SELF-EDUCATION: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND YOU

While studying for my Masters degree at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, I have noticed significant differences between the general approach to graduate and postgraduate education in my home country Moldova and here.

Back home the focus is on theoretical side of knowledge, with this knowledge being “fed” to students. Thorough control of each student’s performance is done by teachers throughout the whole study period. Students are required to strictly “obey” the established curriculum, the teachers, and the university staff. Everything is quite formal and official.

This is a more or less opposite case in Denmark and other European countries. The stress here is made on self-education (autodidacticism); that is, every student “knits” his / her own study process.

Firstly, it is you who chooses what courses to take in each block and semester. Of course, there are some core and compulsory subjects you are required to have, but regarding their allocation and choice of elective ones – this is entirely up to you. Selection and allocation is performed by using the virtual system you gain access to before the start of the study period.

Secondly, the education process is constructed in a way to give you more applied side of knowledge and to help you develop corresponding competences and skills. It is not enough to just know how things work, you are required to understand the logic behind it and implement the obtained information and skills in the real world situations. In addition, learning everything by heart is not demanded here; on the contrary, you are expected to develop critical thinking by challenging the truth of theories and applicability of methods and instruments.

Thirdly, students are not obliged to attend any lecture or seminar. You are not checked for attendance and in most cases you do not get marks during the study period; you receive only the final grade based on your exam performance. However, it means that much of the studying is done through individual and group work outside lectures. So, your study and performance are your own business, but this “business” requires much time and hard work from you.

It seems that the self-education approach practiced in many European countries is the best one possible. Still, let us look at it through the “critical eye” and see what are the advantages (the “goods”) and disadvantages (the “bads”) of it.

The “goods” are the following:

- Opportunity to construct your own curriculum and study process – You know better than anyone else what you want to take from your education, so this allows you to align personal expectations and schedule with your studying;

- Focus on every student – This makes students feel themselves important and thus show more dedication to and involvement in the study process (it is like firms’ focus on consumer in a market);

- Informal environment – Students do not have “formality and hierarchy obstacles” to approach teachers with questions, proposals, feedback, etc.;

- Alignment with the real world – Accent on the applied side of knowledge makes it easier for students to understand and transfer it “beyond auditoriums”;

- Opportunity to make and correct mistakes – When you do not get marks, but receive constructive feedback from your teacher, you are not afraid to make mistakes and, most importantly, learn how to correct and prevent them in the future;

- Development of innovation and critical thinking – No doubt that these competences are very demanded on the global labour market, so their development brings significant added value to an individual;

- Team work and leadership experience – Studying and working on a common project together with other students helps you develop these two no less important competences and skills.

However, there are some “bads” here also:

- Somewhat complicated study self-service you need to understand and learn to use – It might be difficult to master the usage of the course selection, internal communication and other virtual systems, especially for the first time;

- Dependence on information technologies – Various system upgrade periods, bugs, viruses and other IT-related issues can pose certain challenges in registering for a course or receiving the necessary material on time, for example;

- Time-consuming – Self-education suggests there is a lot of reading, work on assignments and projects to do outside lectures and seminars. This fact makes it very challenging to get a job or to do something else (of course, if you really want to benefit from your education). And if you have no grant or scholarship to cover tuition fees and maintenance, then it becomes a very serious drawback.

So, as you see, there is no “perfect” approach to education (though many people equal the words “abroad” and “the best”) – each has both its strong and weak points. It is mostly up to YOU how the proportion of “goods” and “bads” will be managed. If you are of the “lazy and not interested” kind, then you will surely find dozens of arguments why current education does not satisfy your needs. But with proper interest and passion in the study programme, you will manage to get the most out of and beyond it despite the overall level of its development.

Certainly, the quality of education also depends on the state’s attention and care for it. If the state wants to have a well-developed internal labour market with high quality and globally demanded local specialists and wishes to prevent the so-called “brain-drain” phenomenon, then it should invest in the development of education and really “think out of the box” to maximize the synergy of the “goods” from various approaches and minimize the “bads” of each of them. Still, in some way it also depends upon you. If you just sit and complain, but continue to follow the established regime, then the state has no incentive to spend precious budget money for improving something where change is not demanded. On the contrary, if you take proactive role in addressing the education issue, then your voice has higher chance of being heard at the “tops”. Even if you cannot reach sanity and rational thinking of high officials, then at least you will be able to improve education quality for yourself and probably surrounding people.

