the communication activities of selected projects, as well as visiting project events. Some of the projects she has already marked in her calendar include FAFA, COOLSCHOOL and CBC-TELMED. But let us hear more from her.

So, Federica — the floor is yours :)

"My name is Federica, and I will be supporting the VI-A IPA Hungary-Serbia Joint Secretariat as an IVY Reporter for the next six months, contributing to sharing the progress and outcomes of the projects aimed at fostering and encouraging the harmonious cross-border development of the region.

My academic, professional, and personal background is what led me to pursue this experience. I hold a Master’s degree in Global Studies & EU, and I have developed communication, advocacy, and policy-related skills through my previous work and engagement at both NGO and intergovernmental levels. In parallel, I have been actively involved in several volunteering initiatives and activities, which strengthened my belief in the power of solidarity, youth participation, and collective action to drive meaningful change. Additionally, on a personal level, having studied and lived in different countries, I would define myself as a genuinely curious person who loves discovering new cultures, people, and ways of life. For these reasons, I felt that the IVY experience aligned perfectly with both my skills and values.

Regarding the specific choice of the IPA Hungary-Serbia Programme, I was particularly drawn to a programme-based experience rather than a single project, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the work while exploring multiple topics in parallel. I also sought an experience that would take me beyond my comfort zone, in a country and cultural context unfamiliar to me. Finally, the Programme’s implementation under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance also motivated me, as I would like to better understand the specificities and challenges linked to this context.

Through this experience, I expect to further deepen my skills while learning more about Cohesion Policy and cross-border cooperation, but most importantly, to contribute to and support initiatives that have a tangible impact on local communities, ensuring that their benefits reach as many people as possible. I am very much looking forward to fully immersing myself in this experience, as my first impressions of the office and colleagues have been extremely positive, and the projects the team is working on seem to me both interesting and enriching!"

Once again, welcome :)