Stop worrying and start doing - my report from the study week in North Macedonia

As a student in the Master of Science in Business Administration programme with specialisation in Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship, I got to participate in a study week in North Macedonia as part of my curriculum. Together with four committed coaches from the HSLU, my team and I spent an unforgettable week in Štip. What I found particularly inspiring were the varied talks given by local and international business experts and by the innovative start-up founders based in Štip. But let me start at the beginning.

A big welcome

The launch of the study week on Monday was quite the event. We were greeted by a series of welcoming remarks: our host and leader of the study week, Prof Dr René Zeier, both the Dean and the President of the University of Goce Delchev, the Mayor of Štip and the deputy head of the Swiss Embassy in North Macedonia had all prepared speeches for us. Prof Dr René Zeier's words stayed with me and my team all week: “I wish you a lot of good energy to find the magic»”. The press were also there to report on the event, which was another indicator of just how significant this week was considered to be for the region.

The week kicks off

Thursday to Friday each started with a talk on a specific topic, for instance the Swiss Entrepreneurship programme, corporate communication and how to build a successful team. I particularly remember a simple role play that helped us understand the situation of entrepreneurs in North Macedonia and the kinds of challenges they are facing every day. We also discussed the ongoing brain drain from the region at length. The large-scale emigration of well-trained specialists from North Macedonia is a significant problem for the country’s economic development.

Hats on!

Then, in the afternoon, things got real. My team and I got the chance to support an up-and-coming hat designer and start-up founder with our know-how. Together, we identified viable distribution channels and developed an assessment chart for the selection of potential retail spaces. After a tour of the studio and some outlet scouting in Štip and Skopje, we quickly agreed that the focus should be on building an exclusive brand. Both the elegant design of the merchandise and the label’s limited production capacity told us that mass production was not an option. 

Our coach not only helped us to identify the relevant criteria for our assessment chart, but also put us in touch with the former owner of a traditional Swiss hat shop, who had useful advice to share and asked us to come to Basel after the study week to showcase the designs of our start-up founder in a presentation. We’re looking forward to the next chapter in this story and there’s no doubt in our minds that we did find “the magic”, as René Zeier had encouraged us to do.

No work without play!

One of the highlights of the study week was the intercultural mid-week event that brought together students, coaches and entrepreneurs. Enjoying a generous buffet of local treats and live music, we spent a great evening together in a relaxed atmosphere.

I also have fond memories of our tour of the Modena textile factory. After an introductory speech by the factory manager, we were given free rein to explore the factory floor and to chat with the workers. But we also got to sample the tastes of the region in a wine tasting with a buffet and live music on a nearby winery whose owner had also worked with one of the groups during the study week.

What a great week it’s been

The week concluded with the teams presenting their results. They had created logos and websites, social media strategies, videos, and many other things. It was amazing how excited the start-up founders were by our ideas and efforts and how we managed to open new perspectives for them. This week has motivated me to think more creatively and be bolder in future.

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Helbling Janine, MSc student
(Master of Science in Business Administration, Major Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship), 29 April 2024