Respected Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a great honor and a true pleasure for me to greet you here, on the shore of the Ohrid Lake, the waters of which are being splattered by some of the most significant Macedonian and European spiritual and cultural centers, a Lake that centuries ago used to inspire people to create real and lasting values. Today, exactly on the shore of this Lake, inspired by the rich heritage of Saints Clement and Naum, the Macedonian teachers and creators, we shall sail along in the waters of theoretical and practical leadership.
People say that “… the society is like a ship; at any time there should be people to take over the helm…”.
In order the future helmsmen to be ready to take over the helm, constant investments in their development and education must be made.
The road that leads to individual and collective success is neither short nor easy. The desire for success is not sufficient to go through that path, but also a clear vision as a beacon that illuminates the path. Commitment to the goal and sense of responsibility towards ourselves and towards others is necessary.
However, personal commitment and personal responsibility should be supported by collective commitment and responsibility to support the best, those who will lead the country tomorrow. The society, which today cares for its young leaders, tomorrow will be headed by the same people it has invested in, thus creating and strengthening its duality - responsible society headed by responsible social leaders. And precisely here lies the secret of successful societies. Therefore, I am particularly glad that this training is a result of the new spirit of togetherness, of shared social responsibility towards young leaders.
Ladies and Gentlemen. So far very little and rarely was invested in them. Often young potential leaders were left alone to get through. Today we turn a new page. State and business should be partners, creating real value through concerted and joint efforts. Today we set the foundations of what we hope will become a regional education center for teaching and training of future leaders.
We are aware that the future of social welfare in the Republic of Macedonia depends on future leaders, their qualifications, skills and knowledge, but of moral values and integrity of the person as well. Therefore, the mission of the Training for Young Leaders is to hand over your compass, to you, as a generation of future leaders. Our mission is, through the high quality education we provide, to prepare you to implement and promote the real values in the political and economic life, as well as to deal with the challenges imposed by the global technology, international competition and cultural and religious diversity.
Dear all. Some think that leadership is an art, others see it as practice. Some say that leaders are born, others that leaders are created and developed. Regardless of the answer to this dilemma, leadership and learning are inseparably intertwined. It is not enough to know. Knowledge must be applied because. Only if applied, knowledge will be in function of individual success that will bring a collective success.
Based on respect of fundamental human values, the vision of the Training for Young Leaders is to integrate modern political, scientific and technological knowledge and skills, both theoretically and practically. With this project we make a concrete step in your education, developing leadership personality and leadership skills, creating a sense of responsibility and response to the environment in which you live and work. This is best achieved through the direct link between the proven leaders in their respective fields and young social leaders.
Therefore, this training is an excellent opportunity for fruitful exchange of experiences and ideas among current and future leaders. This Training is an encouragement to this generation to mentor and support the future generation to find the best solutions and to enable it to further develop on its rich experience and to fulfill its aspirations. I believe that this workshop will meet our, but above all, your expectations. That it will continue to recognize and receive qualified, potential challenge-oriented leaders, ready to find innovative solutions to the problems. That it will continue to recruit professors and instructors who are themselves leaders in their academic field or practical field. That it will create a climate that is favorable for open minds, a climate that will enable effective learning and quality upgrading. Finally, I believe that this Training will offer a model of learning based on the latest research and studies on the state of play in the political, economic and sociological theory and practice.
Ladies and gentlemen. Using one of the greatest national treasures of Macedonia - the infinite creativity of its citizens - quality training of young leaders may encourage and ensure national prosperity and international competence. I believe that this workshop will provide exactly that.
At the end, remembering the immortal words of Dimitar Miliadinov who said “I have sown the seed, and I wish you are alive to gather its fruits”, I wish you, young social leaders, successful academic and professional harvest.
