Dusan Zarkovic is a distinguished public relations professional with extensive experience in both government and private sectors.

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

Previously, he served as the Chief of Staff of 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.

Before his role in the Government, he gained experience in legislative bodies through his role as an special advisor in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the highest representative body of the Republic of Serbia.

As a proven expert in the field of policy development for local communities, he coordinates World Bank projects in the Republic of 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 of the University of Belgrade. Here, renowned authorities from the media, business and economic sciences teach students about the latest trends and economic developments worldwide.

He is a guest lecturer at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences of the University of Belgrade, where he teaches about 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.

Dusan is a strong advocate for an open society and actively works to raise the democratic capacities of Western Balkans countries. He promotes democracy at various conferences and collaborates with renowned think-tanks and non-government organizations from the USA, European Union countries and Israel.

With a Master’s degree in Public Relations from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, Dusan has a proven track record in strategic communication, media relations, and public engagement.