Thus, perhaps we better stop whining and waiting for some imaginary “good and wise fellow politician” to come to power and change the education system for the better with a mere wave of his hand… and perhaps we should get our own minds and hands into it if we really desire an effective and efficient education for ourselves and our children.

As an American actor Jonathan Winters pointed out:

„If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it”.

BIKING RULEZ!

Denmark in general and Copenhagen in particular are considered to have one of the most widespread bicycling culture in the World. Almost everyone here, from small children to elderly ladies, ride a bike. Going to work and returning home, dropping in at supermarket for shopping, going out with friends, delivering mail and goods, using a mobile phone, playing with a baby, scratching a leg, flirting, kissing… – a lot of things are done on this two-wheeled mean of transportation here.

Such vast usage of bicycles is not a big surprise if you consider high fares on public transportation in Copenhagen, for instance. So, if you live far from school / university / work and like to go around the city a lot, in the long run buying a two-wheeled friend is more effective from the financial and convenience points of view.

In the UniversityPost article “Danish Cycling Etiquette” they state that there are certain biking rules that the Danes follow carefully and that foreigners should consider in order not to get into some unpleasant situations. But do the Danes themselves always follow these “bike lane rules”? My daily observations “on the road” show the contrary.

Of course, you can see many cyclists stopping at the red light and waiting even if there are neither cars nor pedestrians. Still, not all are that patient: here goes the first “rule-breaker”, then the second, and so on. Automobiles and road-crossing people will allow them pass by, as bikes have the highest priority on the roads here.

What about the stopping / turning signals? Well, if suddenly you are made to press hard on your brakes because some lady in front decided to stop near a fancy dress shop without prior signalling, do not be surprised – this is quite usual situation I get into every week.

Some cyclists may behave quite boldly and use full flexibility of bicycle riding. When a Copenhagen citizen is in a hurry, and there is a busy bike lane in front, he / she sees no problem in changing to a big road or to a pedestrian pavement. Sometimes you can even observe a cyclist going by the same lane, but in the opposite direction. And, of course, crossing the car road in places with no traffic lights seems to become commonplace.

But what if you are in a hurry? Then there is nothing worse than a couple in deep love riding side-by-side ahead of you and totally ignoring the whole World around them. Well, actually, it can get even worse, if this couple has tricycles with large baskets in front (used for transporting goods, dogs, or kids… or even everything at once). If you are a careful rule-follower, then such situations are excellent opportunities to test your patience.

There are many more cases of Copenhagen residents not following their own “cycling etiquette”, but in general I should confirm that the Danes are more or less diligent here. Thus, following the biking rules is like showing respect to other cyclists. And there is a saying: “Respect creates respect”.

In exchange for being a decent cyclist you get a wonderful biking experience without any angry shouts in your address, but with marvellous views of the Denmark’s colourful capital, Copenhagen, and a rich collection of girls’ panties before you (sorry, but with all the shirt skirts and transparent tights it is hard not to notice).

M-m… There’s a nicely looking blond girl passing by… Want to enjoy the beauty? Then put some pressure on those pedals and let the chase begin!

“STUPID” DECISIONS

This is an abstract from “The Indigo Stories” by Alexander Iscenco.

I tend to make “stupid” decisions. These decisions are illogical, unwise, and, most importantly, unprofitable. They lead me to loosing wonderful opportunities that are almost “served” to me like a delicious dish.

Today (October 11^th, 2010) has been marked by another decision-making of this kind. During my Master studies in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, I rent an apartment in a student dormitory. It is very expensive – I pay around 6000 Danish kroner (DKK) each month – but it provides good and quiet study conditions.

This afternoon I have paid a visit to a bank to transfer another monthly rent and get some money in cash for food. I asked a man at the service desk to do the transfer from my account to the one of the University of Copenhagen (the Housing Department to be more precise) and to withdraw one thousand DKK from my account. The man did everything and gave me the amount of money requested and two receipts for the two operations performed. I noticed something incorrect in the receipts, but decided to examine them carefully later.

