On 15 December 2016, University Business Academy in Novi Sad organized a round table on the topic: "The Western Balkans and the European Union amid global tectonic changes". On this occasion, several renowned experts from Serbia and abroad were invited to take part in the roundtable discussion.

The University Business Academy had the honor to welcome Professor Dejan Mihailović, Ph.D., from the prestigious University of Monterrey in Mexico. Dr. Mihailović is already known to our audience as a political philosopher who presented at our University in the past and is again this year going to direct some of his activities to his hometown, Novi Sad. The new visiting speakers who were introduced to the audience for the first time are: Dr. Aleksandar Gajić, a senior research fellow at the Institute for European Studies in Belgrade, whose research ranges from social, legal and political theory, to international relations and cultural studies, as well as Prof. Ljubiša Despotović Ph.D., a senior research fellow at the Institute for Political Studies in Belgrade, whose fields of expertise include political systems, political sociology, geopolitics, social ecology, theories and models of democracy.

The gathered students, staff and guests were first welcomed by Prof. Marijana Carić, Ph.D., as President of the University Council and Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management in Novi Sad and the Faculty of Technology in Novi Sad. After that, Dr. Aleksandar Gajić gave a comprehensive introduction to the discussion topic, elaborating on the three most important events that marked the political scene in 2016 and presenting them from different perspectives. In more precise terms, Dr. Gajić addressed the following events: the decision of British citizens that their country should withdraw from the EU, the failed coup against Erdogan regime in Turkey and finally the victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election campaign, which was followed with understandable interest by the whole world. Professor Ljubiša Despotović especially raised attention to those aspects of the said events that are usually hidden from the public eye, pointing out the importance of critical thinking and skills of deconstructing media messages. This has opened up a controversial topic of the so-called conspiracy theories which often contest true observations, whose popularization is against the interests of the world's economic and political leaders. Professor Mihailović presented the current events within the context of the crisis of capitalism, and emphasized the necessity of epistemological decolonization, i.e. release from the imposed cognitive patterns.

The closing words were given by Prof. Dragan Ilić, Ph.D., the Coordinator for International Cooperation of the University Business Academy. Dr. Ilić said that the intention of this University is to treat intellectual exchanges with foreign countries and most prestigious national higher education institutions as the highest priority.