The grand finale of the competition held today

The COVID-19 political challenge is a student competition, part of the Science engagement program implemented by the British Council. The Science engagement program aims to contribute to the resilience of countries, communities, and citizens across the Western Balkans to the COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse impacts, through the use and promotion of science and scientific evidence.

By using and promoting scientific evidence, students across the countries of the Western Balkans have developed policies that contribute to the resilience of their countries, communities, and fellow citizens to the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The task of the students was to select a specific problem at the local or national level, or in universities and hospitals, and try to solve it with their policy, in two thematic areas – strengthening social justice and protecting the most vulnerable; and building resilience to climate change.

After a thorough selection process conducted by the jury, which included STP Montenegro director Velibor Bošković, executive director of Human Rights Action Tea Gorjanc Prelević, and British ambassador Karen Medocks, three student policy proposals advanced to the finals.

The competing topics were:

Nerma Škrijelj presented a proposal on active aging – how changes in public policies can improve the quality of life for the elderly population and extend their economic activity and productivity, especially during the COVID crisis, which affects this population the most.
Aleksa Janković discussed the LGBT community during the COVID crisis – how changes in public policies can improve the quality of life for the LGBT population, ensure institutional protection, and guarantee equal rights.
Ružica Krklješ focused on the green economy during the COVID crisis – how changes in public policies can accelerate the development of the green economy in a time when there has been a critical rise in medical waste and single-use plastics.
After presenting their ideas to the expert jury, it was decided that the first place would go to Nerma Škrijelj from the University of Donja Gorica, who developed a strategy for supporting the elderly population. The second place went to Aleksa Janković from the faculty of Law, who developed a strategy to improve the LGBT population.

The first-place winner will receive a voucher of GBP 1,500 for courses at universities in the UK, while the second-place winner will receive a voucher of GBP 1,000. In addition, the proposals will be published in an online collection of all policy reports from the finalists.