Serbia’s leadership turned an anniversary into a geopolitical stage, using a student scholarship celebration to sell a vision of a country that is at once Non‑Aligned, high‑tech, and hungry for foreign talent.

Morning: History lessons and soft power

At the Palace of Serbia, the 15th anniversary of the “World in Serbia” scholarship program for students from Non‑Aligned countries opened with a carefully choreographed homage to Yugoslavia’s past and Serbia’s ambitions today.¹ President Aleksandar Vučić hailed students from Africa and Asia as “a bridge of friendship and a driver of Serbia’s development,” framing them as both diplomatic capital and an economic asset.¹

In a speech heavy on historical symbolism, Vučić reminded guests that the building itself was constructed for the 1961 Non‑Aligned summit and that Serbia “has always fought against colonialism,” claiming African nations “have not forgotten” that solidarity.⁵

Foreign students reciprocated the narrative. Angolan medical student Gouvanja Goulao praised the “love and happiness” received from Serbs and the chance for quality education, drawing strong applause from the hall and the president himself.⁶

Midday: From scholarships to robots and Xi Jinping

The anniversary quickly morphed into a platform for Serbia’s wider strategic messaging. Vučić used his address to trail an upcoming five‑day visit to China, describing it as “probably the most important visit we have had so far” and predicting “more than 30 contracts” with Chinese companies, including in artificial intelligence and a robot factory due to open in Šabac this summer.⁴⁷

He lauded China as “a factor of stability and responsibility in the world,” positioning Serbia as a nimble partner in new technologies rather than just a scholarship donor.⁷

Afternoon: Citizenship, Expo points and the hard sell to stay

The tone then shifted from symbolism to concrete incentives. Vučić announced that Serbia would make it easier for foreign graduates to obtain citizenship and jobs, telling a Tunisian PhD student, “You can and you will be able to stay in Serbia, we will make a regulation… you are also our treasure.”³⁸

Students were also courted as volunteers for Expo 2027: three weeks of work for 1–3 ECTS points and, as the president underlined, “much more important than those points… a great experience for you.”²³

Across the day, the message was blunt: Serbia wants to turn Non‑Aligned nostalgia, African and Asian goodwill, and imported brains into a future of export contracts, robot factories and a more tightly bound circle of foreign‑educated new Serbs.