SARAJEVO – The RYCO Local Branch Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the opening event for the Western Balkans School Exchange Scheme “Superschools” in Sarajevo on Friday, 8 October 2021.
The event’s participants were greeted by Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina Ms Ekaterina Dorodnova, Attaché for Cooperation at the Embassy of the French Republic in Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr Sylvain Rigollet, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Ms Lea Thurm, Head of the Department of Statistics, Analytics and Reporting at the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Bosnia and Herzegovina Ms Milijana Lale, together with Head of the RYCO Local Branch Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina Ms Berina Bukva Alibašić and Superschools Program Coordinator Mr Astrit Rexhepi.
In her opening remarks, Ms Bukva Alibašić thanked the participants for being involved in improving the possibilities for school exchanges in the region and schools being informed about these types of possibilities.
On the other side, Ms Lale pointed out the unquestionable support from the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the RYCO Local Branch Office in Sarajevo as well as RYCO as a whole. She underlined that it is in the interest of the Ministry of Civil Affairs for RYCO to fulfill its objectives which can be done through the successful implementation of Superschools program.
Ms Dorodnova emphasized that the financial support from the EU for the implementation of the Superschools program is crucial and underlined the importance of the cooperation between the EU and RYCO, as well as the importance of RYCO’s mission in the Western Balkans.
Furthermore, Ms Thurm highlighted the fact that RYCO was modeled on the example of the French-German Youth Office which was established after the Second World War and still exists. She said that student exchange programs can have a strong, positive impact on a young person.
Mr Rigollet stressed out the significance of RYCO’s work in the region and the possibilities that could be accomplished through the Superschools program.
Lastly, Mr Rexhepi and Ms Bukva Alibašić conducted a session with the representatives of relevant ministries in Bosnia and Herzegovina and informed them about the Superschools project and the work of RYCO.
