A l e k s a n d a r   V i d o j e v i c

Professional Profile

·        Mid-carrier diplomat with more than 22 years of experience in international relations, international public law, conflict resolution and security studies. 

·        Strong leader with problem solving attitude and excellent communication skills.

·        Extensive experience in negotiating and resolving complex issues.

·        Proven ability to work in stressful environment and perform tasks on tight schedule.

·        Team player with highly developed management and interpersonal skills.

·        12 years of teaching experience in academic sector.

Areas of Expertise

-        Diplomacy                                                     -    International Public Law

-        International Relations                              -    Public Policy

-        International Security                                 -    Peacekeeping Operations

-        Conflict Resolution                                      -    Mediation

-        Negotiations                                                   -    Problem Solving Analysis 

-        Strategic Planning                                         -    Education and Leadership                     

Professional Experience

2016 – Present, Senior Officer, Common Security and Defense Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main tasking: 1) reporting on strategic foreign policy and security issues, 2) in-depth analysis of peace operations requirements (UN, EU, OSCE); 3) civilian led peacekeeping operations planning, development of training course for civilian led peacekeeping, 4) implementation of governmental policy on civilian led peacekeeping including development of legal framework (by-laws) when required; 5) providing need analysis to the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and cooperating on curricula development related to in-house trainings on foreign affairs and international security; 6) teaching at the Diplomatic Academy (in-house trainings).

2011 – 2016, Political/Economic Affairs Officer (Diplomat), Embassy of Serbia in Washington D.C., United States

Main tasking: 1) establishing diplomatic communication with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; 2) providing briefs and in-depth analysis of bilateral civil-military relations and economic cooperation  to Ambassador other senior Embassy officials, 3) fostering bilateral academic cooperation and connecting Serbian academia with U.S. universities and think-tanks (the Brookings Institution, Center for Strategic and International Studies - CSIS, Harvard Kennedy School, SAIS Johns Hopkins University); 5) Supervising daily assignments of mid-level diplomats.

2009 – 2011, NATO Affairs Officer

Main tasking: 1) providing analysis of NATO activities within the South East European region with focus on regional security and regional cooperation 2)  liaison with the Serbian Mission to NATO and the Serbian Ministry of Defense 3) drafing of research and policy documents and recommendations related to NATO and KFOR (NATO) operations 4) working with Serbian Ministry of Defense, Serbian Ministry of Interior, customs and other governmental institutions on implementation of NATO Partnership for Peace Programs (PfP) - IPP and IPAP 5) establishing inter-agency cooperation with the Serbian Military Academy on implementation of 2 year   UK/Norway funded project. (The project focused on capacity development of the high level executives of the Ministry of Defense of Serbia and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia in the areas of strategic thinking and analysis, policy development and international relations. Courses were implemented in cooperation with the UK Defence Academy, JSCSC, Shrivenham).

2009, National Legal Advisor to the Democratization Department, the OSCE Mission to Serbia

Main tasking: 1) providing accurate and timely information and legal analysis of the Serbian legislature to the Deputy Head of the Mission and the Head of the Democratization Department, 2) drafting analysis of legislative reforms in Serbia (communal police, oversight of intelligence services and civilian control of the Serbian Armed Forces), 3) assisting in establishment of closer ties between the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Serbian governmental institutions. Supervising local experts and staff in the Democratization Department.

2008 – 2009, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia 

Main tasking: 1) Monitoring and strategic policy briefs on Serbian compliance to international nuclear non-proliferation regimes. 2) Providing case analysis related to international and regional arms control and arms licensing process. 3) Supervising capacity development of new entry level employees.

2006 – 2007, Advisor to the Serbian Government on Kosovo Status Negotiations                 

Main tasking: Advising Serbian Government at the Kosovo Status Negotiation process in Vienna, which was organized under the auspices of the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for the Future Status Process for Kosovo – UNOSEK.

1996 – 2008, Assistant Professor of International Law

Main tasking: 1) Teaching a course in International Law, 2) updating and developing a course curriculum and insuring it is up to date, 3) preparing faculty reports and participating in department meetings, 4) Introducing critical and problem-solving thinking to students (to think creatively – out of box), 5) providing course related support to students to enhance their curricula performance.

2000- 2001, Intern, Preventive Diplomacy Department, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

Main tasking: 1) Assisting in research and organization of religious-based conflict resolution events and seminars in the South Eastern Europe region, 2) contributing to departmental reports.

Education

Dissertation: "The Legal and Political Aspects of the Kosovo Crisis (1998 - 2007)". Doctoral dissertation research focused on relationship between the principle of sovereignty of a state vs. right of self- determination of peoples and implications of those principles to the Kosovo Crisis.

The main focus of the research was post/conflict activities of international community and especially international organizations in Kosovo - UN (UNMIK), OSCE (OSCE Mission in Kosovo) and NATO (KFOR).

2000- 2001, Master of Arts studies in Conflict Resolution, Institute for Conflict Resolution and Analysis (ICAR), George Mason University, U.S.A., 2000 - 2001

MA dissertation proposal tackled security challenges and conflict in the Balkans during '90s,post-conflict stabilization and long term resolution.

1991 – 1996, Bachelor of Arts, Belgrade School of Law, Belgrade University, Serbia            

Major: international public law.

Trainings

2014, Senior Executive in National and International Security (NIS), Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University

The program deepened my knowledge of current strategic security threats including terrorism, WMD proliferation, and economic challenges.

2011, Core Course in Peacekeeping, Zentrum für Internationale Friedenseinsätze (ZIF)

The Core Course in Peace Operations offered theoretical introduction (mediation, inter-cultural communication, conflict management, working with interpreters, stress management) and practical preparation (off-road driving, hostage crisis simulation, security training) for future employment in a peace operation operations.

2011, Program for Security, Stability, Transition and Reconstruction (SSTaR), George C. Marshall Center for Security Studies 2011

SSTaR program provided tree weeks of strategic capacity development training in peacekeeping operations for senior military, police, intelligence and foreign service officers.

This was a three-week program which introduced a selected group of students from all over the world to major U.S. governmental institutions, academic community and their daily practice of conflict resolution, negotiations and mediation.

Publications

·        “What Could the EU Accomplish in Kosovo? Between the Hammer and the Anvil”, Advanced Research and Assessment Group (ARAG), Defense Academy of the United Kingdom, U.K., 2007;

·        “Is Serbia Getting Closer to NATO?” Yearbook of the Atlantic Council of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2006;

·        “Carrot Made of Air”, Daily newspapers “DANAS”, Belgrade, Serbia, 2005;

·        “Knot in the Empty Space”, Daily newspapers, “DANAS” Belgrade, Serbia, 2005;

·        “Šumadia on the Atlantic”, Daily newspapers “DANAS”, Belgrade, Serbia, August 2004;

·        “Is the Win-Win Approach an Illusion or a Real Possibility?” Business Monthly Magazine ProPro, No. 17, Zagreb, Croatia, 2004.

Awards

James H. Laue Memorial Scholarship Award, awarded by the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR), George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.A., 2000

Computer and languages

Proficient with MS Office

Serbian – native, English – fluent, German – basic, Russian- basic