Approximately fifty students of International Business from the Mannheim campus of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW Mannheim – Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg), accompanied by Prof. Dr. Martin Kornmeier, visited the Economic Chamber as part of a nine-day student mobility program implemented under Erasmus+.

The purpose of the visit to the Economic Chamber was to exchange experiences in the field of dual education within the higher education system, as well as to familiarize the German students with the functioning of the oldest business organization in Macedonia, the role of the business community in shaping higher education policies, and the opportunities for doing business in Macedonia, while also establishing potential future contacts and partnerships. Germany is Macedonia’s most important trading partner and the country with which it records its largest foreign trade volume.

Daniel Matrakoski, International Cooperation Expert at the Chamber, presented the Chamber’s organizational structure, the services it provides, and its regional and international cooperation activities. He also highlighted the Chamber’s three strategic priorities: business-oriented education, exports, and regional cooperation.

Natasha Janevska, MA, Education Adviser, spoke about the cooperation between the business community and academia, as well as the new higher education reforms initiated and supported by the Economic Chamber. In this context, she presented activities related to the implementation of practical training in companies, the development of joint study programs, the introduction of dual higher education, the preparation of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses in cooperation with companies, and the application of case studies in the teaching process.

The experiences shared by the German students regarding dual higher education and the cooperation between universities and companies can significantly contribute to the development of a Macedonian model of dual higher education, particularly in light of the preparation of the new Law on Higher Education.

The host of the visit was the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Radmil Polenkovikj. During the period from 4 to 13 June, the students had the opportunity to visit a number of companies, organizations, and institutions in order to gain insight into the country’s education system, culture and history, as well as the functioning of the public administration and business sector.

The Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University represents a model of higher education that integrates academic studies with practical training in companies, offering a dual-study system. This concept is also one of the reform directions advocated by the Economic Chamber, adapted to Macedonian traditions, conditions, and the needs of the domestic economy.