When I returned to the University library, finished my study tasks, and looked through the receipts, I was very surprised to notice that 1000 DKK I had received were deducted NOT from my account. The bank officer must have used the first receipt (the one for the rent transfer) for performing the second operation (debiting the amount requested) and incidentally mixed up the account numbers there. So, it seemed I had ended up with an extra 1000 DKK in my pocket, which was equal to my monthly food budget.

The temptation had lasted for several minutes. I could have kept the money and for some period of time no one might found out the truth. Even if they did, it was all bank’s fault, and that fact was supported by documentary evidence. It looked like as this money had just been given to me.

However, I went back to the bank and showed the officer the mistake. After some minutes of understanding what had been wrong, the officer got the point and corrected the mistake immediately by crediting 1000 DKK back to the University account and debiting the same amount from my own.

I left them with a happy and proud smile on my face.

But what was there to be happy and proud about? I have lost quite large amount of money that was given to me for nothing. For that I have spent some of my time and efforts. In addition, there has not been any “whisper of conscience” or anything like that – just my own “stupid” decision.

And this has not been a single case. Take the last month situation, for example.

I was riding a bike along with other cyclists on the busy roads of central Copenhagen. Suddenly a mobile phone dropped out of the back pocket of one of the cyclists in front of me. The guy did not notice anything and continued his way along one of the canals.

I stopped and picked up the phone – it was a shiny modern and quite expensive model. It could have been mine…

But, no, I had to run after the guy across the street on a red light, shouting all the way in order to attract his attention. Finally, he noticed me and recognized his mobile phone. Upon receiving the missing item the guy said something in Danish, probably about the foolish idea of keeping a phone in a back pocket, thanked me, and rode away.

So, what did I get from this action? Some Danish sentence and a short “Tak!” (“Thank you!” in Danish) in exchange for a good-looking mobile phone. Therefore, what was the point of such behaviour, especially when considering that all other cyclists and pedestrians had shown total ignorance?

Truly, I tend to make such unreasonable decisions. From the economic point of view they are extremely senseless and stupid. They do not bring any profit; moreover such decision-making gets me to lose some time and look “different” in the eyes of other people. There is nothing to gain here.

Or is there?

 

Probably you expect some nicely looking learning point from these examples as a conclusion. Something like “Be stupid”, “Listen to your brain, but trust your heart”, “Follow the ethical way”, and so on. But I prefer to leave this part for you.

 

On the other hand, perhaps we do not need a conclusion. Maybe there is nothing to conclude here.

Certainly you do not want to be treated as “stupid” and “different”, do you? Especially if it does not bring any profit or other tangible benefit. So, why bother about it? Development and growth of the Human World are based upon rational, carefully thought decisions, both individual and common. There is no place for “stupidity”.

Is there?

JEG KOMMER FRA MOLDOVA

This post marks the beginning of the “Denmark: Behind the Curtain” category – the series of short stories with personal experience and reflections during my stay in Denmark, a relatively small Scandinavian country in the northern part of Europe. In these stories the usual “chic & sparkle” available for every tourist is combined with some “backstage peeping” possible only for residents of this interesting and colourful country.

I arrived to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, on the sixth of August, 2010 to pursue my two-years Masters programme in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen (Københavns Universitet – KU), Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE). This has been possible mostly due to obtaining of one of the Danish Government Scholarships this year.

The LIFE representatives state that I am the first student from the Republic of Moldova admitted to the faculty (or perhaps even the entire KU). There are some other pioneers, for example, my friend from Honduras.

Well, the above-mentioned statement seems to be quite realistic, because the overwhelming majority of Danes do not really know where Moldova is or even that there is such a country.

For instance, here is a dialogue between an owner of a bicycle shop and me:

- Hvor kommer du fra? (“Where do you come from?” in Danish)

- Moldova (at that time I already knew some Danish words and phrases, thanks to the International Graduate Orientation Programme)

The guy thought I had not heard the question, so he repeated it:

- Hvor kommer du fra?

- Moldova!

My companion looked annoyed. He gathered all his knowledge in the English language and asked me for the third time:

- Where are you from?

- Moldova. Jeg kommer fra Moldova (“I come from Moldova”), – I tried to explain, – It’s a country in Eastern Europe.

- Hm-m… Molidova-a… – He murmured wistfully, trying to memorize the new location on the World map. I left him with his thoughts.

Usually you can easily explain a Dane the location of the Republic of Moldova by mentioning the Black Sea or by pointing out at the two bordering countries: “So, do you know Romania? Yes, good. And have you heard of Ukraine? Very nice! Now, imagine Romania, Ukraine, and in between there is a small but very beautiful and cosy piece of land called Moldova”. As a result, your companion nods with a smile, happy that he / she learned a new country today.

Still, there are people here, who have already heard about Moldova. As LIFE is a former agricultural university (and still maintains its specifics), some of its students know about our fertile black soil and the wine-making orientation of the Moldovan industry. In Danish the country is pronounced as Moldavia, which is a former name of this and the surrounding land.

Thus, raising awareness about the Republic of Moldova here should be a good thing to do. I have already demonstrated a small part of our traditional cuisine by preparing the salad “Moldova” for the International Dinner in August. And I have sung the national anthem of the country “Limba noastra” at the beginning of one of the lectures (it was our teacher’s initiative to present every country’s anthem).

So, there is a start. Now I have two years for continuation in introducing Moldova to Denmark. This should be a nice learning experience for both sides.

THE FORMULA FOR AIESEC BALTI

This video is a special message dedicated to AIESEC Balti and all people who contributed to its establishment, development, and growth (in Russian):

Below you can see the translation of the message in English:

Hey, AIESEC Balti! Hello, my dear friends!

Greetings from Copenhagen, the beautiful and interesting capital of Denmark.

On the 5^th of September you celebrate 2 years of active development of AIESEC Balti. Still, the whole story reaches beyond this period, covering the appearance of the AIESEC Balti idea, various “experiments”, both successful and not so, etc. In the end, all this has resulted in what you see today – the registered and functional local committee in the city of Balti.

And in the basis of all changes and developments have been and are people with certain ideas, wishes, and goals. So, one of the toasts here should be for all actors of this entire play.

In addition, as a person interested in the ethical aspects of individual behaviour and organizational functioning, I am very glad to see the progress of AIESEC Balti in following the AIESEC Way and the Code of Ethics. Of course, there might be some points to be improved, but you and future generations will certainly obtain certain progress here.

So, enough long talks! It is time for wishes and presents!

Well, what can you expect from a young scientist like me? Of course, it is the FORMULA! Here is my gift, my wish to you:

Thus, I wish that AIESEC Balti develops according to our most ambitious vision, wishes, and goals, and these wishes and vision are aligned to the conventional ethical principles and all elements of the AIESEC Way.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AIESEC BALTI!

THE X WORLDS OF OTHER MOLDOVANS

With the development and growth of the “eXchange” programme of AIESEC Moldova more and more young people from the Republic of Moldova manage to obtain colourful internship experience in other countries. Thus, more and more blogs with interesting stories of their X Worlds appear in the World Wide Web. This trend allows us to find out about the daily reality in other countries, located even far away from our home.

For instance, recently two more adventure-seekers from Moldova have gone on internships to two different corners of the World: Africa and Asia. Elena Scutaru has decided to visit the “Africa in miniature”, as the Republic of Cameroon is usually called, and nowadays she shares her experience on the blog “Cameroon in plain Moldavian” (in Romanian). Sergiu Matei has chosen the busy streets of the great China – you can read about his adventures on the blog “Din Moldova in China” (in Romanian).

It is evident that the increasing number of interns would display their X Worlds, giving other people the opportunity to get to know more countries and visit them in the future. Quite good basis of mutually beneficial international relations, isn’t it?

As for me, I will not be able to benefit from the “eXchange” programme… at least for some time. However, visiting other states is still on the “To Do” list, so new stories are waiting their turn to appear here.

Stay tuned for more life-changing experience from all over our grand and beautiful World!

LEVEL 5 TRAINER?

