WBAA Project “Public Speaking Training – yes we need it!”: The Training was successfully held on 14-17 Oct. 2021 in Pancevo, Serbia
The training has successfully gathered 22 highly motivated WBAA members and young activists from the entire region, with the principal aim to increase their skills regarding public performance and public advocacy. The training was held on 14-17 October 2021, in Pancevo, Serbia, organized by the project coordinator Milan Stojanovic.
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WBAA Project - Public Speaking Training – Training in Session[/caption]
The aim of this project is to provide Public Speaking and Public Appearance skills, including capacity and confidence building, as a tool for public advocating of modernisation of higher education in the Western Balkan region. The activities on this project have been directed at establishing more efficient utilization of WBAA resources, increasing performance outcomes of WBAA teams and improving the WBAA visibility across the region. This was done by capacity building of 22 motivated WBAA members and young activists, ready to give their active contribution in the advocacy of modernization and internationalization of higher education, as well as in raising awareness about importance of academic Erasmus mobilities and participation in the WBAA organization after their international experience.
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WBAA Project - Public Speaking Training – Training in Session[/caption]
The training sessions were designed to include interactive lectures, workshops, as well as individual work and teamwork. Each participant was given a chance to apply the acquired knowledge and perform in public speech in front of a real, professional TV camera and all present participants. In the end, a genuine group feedback was made on the public performance of each of the participants, where everyone had a chance to hear the feedback regarding their own mistakes, as well as the most common errors made in public performance in general.
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WBAA Project - Public Speaking Training – Training in Session[/caption]
Public speaking skills training was concentrated on expanding the skills regarding public performance. The participants firstly learned how to gather and process the required information, then how to select a proper topic, and finally how to make a proper speech structure. The participants also learned how to select a proper audience and how to get to know it thoroughly before the public speaking occurs. Within this session the participants acquired a great deal of specific tips and instructions on what to do and what not to do during their public performance. They also learned how to prepare a clear message they want to distribute. This included explanations on the message elements and how those elements relate to each other. Additionally, they have learned on how to select a topic and field to be covered by their message in relation to the audience, themselves and the relevance to their work and expertise, i.e. credibility.
Additionally, this time the participants had the opportunity to experience fencing, which was the first contact with this sport for all of the participants of the training. Also, in addition to the interactive training of Public Speaking skills, the participants were offered a traditional Pancevo city walking tour, as well as a visit to Belgrade.
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WBAA Project - Public Speaking Training – Fencing[/caption][caption id="attachment_3484" align="alignright" width="300"]
WBAA Project - Public Speaking Training – Fencing Group Picture[/caption]
The official project video will remain as a fond memory of our 4 autumn days spent in Pancevo and will serve to motivate other young people in the region to become part of the Erasmus Plus and WBAA family.
What we can highlight is that in this project, more than 10 participants had their first contact with any WBAA activity. Considering that all participants were carefully selected, based on their motivation for the project topic and based on their previous international experience, it can be concluded that this project has made a significant contribution to enriching the WBAA community and made a great impact on our regional interaction and connectivity.
Finally, I would like to mention that the implementation of the project was logistically supported by the local Rotary Club "Mihajlo Pupin" from Pancevo, as well as several non-governmental organizations from the region that actively participated in recruiting participants for the project. I am much obliged to Sweden Alumni Network Western Balkans (SANWB), NGO "GLAS" (youth organization from Montenegro) and NGO "Srbija Moj Dom" (youth organization from Serbia). My thanks to all, who helped to make this project a success!
Text by Milan Stojanovic, Project Coordinator,
Edited by service provider
03.12.2021