From August 27 to November 19, 20 FLEX and YES alumni from Southeast Europe took part in the Exchange of Ideas program—a program uniquely designed to engage and connect young professionals and advanced students across a wide range of fields. This dynamic group included alumni of generations 2010 to 2019 from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
The program began with two virtual trainings in facilitation and experiential learning, led by global educator Si Norton. From there, each participant was challenged to develop a 45-minute workshop, discussion, simulation, hands-on training, or other experiential program on a theme of their choice to pique others’ curiosity – perhaps make them care about something they hadn’t before or think differently about something than they had before – and ensure that their peers would walk away having gained something valuable.
This process was supported by two rounds of coaching sessions in which participants presented their ideas to a small group of peers and to Norton, receiving feedback and insights they then incorporated into the programs they would ultimately present.
On October 18-21, 15 participants gathered in Skopje, North Macedonia, for the Exchange of Ideas Conference. One by one, participants facilitated the sessions they had prepared, engaging their peers in simulations, discussions, role-plays, and other activities that, combined with some elements of the presentation for context, allowed participants in a short period of time to understand and meaningfully explore and connect many diverse topics and concepts. During International Education Week, on November 19, two alumni who were unable to attend the in-person program held virtual sessions for 12 participants. After each session, both in person and virtual, alumni and Norton shared constructive, actionable feedback for the facilitator.
“We have expertise in an astonishing number of fields,” one participant reflected following the in-person program, describing it as “a safe space to try things out. A framework to connect with peer alumni and talk about possible collaboration. A place to have fun and laugh until my cheeks hurt. An opportunity to again and again realize how special [the alumni community] is.”
“The highlight was learning about all these different topics from medical to finance to mental health to architecture, and many others,” another shared, adding, “It was fun to meet and interact with alumni of the region and helped me gain a better idea of what is going on around each country. As a result, I feel more connected.”
“The main thing that I will take with me is that there are many ways to structure a session, but using different techniques to deliver the main topic and achieve the objective, compared to the classic trainings, are very important to ensure that what you aim to achieve will travel across the walls of the conference room with the participant,” reported another.
“Speaking at a conference for the first time was definitely my highlight,” another participant noted. “Such an incredible experience. I came with no expectations and walked away blown away by all the sessions. I learned so much!”
Although the specific area that impacted them most varied from participant to participant, 100% reported that the program was valuable to them; that they enjoyed it; that it improved their facilitation skills and confidence; that they gained more knowledge and/or a better understanding of professional fields beyond their own; that they expanded their network; made friends; felt more connected to the alumni community; were inspired; and plan to use the facilitation skills they learned in the future.
Program Sessions and Facilitators:
Character Analysis led by Malsore Jusufi (YES Kosovo ’15), a quality assurance analyst who holds a bachelor’s degree in English language
Practical Medical Skills led by Natasha Carovska (YES North Macedonia ’12), a doctor working in a family medical practice
Migration Counseling led by Davor Tunjic (YES Bosnia and Herzegovina ’13), a researcher and advisor on migration-related issues currently pursuing a master’s degree in migration and intercultural relations
Personal Finances led by Simona Jendroska (YES North Macedonia ’10), the head of instructional design at a technical academy with a master’s degree in foreign diplomacy and a bachelor’s degree in finance and financial management
Artificial Intelligence in Work and Life led by Stefan Ivanovic (FLEX Montenegro ’12), an account manager on the mid-market sales team at Google
The Diplomacy of Diplomas: Multilateral Diplomacy in the Balkans led by Aleksandar Stevanovic (FLEX Serbia ’18), co-founder of the Belgrade Model U.S. Senate program who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in peace, security, and development
Sign Language, Braille, and Mental Health led by Rina Osmani (YES North Macedonia ’19), an applied behavior analysis therapist working with children with developmental disorders
Healthy Mind and Body led by Ksenija Edelinski (FLEX Serbia ’13), a master psychologist currently training as a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, focusing on psychoeducation and emotion regulation
How to Discuss Complex Topics: Exploring the Interconnected Factors Shaping Reproductive Autonomy led by Marija Krsteva (YES North Macedonia ’15), a lawyer with a master’s degree in international law, international relations, and European Union law
Integrity led by Amarild Hazizaj (YES Albania ’13), a National Legal Officer at OSCE in Albania with former positions in the judicial representation units at Albania’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Department of Public Administration
Engineering Diplomacy led by Milos Markovic (FLEX Serbia ’17), a graduate student of digital process engineering with a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering
The Perfect Neighborhood led by Jona Fani (YES Albania ’15), an architect who prioritizes designing with the community in mind
Intrusive Thoughts led by Marija Takic (FLEX Serbia ’18), a project coordinator for the Association for the Affirmation of Culture in Belgrade, where she helps Russian immigrants to Serbia with integration
International and Personal Taxes led by Stefan Raicevic (FLEX Montenegro ’12), a tax consultant with an LLM degree in international tax law working for a global company providing consulting services to multinational corporate clients
Storytelling with Data led by Shkurte Berisha (YES Kosovo ’18), a data integration analyst
Experiencing the Shift: Defining Priorities and Making Career Decisions led by Marko Delic (FLEX Montenegro ’12), FLEX Alumni Coordinator for Montenegro and marketing lead for an education technology company with an academic background in psychology and educational leadership and professional experience in recruiting, supporting, and engaging students and managing staff in K-12 and higher education in the U.S. and Asia
Understanding Health Statistics: Making Informed Decisions led by Klea Troka (YES Albania ’12), head of the statistics department at the Albanian Ministry of Health and Social Protection with master’s degrees in general medicine and epidemiology
This program was funded by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through the Future Leaders Exchange and Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study programs and designed and implemented by American Councils for International Education.
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