During my time in the global organization AIESEC, where I had managed to be in the role of trainer and facilitator within various events in different countries, I have observed quite interesting phenomenon connected with people’s character, reasons to become trainers, and their further performance. Now I would like to share it with you.

The NGO AIESEC is very active in the training/ facilitation area: rarely can you find a project / event here without some sessions / workshops entangled there (it has both advantages and disadvantages, but this is a discussion apart). Therefore, one has many opportunities to interact with young people on the start line of their training career, more experienced trainers, and senior specialists in this field from alumni and partner companies / NGOs. And from my discussions and collaboration with them, the following conclusion comes to evidence.

Basically, there are 2 categories of successful trainers grouped by specifics of their character and reasons of engaging into the training / facilitation area:

1) The “Stars”:

These people are mostly extrovert with strong need to be if not in the centre, then at least within large social groups. They enjoy communicating with people; social skill is one of their strongest points. The “Stars” are aware of this fact and seek any opportunity to actively interact with others. Training / facilitation area is very attractive for such people and that is why the majority of trainers are of this kind.

Truly, they are the “Stars”. Such trainers are able to work with public in a very effective way without any significant effort – well, it is their natural behaviour. They feel themselves like fish in clear water full of nutritious plankton. Thus, these trainers really shine on the sky.

However, the “Stars” perceive their training performance as natural and personal success (“How else could it be?”), therefore, they are not so attentive to details, innovations, and, in general, further development. Why change anything, when things are going more than very good? Especially if I am the reason of these “more than very good things”! Certainly, in most cases such approach creates stagnation in training development with the trainer himself stuck in his own “spotlight”.

2) The “Quasars”:

The majority of these individuals are introvert and sometimes even shy. They accumulate and use energy within them: from their own inner thoughts, imagination, and activities. Such persons can be characterised as modest, quiet, calm, and never boastful. Naturally, their communication skills are not developed so well, in some cases are one of the weak points. It should be quite unusual for the “Quasars” to be interested in such social-oriented, effective-communication-demanding, and egocentric area as training and facilitation. But, this is exactly the word “unusual” that brings such trainers great success.

Yes, the “Quasars” are aware of their weakness in social skills, but at the same time they possess very strong will to change this. It brings them certain discomfort in personal life, and that is why they put themselves out of the “comfort zone” by trying various social activities, like training / facilitation. And where these individuals lack in effective communication and adaptability to different social environments, they gain in unwavering resolve, undeniable desire, drive, hard work, focus on details, creativity and innovation. Truly, they are like quasars in open space: far outnumbered by the multitude of shining stars, they suddenly emerge from the darkness of supermassive black holes of unusual ideas and approaches, spreading their light to unbelievable distances and attracting everything around them with mighty gravitational forces.

It is interesting that something similar can be found in the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. The common point is related to Leadership and is called “Level 5 Leader”. The author points out that in order to reach Level 4 Leader, who maintains moderate or good performance of an organization, an individual should possess such characteristics as intelligence, ambition, charisma, egocentrism, etc. But in order to become the Level 5 Leader, the one that is able to give an organization “impossible” boost for a very long time even after his / her leaving, such paradoxical combination of humbleness with incredible dedication and drive for the organization is essential.

Such approach can be applied to the above-mentioned categories of successful trainers. You really need highly developed communication skills, natural outgoingness with public, self-confidence, and strong ego to become Level 4 Trainer. However, it is the synergy of “personal humility + professional will” that is able to take you to Level 5 Trainer – the level of successful performance with an unusual, but truly quasar blast.

Images are taken from here, here, and here.

THE AMBITION OF 2015

As an alumnus already I have little to say regarding the newly created organizational strategy called AIESEC 2015… Nevertheless this period brings significant push to my own ambition and goals. Needless to mention they are possible with the support of my experience in AIESEC, in particular the eXchange stage.

It is due to my internship within the environmental project “Learn to Change the Future 2009” in Craiova, Romania (details are revealed in the post “PRICELESS GEM IN MY COLLECTION”), that for the first time I have been able to present my idea and ambition to establish the BioSciences Research Centre (BSRC) – an international organization aimed to combine Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), scientific research and contribution to the environment protection in my home country and all over the World. The presentations took place last summer in two Romanian cities: Craiova and Timisoara. They allowed me to practice presenting the idea of BSRC, gain self-assurance, as well as obtain several valuable contacts to use in the nearby future. So, according to the well-known concept “The Right People on the Bus” (read about it in the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins), I have the “Bus”, and now I am in process of getting the “right people” on it.

Thus, the internship through AIESEC has significantly contributed to the establishment progress of another organization that by the year 2015 should be officially registered and actively developing to realize its vision, mission and goals.

This is how the cumulative growth is done: one success brings another… one victory leads to more on other battlefields… and so forth. And in the end, the Ambition of 2015 is turned into the Reality.

Additional information about the presentations of the BioSciences Research Centre (BSRC) is available in the post “NO MORE AMBITION… TIME FOR ACTION!“.

AIESEC: THE MONAD MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT

It is not a great surprise that the non-government organization of young people AIESEC is considered to be one of the fastest growing and highly innovative NGOs in the World. To support the statement the following facts can be given:

- Successful history of more than 60 years (since 1948);

- Available good case practices (GCPs) of team / project / innovation management and organizational culture that serve as examples for other organizations and private companies;

- Long-term partnerships with large transnational corporations: Alcatel-Lucent, Deutsche Post DHL, Electrolux, Indersoll Rand, Microsoft, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), UBS, Unilever, Vale and many more;

- Numerical achievements (based on the data of 2009 – 2010): coverage of more than 107 countries and territories, presence in approximately 1700 universities, around 45000 members and 9000 leadership roles, more than 5500 internships provided and 470 conferences organized per year, over 800000 alumni.

However, an obvious question arises here:

How an organization of students and recent graduates with few or no working experience engaged in its activity on a volunteer basis is able to deliver such impressive results and maintain constant growth?

Well, the answer can be found in the Monad Model of Development.

Monad (from the Greek “monas” – the whole) can be described as a single, neutral, and balanced system containing all existing elements. A well-known example of monad is the Chinese Tao that represents the interconnection and interdependence of seemingly contrary forces within a united system (the yin and yang concept).

Now, let us place the Tao monad in a system of coordinates, where the X axis represents the time, and the Y axis – numerical achievements (Gross Domestic Product, investments, sales results, etc.). And here you have it: a single segment of the economic growth cycle with its active growth (boom), growth peak, recession, crisis point (trough), and recovery.

In long-term scale monads can also represent the Kondratiev waves, or Supercycles, used for describing the development of world economy and civilization on the basis of innovations.

As you see, the Monad Model is a universal one and can be applied to the development of economy, society, organization, etc. Therefore, it is also suitable for displaying the growth of an AIESEC entity (committee). I have chosen an example of AIESEC Moldova, as I was a part of its history and possess detailed information about it. The timeline shown in the following diagram reflects the period between the committee’s reestablishment in 2004 and till the end of our National Executive Board team’s mandate in 2009.

One can apply the presented diagram to any local or national AIESEC committee in every country where it is present. Only the numerical data and description of periods and achievements will change, the overall structure should remain the same.

Now, what KEY SUCCESS FACTORS of organizational growth are shown here:

1) Each new monad (segment of growth cycle) is based on certain significant (even revolutionary) achievement / innovation that transfers the following system onto a new level (transfer point). In simpler words, during a mandate every generation of leaders in AIESEC create a solid platform for their successors to capitalize on and achieve greater results.

2) In order to create the transfer point the organization requires significant amount of resources (people, time, finance, etc.). That is why the preceding period is characterized by downfall in organizational performance and effectiveness. Still, as you have noticed, the downfall is the lowest point not of the whole cycle, but only within the current monad. This means the organization always has the possibility to gather resources from the lower level, combine them with the ones on current level (obtained from the booming period within the current monad), and invest all of them in creating the necessary achievement / innovation.

3) The stability of the whole cycle depends on interconnection of the current growth level, the preceding one, and the succeeding one. Each monad is present in all three levels at once, indicating that the organization actively uses current trends and opportunities, involves people (partners, alumni) and resources already obtained in the previous term, and performs strategic planning for the period ahead (5-years strategy “AIESEC 2010”) – all within one balanced process.

Additionally, what IMPORTANT LESSONS can be learned from the Monad Model of Organizational Development:

1) In order to gain something significant, you need to invest much in it. Often it leads to a certain downfall in performance. The key to further growth here lies in not crossing the limit and performing the investment in the right time and place to stimulate the recovery process.

2) The overall victory of an army depends on all preceding battles, be they successful or not so. For in victories the soldiers gain motivation to move further, in defeats they obtain the knowledge and strength to win. This is also true for the organization: the current growth is impossible without the achievements and failures of all previous generations of its members and leaders. You need to be grateful and respectful to them, and capitalize on their advice and support as much as possible.

3) The so-called Power of NOW is an impressive and inspiring thing, but it is extremely limited and useless without the Powers of PAST and FUTURE. For only the preceding results, present actions, and planned initiatives and innovations entangled in single process will create the enormous synergy of growth.

Of course, the information on the Monad Model is not limited to this article – there are many peculiarities to be found in various scientific sources. And the Model is appropriate not only for AIESEC – it is able to explain the development of any organization, company or public institution. The reason I have used it particularly for this organization is that the Monad Model allows explaining the global growth by using a part of it as an example, determining key success factors and coming up with lessons to be learned and implemented in order to support organizational development.

Thus, you have the answer on the question at the beginning of this post. No brainwashing, just pure science of AIESEC.

FIND YOUR AIESEC

Currently there is a spring recruitment period in the non-government organization AIESEC in all 107 countries and territories where it is present (including my home country Moldova). This can be determined by various posters and banners with powerful messages or simple, but real stories, presentations (called “Big Picture”) and info desks at universities, on-line articles and so on.

If you noticed any of these banners or posters, then you might have asked yourself: “What is this AIESEC? What is in it for me? And should I really join it?”

Truth to say, I am not so good in inspirational speeches and promotional articles. So, I will answer these questions as objectively as I can, with positive and negative points, with successes and disappointments, with personal examples and opinions of other AIESEC members.

When you look at all those happy faces from the “I am an AIESECer” posters and photos / videos of various events, you perceive AIESEC as a positive, successful and rapidly growing organization, where all members live and work as in a fairy tale. Yet, this is not quite the truth.

The organization itself is neutral. It does not transform you into a successful leader – it only gives you a large variety of tools and environment you can use to “mold” this leader out of yourself. The descriptor clearly points this out: “AIESEC – the international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential.” You see: this is only the PLATFORM for you to use as a trampoline to reach new heights, which is much harder to do without it and alone.

Emerging from the previous fact, the second one becomes obvious: in spite of the 60-years global growth and many successful experiences AIESEC is not the ideal place. It is all about PEOPLE. And all people make mistakes. Due to this point I have tried to quit AIESEC about seven times during my 3-years experience here… but even after becoming an alumnus still remain close to it. Why? Just let us look at this fact from the other side that considers such well-known idea: “Your most powerful learning experience is obtained through your own mistakes”.

Compare two young persons of about 21 years old, who plan to start their business. The first one, who just graduated from a university, has no or little idea of what is project management, how to manage a team, and what to do when risks knock boldly on your front door. The second one, who combined university studies with volunteering in AIESEC, has already experienced these and many more things, and now is able to use them effectively and efficiently. A rhetorical question here: Who has more chances to become successful entrepreneur?

Now, I propose to combine the “neutral” character of the organization and all challenges and not so pleasant experience it might hide. And what do we get here? Yes, YOUR OPPORTUNITY! It means that it is YOU together with other members who make the organization as it is.

You do not like the destination it goes to? – Become a leader of the project / conference / committee, propose your direction and strategy, and lead your team.

You consider there is lack of professionalism and quality in providing internship services? – Apply for the so-called eXchange Quality Board and improve them on the global level.

You notice unethical attitude and behaviour? – Go for the International Ethics Subcommittee or even establish your local one and educate members on the importance of ethical leadership.

As you see, the present and future of AIESEC depends on each member of the organization, including YOU. It will be what you all, together, make of it. No more, no less.

Thus, my suggestion here is: Think carefully about this opportunity and

Find YOUR AIESEC! (Literally)

More information and videos can be found HERE.