The Seventeenth Annual International Conference on Emerging Ideas – AICEI 2022 entitled ‘Priorities Redefined: New Realities after the Ukrainian Crisis’ seeks to assess the emerging contemporary issues and how they impact business, economies, and societies. By providing a platform for scholars, industry experts, government officials and civil participants and students to share their ideas and experience, AICEI 2022 will explore the observed impact of emerging societal issues in the following areas:

Conference Program

• 8:45-9:15 • Registration
• 9:30-10:30 • Opening session:
  H.E. Ms. Slavjanka Petrovska, Minister of Defense of the Republic of North Macedonia
  Mr. Edward P. Joseph, Johns Hopkins SAIS, USA
• 10:30-11:00 • Professor Honoris Causa Awarding Ceremony
• 11:00-11:30 • Coffee break
• 11:30-12:15 • Session 1: The Ukrainian crisis and responses
• 12:15-13:00 • Session 2: EU, Ukraine and the future
• 13:00-13:30 • Coffee break
• 13:30-14:15 • Parallel Session 3: Post-Covid 19 challenges
• 13:30-14:15 • Parallel Session 4: Challenges in education
• 14:15-15:15 • Lunch
• 15:15-16:15 • Parallel Session 5: Contexts: Crises, identity and challenges to democracy
• 15:15-16:15 • Parallel Session 6: Economic crises, insecurities, and prospects
• 16:15-16:30 • Closing plenary session

Opening addresses: H.E. Ms. Slavjanka Petrovska, Minister of Defense of the Republic of North Macedonia

Official keynote speaker: Edward P. Joseph, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, USA

Master of Ceremony: Ognen Vangelov, UACS Assistant Professor

Note: The working language of the conference is English

Working Sessions

11:30-12:15 • Session 1: The Ukrainian crisis and responses

Moderator: Cristina Bunea

• Robert C. Hudson (United Kingdom), The UK and the Conflict in Ukraine
• Jeremy Cripps (United States of America), Disintermediation: Post War Reality Priorities
• Zsuzsanna Csapó (Hungary), To Help, or Not to Help, That Cannot be a Question. The International Legal Obligations of States in Relation to the Russian-Ukrainian Armed Conflict: The Duty to Help and the Duty to Refuse Assistance (and the Duty of Non-recognition)

12:15-13:00 • Session 2: EU, Ukraine and the future

Moderator: Ognen Vangelov

• Martin Solik, Jan Graf (Czechia), Russian Hybrid Operations in the Balkans after Ukrainian War: Main Obstacle in the EU Enlargement Process?
• Marijana Opashinova Shundovska (North Macedonia), Politics and Society: The Ukrainian Crisis and the Future of EU Enlargement: Merit-based or Politically-driven Process?
• Jordan Shishovski (North Macedonia), Redesign of Cities for Urban Warfare Resilience and Deterrence After the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022

13:00-13:30 • Coffee break

13:30-14:15 • Parallel Session 3: Post-Covid 19 challenges

Moderator: Marina Andeva

• Igor Sazdovski, Maja Stevkova-Sterieva (North Macedonia), The Effect of COVID 19 on Digitalization of Financial Transactions in Macedonia
• Dimitrinka Jordanova Pesevska, Ana Tomovska Misoska, Angela Filipovska (North Macedonia), Experiences of Stress and Anxiety related to COVID-19 Preoccupation and COVID-19 Difficulties among University Students in North Macedonia
• Sanja Pavlova (North Macedonia), Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Organizational Behavior and Mental Health of Employees in Higher Education Institution

13:30-14:15 • Parallel session 4: Challenges in education

Moderator: Ivana Trajanoska

• Dimitrinka Jordanova Pesevska (North Macedonia), Experiences of Peer Victimization Associated with Stress and Anxiety among Adolescents in North Macedonia
• Maja Pavlovska, Ivana Trajanoska (North Macedonia), The Role of English Language Testing and Certification in the Recruitment Process in the R.N. Macedonia
• Natasha Angeleska (North Macedonia) Digital Competences for Teaching and Learning
• Ilina Kachinske (North Macedonia) Student-inspired Pedagogy: Students’ Beliefs and Preferences Regarding Second Language Academic Writing

14:15-15:15 • Lunch

15:15-16:15 • Parallel Session 5: Contexts: Crises, identity and challenges to democracy

Moderator: Ivan Dodovski

• Ognen Vangelov (North Macedonia), What Drove Autocratization in Hungary under Victor Orban and North Macedonia under Nikola Gruevski?
• Marina Andeva, Ylber Sela (North Macedonia), Languages and Identities in North Macedonia: Legal and Political Challenges to State Formation
• Vladimir Kacarski (North Macedonia), Creation of International Anti-cosmic Bodies Protection System

15:15-16:15 • Parallel Session 6: Economic crises, insecurities, and prospects

Moderator: Ana Tomovska-Misoska

• Dimitar Dimitrovski, Snezana Hristova (North Macedonia), Strategies for Business Model Innovation: Exploiting Synergy for Competitive Advantage in the Energy Sector
• Marija Stanojeska (North Macedonia), An Implementation of Digital Technologies to Improve the Productivity and Reduce Non-value Adding Activities in the Production Process
• Snezana Hristova, Dusica Srbinoska Stevcevska, Stefan Tanevski, Igor Spasovski (North Macedonia), FinTech and the Customer Experience: How to Embrace Change in Macedonian Banking Industry?
• Tane Murgoski, Snezana Hristova (North Macedonia) The Advanced Role of Innovation and New Capabilities: The Search for a New HR Strategy in Alkaloid Skopje

16:15-16:30 • Closing plenary session