WBAA General Assembly 2025: Shaping the Future of WBAA
On 13 April 2025, the WBAA held the General Assembly meeting for 2025, bringing together the delegates from all WBAA Chapters. The event took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and welcomed around 60 representatives from the region, including the members of the WBAA Board, as well as guests from various partner organisations and stakeholders.
The General Assembly served as a platform for discussing key organisational matters and sharing updates with the broader membership, as in previous years. This edition focused on setting the direction for WBAA’s future growth and development, especially in light of recent challenges. The Assembly was officially opened with a welcome speech by Mario Vrhovac, WBAA Board representative from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The first part of the meeting was dedicated to identifying potential drivers of change and presenting the structural reforms required to maintain WBAA's credibility and recognition throughout the region. Discussions also addressed strategies for attracting new members and motivating existing ones to remain active and contribute to the organisation’s development on a voluntary basis.
Daniel Josifovski and Dejan Galovski, both from the Macedonian Chapter, introduced WBAA to new attendees and presented activities implemented since the last General Assembly. Their presentation sparked a constructive discussion on the new scheme for supporting initiatives and activities, followed by an overview of recently approved projects.
Participants also had the opportunity to listen to Hélène Banegas, Project Adviser for Erasmus+ International Alumni at the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), as she shared insights about the new contract, EACEA’s strategic objectives, and the agency’s vision for WBAA’s future.
In the second part of the day, participants attended two panel discussions:
Panel Discussion 1: ESAA Partners Roundtable
Moderated by Milan Stojanović (WBAA Board Member, Serbian Chapter), this session featured representatives from fellow Erasmus+ alumni networks:
- Sillian Ferrari, garagErasmus Foundation
- Roshan Halkhoree, ASAF Network
- Marvi Qazi, Erasmus Mundus Association
- Mohamed Yassin Zarouk, OCEANS Network
- Nensi Mkrtchyan, ESN International
The panel focused on the structures, functions, and collaboration mechanisms within the Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Alliance (ESAA). Discussions focused on best practices, exploring synergies among alumni organisations, and strategies to enhance the impact of ESAA-supported initiatives.
Panel Discussion 2: WBAA Board Members’ Dialogue
This session was dedicated to the WBAA Board Members and focused on identifying challenges, generating ideas, and discussing innovative approaches to foster active participation within the association. Panellists included:
- Mr. Daniel Josifovski (WBAA Chapter North Macedonia)
- Ms. Nikolina Adžić (WBAA Chapter Montenegro)
- Mr. Milan Babić (WBAA Chapter Serbia)
- Ms. Njomza Sallauka (WBAA Chapter Kosovo)
- Mr. Mario Vrhovac (WBAA Chapter Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Mr. Arber Hajrizaj (WBAA Chapter Kosovo)
The session emphasised the importance of empowering members through the creation of new WBAA teams aligned with the organisation’s mission. Ideas were shared for establishing teams focused on project and programme management, sustainable development, communications and visibility, membership and stakeholder coordination, capacity building, vocational education and training (VET), and fundraising.
Skopje, Macedonia, 23 April 2025
Daniel Josifovski, daniel.josifovski@western-balkans-alumni.eu
Edited by the Erasmus+ Support Service Team
