Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
The only way for smaller countries such as Croatia to successfully compete with the major economies in the world market is to be better than them in knowledge and excellence. One recipe for success is a long-term, consistent strategic policy with a focus on mathematics, the natural science fields, and English, and good role models could be Singapore, Israel and Estonia, said Harvard professor Vladimir Bosiljevac, keynote speaker at the second Piknik (Picnic) in Zagreb.
In its second year Picnic again filled the cafe Johann Franck in the center of Zagreb, gathering more than 1,000 experts in the communications industry and business, as well as students interested in studying at Harvard. Bosiljevac’s message to them was that enrollment at Harvard is not mission impossible, and that they should be motivated and try.
In Croatia, the prevailing opinion is that it’s almost impossible to be able to afford to study at such a university because of the high tuition fees and living expenses, but more than 60 percent of the total of 6,700 undergraduate students receive some form of scholarship, i.e. financial assistance, which can be very generous and allows a normal life and study – an average of $46,000 per student. At the postgraduate level (master’s and doctoral studies), the percentage of students who receive scholarships is even higher; so finances should not be the deciding factor, as Harvard has the issue covered for all who are accepted but can’t afford it. The competition, however, is ruthless. Only five percent who apply are admitted. “The reality is that at Harvard you work very hard, often needing 14-16 hours a day, months with no days off including weekends, which requires personal sacrifice and family support, but also a great love for the work,” said Bosiljevac.
Attendees got to hear about the application of the knowledge gained at Harvard to business practice from Kyle Buffenmyer, who worked for seven years in the management of the holding company Al-Rajhi, owned by one of the richest Saudi families. Saudi Arabia, according to him, provides huge opportunities, but is not the most comfortable environment to work in. If you manage to build a business in such an environment, you can succeed in the rest of the world as well. Buffenmyer said he would gladly start a business in Croatia, because he has heard that Croatia has hard working, ambitious and creative people, as well as a market with a lot of potential for growth and development.
“After the second Picnic we can already say that we have become an event for everyone involved in PR, marketing, creativity and business in general, and an event that is not to be missed. A particularly important fact for us is that we’ve managed not only to strengthen links within the Croatian communications industry, but also to connect our creatives and communicators with the world’s best practice,” said Nikola Vrdoljak, director of the agency 404, which organizes Picnic with the agency Pepermint.
The second Picnic also introduced a new element: the presentation of the best of the Croatian communications industry. This year there was a presentation from communications management agency Media Val, whose CEO Mario Aunedi Medek said that after 13 years of work they have branched out to entertainment PR and lobbying, and are on track to become the largest Croatian PR agency. The creative agency Utorak was presented by its co-owner Jakov Vilović, who said that they want to remain a small company for as long as they can – more of a trade than a business – to maintain maximum flexibility.
“With this Picnic we have once again proved that it’s extremely important and necessary to encourage our industry towards dialogue and the exchange of ideas and experiences. Picnic is a format that combines exactly what we need, and is business and relaxation in one place. It’s a formula that works. See you at the next picnic,” said Tomo Ricov, director of the agency Pepermint.