Author: Ana Dajovska

On June 26, 2024, MAAA held the last event at the University of St. Kliment Ohridski in Bitola within the project “Alumni Encouraging Volunteering and Extra-Curricular Activities.” At the event, which was held at the University’s Rectorate in Bitola, the President of the Macedonian-American Alumni Association, Ms. Zorica Trajkova Strezovska along with Mr. Gazmend Ilazi from the Public Relations Department of the American Embassy in Skopje, participated in the promotion of UKLO Colors - a new student magazine, and announced MAAA’s support of the establishment of the new Journalism Club at the university, emphasizing its role in providing a platform for students to develop their talents and engage more broadly with the community through extracurricular activities.

At the beginning of the event, the Rector Prof. Dr. Igor Nedelkovski and the Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Jasmina Bunevska Talevska highlighted the positive cooperation between MAAA, St. Kliment Ohridski University in Bitola, and the U.S. Embassy. They shared success stories and positive experiences resulting from UKLO’s collaboration with MAAA, further enriched by UKLO’s participation in the COLORS Alliance. Ms. Trajkova Strezovska then expressed MAAA's satisfaction with its collaboration with UKLO, particularly with the establishment of the new Journalism Club, and emphasized its role in providing students with a platform to develop their talents and engage more broadly with the community through extracurricular activities Following this, Emilia Misirlievski, a MAAA member and distinguished journalist from Bitola, shared her journalistic experiences with the students. She encouraged them to adopt an open-minded approach in exploring relevant and engaging topics from their everyday lives. 

The magazine was then officially promoted by Prof. Dr. Renata Petrevska Nečkoska and Prof. Dr. Silvana Neškovska. The Editor-in-chief of UKLO COLORS, Prof. Dr. Renata Petrevska Nečkoska, spoke with particular enthusiasm about the strong and effective collaboration between UKLO and MAAA, highlighting it as a key example of the COLORS Alliance, with UKLO as an equal partner. She also took pride in presenting some of the many initiatives through which UKLO brings vibrancy to the COLORS Alliance, fostering social growth through the collaborative network of UKLO’s partners.

On behalf of the editorial team, Prof. Silvana Neškovska from the Faculty of Pedagogy briefly outlined the preparation process for UKLO COLORS magazine, including the translation from Macedonian to English, the review of appendices, and the technical editing—all of which involved students from all three academic cycles and departments at UKLO. She emphasized that COLORS, the student magazine, is a bilingual, creative student publication with visibility beyond our borders.

Next, Eva Neškovska and Elena Šalevska, students from the Faculty of Pedagogy in Bitola, discussed student involvement at UKLO, emphasizing the cross-disciplinary collaboration with their peers in the STUDENTS OF COLORS initiative.

Finally, Mr. Gazmend Ilazi, a representative from the U.S. Embassy, presented the current educational exchange programs and highlighted the opportunities available for studentsto study abroad. The event concluded with the presentation of UKLO ECO-UKLO VELO, a socio-educational and environmental game developed as part of the Club for Sustainable Living established within MAAA’s project. 

With this event, the project “Alumni Encouraging Volunteering and Extra-Curricular Activities” officially concluded in Bitola. However, MAAA continues its dedication to support universities and youth through its upcoming activities and projects.