AmCham Macedonia Spring 2014 (Issue 41) | Page 3

Dear AmCham Macedonia members and friends – Thank you for your interest in the spring 2014 edition of Emerging Macedonia. I’m sure you’ll find our coverage of volunteerism trends in Macedonia and internationally interesting and, hopefully, inspiring. Our member organizations are always at the leading edge of progressive trends in the country and corporate-supported volunteerism is no exception. I was glad to see so many of you at the Motivational Sales event this March, as well as our cocktail celebrating the publication of the OECD’s Transfer Pricing Guidelines in Macedonian. Both of these events demonstrated the important contribution our organization can make to consistently bring new ideas and practices into Macedonia. Over time, those new ideas will bring real and positive change. As we exit elections season here in Skopje, I’m personally looking forward to returning our focus on issues that will promote the global competitiveness of the Macedonian economy. One such issue is the need to increase the business-relevance of higher education programs and the number of quality internships taking place. How better to do this than by forward-thinking businesses working together with the country’s educational institutions? Please plan to join us on Wednesday, May 28th in Skopje’s Holiday Inn for our “Advancing Business-University Cooperation” event. We will be joined by a prominent U.S. expert on public-private cooperation, Mr. Rick Norment, who will offer his insights on the key elements of successful partnerships in higher education. His impressive professional experience working with both the public and private sectors in the United States on these issues will make for a very practical and applicable discussion. The event will also feature panel discussions bringing together public, private and student organization representatives. Based on the response from last year’s event, we know you agree that together, Macedonia’s business and academic communities can do more to prepare our young people for their future careers. We look forward to taking one more step in the right direction together this year! Sincerely, Michelle Osmanli Executive Director American Chamber of Commerce in Macedonia • Ivo Lola Ribar 59A-1/15, 1000 Skopje, Macedonia Phone: (+389 2) 3216 714; Fax (389) 2 3246 950 • [email protected] www.amcham.com.mk Emerging Macedonia Spring 2014 Issue 41 3