The School of Engineering Management will participate in the implementation of the international project NONA LEAP – Shaping New Leaders for Active Participation of Civil Society in Building Resilient Communities, which has been approved under the third call of the Interreg Danube Region Programme. Following several months of evaluation, the project was selected for funding, opening up new opportunities for international academic cooperation and knowledge exchange.
The project focuses on developing new management capacities and strengthening the involvement of civil society, young people, and other local stakeholders in territorial development and participatory governance processes. Particular emphasis is placed on empowering local communities, developing leadership competencies, and creating conditions for their more active participation in decision-making and in building more resilient communities. The project is scheduled to run for 30 months.
The Surveying and Mapping Authority of Slovenia is the Lead Partner, while the consortium consists of 15 project partners from 12 countries across the Danube Region: Slovenia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, Moldova, Germany, and Ukraine.
The project activities will be implemented and tested in 11 pilot areas, comprising three metropolitan areas – Stuttgart, Sofia, and Chișinău; five medium-sized cities – Veszprém, Šabac, Žepče, Varaždin, and Bistrița; and three small border towns – Ravne na Koroškem, Virovitica, and Reni.
In addition to the School of Engineering Management, the Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia (IAUS) is also participating in the project on behalf of Serbia, with the City of Šabac serving as IAUS's associated strategic partner. IAUS has an important methodological role in the project, particularly in developing approaches to strengthening the capacities of local stakeholders and promoting civil society participation in decision-making processes, as well as in implementing and monitoring the project methodology in the Šabac pilot area.
Through its participation in the NONA LEAP project, the School of Engineering Management continues to strengthen its international cooperation and contribute to initiatives that bring together academia, institutions, and local stakeholders. This collaboration represents a valuable opportunity for exchanging experiences, applying contemporary management approaches, and contributing to the development of sustainable and resilient local communities throughout the Danube Region.