2014 Annual Report
According to the collected results (~50 company respondents), the most companies say they cooperate
with universities via internship programs, though 35-49% also said they provided guest lectures to
classrooms, supported academic research and/or sponsored student-organized events. The most promising
part of companies responses were their strong expressions of interest in introducing or increasing their
cooperation with universities.
We gathered around 100 answers from members of the student organizations. Students overwhelming
responded that they thought increased business cooperation with universities would increase their
employability, that their current program could be better aligned with employer needs and that their
contacts with such cooperation were somewhat or very useful or relevant to their studies.
During his visit, Norment:
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had meeting with the leadership of the State University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius’ Faculty of
Computer Science and Engineering;
gave presentation for members of the Association of Units of Local Self-Government in Macedonia
(ZELS), including several mayors;
was guest speaking at a training session for members of the business community hosting by USAID
Macedonia’s IDEAS Project; and
gave an exclusive interview broadcast by Radio Free Europe.
As part of our efforts for cooperation with other AmChams in the region, during his visit, Mr. Norment
participated in a roundtable on public procurement and public-private partnerships in Sofia, Bulgaria as the
guest of AmCham Bulgaria.
Doing Business with Foreign Investors in Macedonia
The event was great opportunity for networking, giving local suppliers a chance to communicate directly
with representatives from well-known foreign companies in the country and to exchange contact details.
Panelists at the session represented Johnson Matthey, EVN Macedonia and Van Hool. They presented a
wide range of cooperation opportunities and gave examples of their key procedures and standards in the
procurement process. During the event, local suppliers also presented some of the challenges they face in
approaching and cooperating with foreign investors.
AmCham Thanks Volunteers & Donors in CSR and Advocacy Efforts
In 2014, we decided to promote among AmCham members Macedonian Red Cross’ campaign “Think of
us”, which is raising awareness and helping fight hunger across the country. 13 member companies and
their employees supported the Red Cross’ Initiative by donating funds and goods in kind.
Additionally, we hosted a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to thank those people and organizations whose
contributions went above and beyond to make this year’s CSR and advocacy initiatives successful.
2014 Event Participant Feedback
AmCham systematically collects event participant feedback to help continuously improve the value of our
events and activities. The following table summarizes the consolidated results of all 2014 surveys.
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