Interview: Nevena Ruzic, Serbia

Some days ago I was introduced to an old Diplo friend: Nevena Ruzic, from Serbia. So I also invited her for a short interview, to which she was very kind and shared a little - we can say she is the first of many generations of the IG programme: it all started in 2003!

SEIITI: Nevena, what are you currently doing professionally? How did you start things with Diplo and how was that activity significant to you?

NEVENA: To answer your questions, I'll be very brief - I don't want to bore with details. However, please do feel free to ask for any further information at any time.

Right now, as it was always the case, I am working and studying.

From May 2009, I am working with the Republic of Serbia Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection as Head of Commissioner's Cabinet. The post mainly involves co-operation with national and international governmental and non-governmental organisations. I am also taking part, on behalf of the Commissioner and thus Serbia, in the work of Consultative Committee of the Council of Europe's Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data.

SEIITI: That's all very interesting - what about the studies?

NEVENA: I am also doing (trying to do, to be more precise :-) doctoral studies at the Legal Studies Department Studies, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary. I started in September 2008 and since I moved back to Belgrade, I am now an "external SJD candidate".

A tentative title of my dissertation is "ISPs' Role in Freedom of Expression, with regard to Copyright Protection". It's more from constitutional law perspective - why ISPs should/should not be liable for the content they only provide hosting for. And how the relationship btw FoEx and CR has been changed with Internet...This is really in short.

SEIITI: Cool. In case any reader is researching themes connected to your dissertation, I'd recommend adding Nevena as a friend and exchange some ideas by direct message or as posts in the thematic groups of Intellectual Property Rights, or create a new group specific for ISPs or Freedom of Expression!

Nevena, now tell us about something that surprised me: you took part of the first Internet governance programme - how was it?

NEVENA: Diplo and me - that's a long story.

In September 2003 I took a 3-week course - Internet governance with Diplo. After the Course, some of us (this is how I know Vlada) went to WSIS - Phase 1. Then I was offered a scholarship for the PGP Contemporary Diplomacy (2004) and later, when they announce the opportunity to upgrade the studies to an MA level, I paid the fee and gained MA. (I also have LLM for Uni of Leeds). in the meantime, I was a Diplo's intern very shortly though (July - December 2004). When Diplo organised for another group to attend WSIS -2 in Tunis, I joined them.

Diplo's significance in my life? Massive! well, ever since that Autumn 2003 I am hooked on Internet related issues. Strangely, my research for the first Diplo course was about copyright in EU, USA and Japan, though not from FoEx point of view.