Dušan Žarković is a public relations professional with extensive experience in both government and private sectors.

As the Institute for Politics and Economy of Southeast Europe (IPESE’s) Executive Director, he leads initiatives to foster political and economic collaboration across the region and worldwide.

Previously, Dušan served as the Chief of Staff at the Ministry for Innovation and Technological Development in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, where he played a crucial role in strategic planning and policy coordination in developing innovation ecosystem and infrastructure in Serbia.

He also served as a special advisor at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

As an expert in policy development for local communities, he coordinates the World Bank projects in Serbia aimed at strengthening the capacities of local government units.

Under his leadership, an initiative was launched to establish a School of Economic Journalism at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade where renowned authorities from the media, business and economic sciences teach students of latest international trends and economic developments.

Dušan is a guest lecturer at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences at the University of Belgrade, where he teaches the application of new technologies, especially AI and data analysis, in business and communications. Dedicated to empowering youth, he founded the largest free educational platform in the region – GOstudy.

Dušan is a strong advocate for a free and democratic society and actively works to raise the democratic capacities within the Western Balkans. He promotes democracy at various conferences and collaborates with renowned think-tanks and non-government organizations from the US, the EU countries and Israel.

He holds a Master’s degree in Public Relations from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade.