Last week, my colleague Lovre Kolega and I had the opportunity to take part in the 26th Traditional Counseling by the Croatian Economic Association. The event was held in Opatija, at the Grand Hotel Adriatic from November 7-9, 2018. The main topic of discussion was economic politics in Croatia in the year 2019. During the first day of the event, speakers included the President of the Republic of Croatia, Ms. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Governor the Croatian National Bank, Mr. Boris Vujčić and Minister of Regional Development and EU funds, Ms. Gabrijela Žalac.
On the second day, three panels were held that covered the topics economic development, pension fund reforms, and the priorities of reforms – timeliness and the particularity of the . Economic experts, managers and professors from faculties of economics were among the numerous panelists.
The third day was held under the motto „Day of Economics students“ and attracted top students from various Croatian faculties of Economics; for the first time, participants from the faculty of Economics in Beograd attended. Leading businessmen from the corporate sector took part in the panel „The future… is here“, which was moderated by Mladen Vedriš, PhD, from the Faculty of Law in Zagreb, and the chief editor of HRT HR, Eliana Čandrlić Glibota. The panelists discussed what employees focus on during the recruitment process and what job candidates can do to stand out. During the next panel discussion, 20 top students shared their experiences and mindsets, among which were my colleague Lovre Kolega and I, Luka Vučak. The discussion was lead by Nataša Drvenkar, PhD from the Faculty of Economics in Osijek, and HRT journalist Frano Ridjan.
The students gave their opinions on formal education and agreed that it is incredibly important, but that a degree alone is not sufficient. All panelists emphasized the importance of gaining experience through internships while still being in college. In order to succeed long-term, students must stay up-to-date with the newest technologies and market trends. Participating in student exchange programs and student organizations was also praised as an excellent opportunity.
The 3-day event ended on a positive note. Students agreed that the future is, in fact, here and that to keep young generations in Croatia, we need to „get out of their way“. Young people are aware that the salary of their first job is not going to be very high, but they are prepared to fight for a better life in Croatia. What they expect from the government are functioning institutions and less complicated administrative and legal processes. They want a free and flexible market with minimized governmental intervention, where they can gain knowledge, new experiences, and start their own businesses.
My colleague Lovre and I are very happy about having attended the event. We met a lot of colleagues from other faculties of economics and had a great time sharing our experiences and opinions. We thank ZSEM for this opportunity!
Lovre Steven Kolega
Luka Vučak
