From May 1st to 6th, 2025, Lake Mladost in Veles, North Macedonia, hosted an international training course titled “Corruption in Business”, gathering 25 youth workers from 12 countries: Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, Poland, Czechia, Belgium, and North Macedonia.
Organized by the Institute for Applied Research for Business from Skopje, the training was part of the DigitalVScorrupt project — a 30-month EU co-funded initiative (December 2023–May 2026) promoting the fight against corruption through digital innovation and civic engagement.
Over five days of interactive learning, participants explored the roots, impacts, and mechanisms of corruption in business through a dynamic mix of lectures, group tasks, simulations, discussions, and real-life case studies. The program included innovative methods tailored for youth workers, equipping them with practical anti-corruption tools and transferable knowledge to be used in their home countries.
The multicultural setup was a major strength of the event. Participants collaborated in mixed teams to encourage cross-border dialogue and multidisciplinary thinking. They developed practical toolkits for combating corruption, which they will implement within their local communities.
The training concluded with a Conference, which brought together youth workers, private sector representatives, academics, and stakeholders from the, public, NGO, and media sectors. The event provided a platform for dialogue, experience-sharing, and networking — reinforcing the message of zero tolerance for corruption and promoting European values across the Western Balkans.
The conference and training were widely regarded as a strong step forward in building regional cooperation, empowering youth workers, and strengthening anti-corruption capacities through international learning and collaboration.
The DigitalVScorrupt project continues to build momentum as a modern, inclusive initiative driven by digital tools, aiming to foster transparent, just, and democratic societies throughout Europe and its neighboring regions.
