PROJECTS

A seminar titled "Intercultural Communication in a Business Environment" was held at the Zenica Development Agency - Zeda last Friday. Organized by Zenos, this event attracted students, business professionals, NGO sector representatives, and educational institution delegates, a diverse and dynamic audience ready to learn and exchange ideas. The seminar was led by Zenos's co-founder, Ena Fejzagić Livančić, who is a certified trainer in intercultural communication.

Seminar Description

The seminar began in a very pleasant atmosphere. The trainer warmly welcomed all participants and invited them to share their expectations for the seminar. Ena skillfully conducted the lecture, imparting her knowledge on key strategies for successful collaboration with people from different cultures and effective intercultural communication in the business world.

A special emphasis was on interactive exercises that involved all attendees. One exercise was dedicated to exploring the sources of culture, where participants reflected and shared their views on life, love, family, work, health, friendship, success, and happiness. Through this exercise, participants were able to connect their views with different cultures, enabling a deeper understanding of how culture shapes our perspectives and behavior.

After the engaging first part of the lecture, there was a short break for refreshments and networking. In the second part, the trainer focused on preparing the participants for meetings and interviews with international organizations. Participants particularly enjoyed this part, because they received specific examples of how to converse with different cultures.

During the interactive part of the seminar, participants also discussed the effects of culture. They engaged in an exercise that simulated a situation where a manager assigns a task to his new team, highlighting the importance of teamwork. Here, participants contemplated how individuals from different cultures might interpret such instructions from their superior and connected behavior with national cultures. Subsequently, the trainer detailed and described the effects of various cultures, including American, Japanese, German, Chinese, and Brazilian. The atmosphere throughout the seminar was exceptionally positive, and at the end, all participants received a certificate of attendance.

Participant Feedback

The seminar did not only provide valuable knowledge and techniques for participants' advancement, but also opened doors for future collaboration and idea exchange. This event will surely remain etched in the memories of all attendees as an experience that stimulated their further growth and development. The feedback was excellent, as clearly seen from the participants' statements.

"Thank you for organizing this seminar. The topic was interesting and useful. We hope to have the opportunity for similar seminars and workshops in the future."

"An excellent and interesting seminar with lots of useful information. The lecturer is fully in command of the topic with many practical examples. Everything was great!"

"The atmosphere during the seminar was excellent, and through interaction with the lecturer, we understood the seminar's context and the importance of culture."

"Excellent communication skills of the lecturer and great ability to create a comfortable atmosphere for attendees and involve them in the lecture. Thank you for the wonderful experience!"

"The seminar met all my expectations. I learned a lot of new and useful information."

It must be emphasized that this seminar is closely related to the mission, vision, and activities of Zenos. Our goal is to empower young people through education and training to be more competitive in the job market and to make a positive contribution to the community by providing tools and skills that are key in today's business world marked by globalization. This seminar is just one of the steps towards achieving that goal.