Belgrade, October 2025 — CIRSD Vice President Stefan Jovanović participated in the 12th Responsible Management Education Research Conference (RMERC), held last week in Belgrade. The event was organized by the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, and the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Anti-Poverty Working Group, bringing together representatives from academia, the business community, and international organizations from around the world.
In his remarks, Jovanović spoke about global geopolitical transformations over the past decade and how these shifts influence decision-making in business and governance. Highlighting the scale of change, he noted that “in one human lifetime, the economic center of gravity has shifted dramatically.”
He illustrated this through several comparisons:
EU–China: In 1980, the EU economy was ten times larger than China’s; today, they are roughly equal — and by 2050, China will be twice as large as the EU.
Germany–ASEAN: In 2000, Germany’s economy was three times ASEAN’s; in 2024, they are equal — and by 2050, Germany will be half ASEAN’s size.
Europe–Africa: Seventy years ago, Europe had twice the population of Africa. Seventy years from now, Africa will have seven times Europe’s population — the greatest demographic reversal in modern history.
Discussing the implications of these trends, Jovanović emphasized that Europe’s greatest long-term challenge is not military or fiscal, but demographic and developmental. He warned that unless these challenges are addressed, migration pressures and social tensions will continue to grow, fueling the rise of populism.
“Investing in Africa’s development, education, and governance is not charity — it is a strategic investment,” Jovanović underlined, concluding that Europe should focus not on building a war economy, which can yield only short-term results, but on fostering development, cooperation, and innovation as the foundation for sustainable growth and stability.
