Bojan Kordalov

Bojan Kordalov is a Senior Communication Specialist with more than 20 years of work experience. As a young professional, in 2007, he got the opportunity to become part of the premier professional exchange program ‘International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)’ sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

“IVLP has definitely had a very positive impact on me as a person, but also in my overall professional career. Those 3 weeks spent in 6 different cities in 5 states across the USA allowed me to get to know many aspects of the functioning of the American society. The Program allowed us to see many success stories and best practices, but also challenges at different levels, debates and different opinions on how to deal with these challenges.”, says Bojan for the MAAA Newsletter.

Soon after his completion of the IVLP Program, with a team of several friends and colleagues, Kordalov has established the IDUEP Institute (https://iduep.org.mk/), which focuses on promoting the principles of good governance, as well as advocating the importance for the citizens of the country's membership in NATO and EU, including all the benefits, but also standards, i.e. obligations that the society has to fulfill.

"Inspired by the latest digital trends in the USA at the time (the emergence and development of social media), I started to put my professional focus on digital democracy, i.e. the opportunities that digitalization provides in order to build a two-way connection between citizens and public authorities. This was a historic benefit, as the possibility of real-time feedback and communication about the way policies or reforms are introduced and implemented was unimaginable until then. But honestly, if you ask me today, 15 years later, I will say that certain improvements can be noticed, but national and regional institutions/public officials hardly use this opportunity for two-way communication. And this is exactly one of the main reasons why citizens' trust in institutions is decreasing in our region - simply, if you don't communicate with citizens and you don't include them in the decision-making processes in such a digital age of unlimited opportunities, they certainly won't to trust you", says Mr. Kordalov. 

One of the activities used to measure the level of communication between the authorities and citizens is the Annual Analysis of the use of social media by public officials and institutions, which IDUEP has been conducting since 2009.

Bojan's area of specialization and passion is advocacy and public speaking on various topics that aim to positively change society and the culture of communication throughout the country.

"This was one of the biggest inspirations that I brought back from the USA... realizing that a society does not only consist of authorities and citizens, but a collection of many individuals, groups, organizations, companies, etc. who have their own goals and interests. And this is not something that should scare us and make us condemn each other, but on the contrary, motivate us to listen to each other, accept different views and continue to act towards the same goal, but each one of us with their own methods and ways. And here, communication is the key, especially inclusive communication. There is and must be a place for everyone, because it is important that no one is left behind."

Within the scope of his activities, public appearances and speaking, he also emphasizes the need for digital transformation of the country, support for greater involvement of young people and women in policy-making, decision-making and in general public life, the fight against disinformation and the creation of civilized political dialogue and a culture of communication in the society.

Bojan has a master's degree in communications, and is currently the president of the Institute for Good Governance and Euro-Atlantic Perspectives (IDUEP). He is also engaged as a senior communication consultant on several different projects supported by international organizations and institutions. During each year, he holds about 100 days of formal and informal trainings in the region and at a European level, and his new challenge is to support the process of communication regarding the EU accession, something for which the SEE governments and administrations need serious support and contribution.

He is a true music lover, without which he does not start the day. "My music is always loud, with high tones, and you definitely don't want to look at my playlists because I think you rarely see such mixed styles in one place," says Bojan and adds that for every occasion and mood during the day he has a favorite song or style of music.

Finally, Bojan says that he considers himself exceptionally lucky that he can combine his profession with his character, because he really enjoys what he does. For him, the most important thing in everyone’s work is the achievement of concrete results and he is much more of a practitioner than a theorist. "I really enjoy when I unselfishly share my experience, but at the same time I want to hear and learn from other people's opinions and perspectives," he concludes.