Participating in Asfar’s International Traineeship program with the Centre for Knowledge Management programme has been an amazing experience for me. I had many responsibilities and worked on several EU research projects; working with partners from all over Europe including Belgium, Italy, France, and Estonia.
The Work introduced me to a lot of new concepts and I learned a lot about working in the social research field beyond just research, including project applications, team management, funding/tender management, and the organisation and hosting of international conferences. The work also gave me opportunities to travel beyond North Macedonia, including an organised trip to Slovenia and Italy, and attending a conference in Belgium.
Living in Skopje was an experience in of itself, with friendly people and delicious food, in addition to the city having some incredible places to see like the Old Bazaar, the many statues adorning the Main Square, and the historic sites of the Old Stone Bridge and Kale Fortress. There are also some beautiful sites outside of Skopje I was lucky enough to visit, such as the stunning Matka Canyon, and Lake Ohrid.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Skopje and believe that it has help me gain some valuable experience and knowledge for working in the NGO field.