🌐 IUS Life and Governorship of Istanbul (GOI) Participate in the 14th Annual UN MSMEs Day Conference 2026 🌐

From 6–7 July 2026, the IUS Lifelong Learning Center – IUS Life and the Governorship of Istanbul (GOI) participated in the 14th Annual UN MSMEs Day Conference 2026, held at Hotel Austria & Bosnia in Ilidža. The conference was organized in a hybrid format, bringing together participants, experts, and stakeholders from different countries and sectors.

We are especially proud to highlight that Amila Basic, the best-performing student of the IUS Faculty of Business and Administration (FBA) / Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) programs for the 2026 class, had the honor of serving as the conference moderator.

During the conference, IUS Life presented the latest progress and achievements of the CYBERFORT project, highlighting the importance of strengthening cybersecurity skills, building resilience, and supporting VET providers, SMEs, and public institutions in addressing future digital challenges.

In addition, the representative of IUS, Mirsada Mehremic, had the honor of moderating Panel II: “Building Cyber Resilience: How VET, SMEs and Public Institutions Can Prepare for Future Digital Challenges.”

The panel brought together distinguished experts and professionals:

Ana Zacharian – Co-Founder and CEO, Albanian Skills, National Association for Skills Competitions, Tirana, Albania
Fernala Sejmen Banjac – Executive Director of DISTI d.o.o. and President of Women4Cyber Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ahmet Bahadır Sıriş – European Projects Expert, Governorship of Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye
Kane Sajdak – Sajdak Group Holding, Queensland, Australia

During the dynamic and interactive discussion, panelists addressed a wide range of important topics, including national cybersecurity strategies, strengthening the resilience of VET systems and SMEs, raising cybersecurity awareness, increasing women’s participation in the cybersecurity sector, encouraging young people to pursue careers in cybersecurity, and addressing the complex challenges of the digital era.

The conference brought together participants from Australia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Spain, Nigeria, Türkiye, and Morocco, representing academia, the energy sector, banking, green transition, information technologies, and entrepreneurship. Their valuable contributions significantly enriched the discussions and contributed to the overall success of the event.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our long-standing partner, the Chamber of Economy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the invitation and opportunity to jointly contribute to the organization of this important event.

We also extend our appreciation to UNISMO, the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Federal Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts for their valuable support in making this conference a success.