Lidija Smirnov

Lidija Smirnov joined the NIB in September 2009 as the Education and Workforce Development Officer. In this new role, Lidija will be working directly with the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) in Belfast on initiatives ranging from advancing international linkages and examining best practices in the US to developing higher education strategies and policies. With the President Obama’s support for Community Colleges in this time of grave economic recession and the “green economy” initiatives that are spreading across the US, it is a perfect timing for Lidija’s appointment.

Prior to joining NIB she worked for Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI) on a $35 million USAID-funded project to combat the avian influenza. In her role as a Senior Project Coordinator she managed the operational side of project implementation and recruited experts in avian influenza who deployed to developing countries.

Her previous appointment was at the Employee Training and Development Office of the George Washington University, where she coordinated over 150 annual staff development programmes and participated in university wide training needs assessment initiatives and focus groups. Lidija also worked as a Career Development Programme Manager on a State Department-sponsored programme which brought international students and professionals to the US for professional development opportunities.

Lidija is a native of Serbia, a country which has a turbulent history like Northern Ireland. She has studied at both undergraduate and graduate levels in the US and has lived in many cities around the country (Frankfort, KY, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, GA). During graduate school, she concentrated on the topic of higher education and economic development and has published a paper called “Serbia’s Higher Education And Its Implications For The Labour Market – From Socialism To The Free-market Economy”. She has a deep understanding of both US and European higher education systems and labour markets. Lidija holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and French from Queens University of Charlotte and a Master’s degree in International Education and Development from George Washington University.