Andrea Čordaš began her career as Secretary General, later became Project manager, and recently Director of International Affairs at the Chamber of Commerce City of Mostar. During her studies, Ms. Čordaš acquired a variety of practical knowledge and skills, which she is especially proud of, and which enabled her to accomplish professional results. She highlights knowledge and experiences acquired during her internships in the USA and in Germany. She received her BSc degree in Service Management from Rochester Institute of Technology, Croatia and her MA in International Relations and European Studies from Central European University, Hungary. She is a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Mostar on two courses and she also fills the role of Managing Director of the young company SPARK Business Park in Mostar, a company that aims at boosting innovation, the use of information technology and development of business ideas. Ms. Čordaš believes in the relevance of leadership at all stages of growth and development and in all spheres of society. In April 2015, she visited Brussels within the framework of European Union Visitor’s Programme (EUVP). The goal of EUVP is enabling young leaders, future governmental leaders, political leaders, leaders in media and other areas in non-member countries to visit the EU institutions and increase communication and cooperation between EU and non-EU experts.

Under the EU Visitors Programme (EUVP), you had a unique opportunity to become acquainted with the objectives of the European Union. What were the goals of the visit to Brussels and the EUVP programme and can you describe your overall impressions?

The goal of my visit to the institutions of the European Union in Brussels was primarily to gain valuable contacts, which will become part of my personal network important for future professional achievements. On the other hand, I wanted to become myself a contact person to the counterparts in Brussels, in case they need the information that I have at my disposal. The principal aim of the visit was to enable current or future young leaders to gain first-hand experience and increase their understanding of the EU.

What remained in my memory as very striking was the slogan that all officials in the EU institutions live for and promote: united in diversity. The slogan reflects the spirit of the EU, and that is the coexistence of different nations within a single polity. The power that this set-up  contains is from the diversity of worldviews, cultures and customs of people within the EU.

Through this programme, you had the opportunity to meet many competent people at the European Commission. How much did you learn about the functioning of EU institutions and its policies?

During the working visit to Brussels, I was really given the great opportunity to meet various experts in the European Commission and the European Parliament. The discussions were highly interactive and helped me to understand better the ways in which the European Union (EU) works. The interlocutors offered me a very detailed insight into their daily work and the role that departments have in the overall logic of the EU system. Also, I had the opportunity to understand how the EU policies are formed in different areas and what  are the instruments that instigate them.

How high is BiH on the list of EU priorities?

The European Union is a strong supporter of the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Together with all the countries of the Western Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina is encouraged to implement the necessary reforms, which will help the country to improve the socio-economic stimulation of the development projects. So I feel free to say that BiH enjoys a high position on the list of priorities of the EU.

Do you think the EUVP visit will help you in your future work?

The contacts that I gained during the working visit to the institutions of the European Union  will definitely help me in my future work. Through increased understanding of the process and the logic of the complex system that constitutes the EU, I will be in a position to support the process of accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union. In other words, this working visit will be an incentive for my future stronger engagement in this process and, in combination with the education I have gained in the field of international relations and European studies, will have a very positive effect on my future.