meaning ghanaians, will support this initiative to ensure that all needy students receive this support. what will the next 75 years hold? 17. madam chair, as we prepare to start a year of much - deserved celebrations to mark this important milestone, it is imperative that we look into the future with new ways of thinking and pursuing our vision and goals. the pursuit of “ world - class ” excellence should be a moving target, and as times change, that vision should be calibrated to deliver outcomes that keep this great institution relevant. 18. the pandemic taught us the benefit of resilience, preparation, and adaptability. resilient organisations anticipate change, prepare for change by making adequate investments in systems that will help to deal with such changes, and adapt effectively to change. 19. going forward, what could be the possible changes that need to be prepared for to help minimise disruptions to teaching and learning that pose a risk to achieving world class excellence? global trends of geopolitical tensions, climate change, energy security issues, infectious diseases, cyber - attacks give us a sneak - peek into what the next decade or more could hold for the world. 20. in africa and here in ghana, economic vulnerabilities in part caused by colonial economic policies and structures, climate risk, food security, governance, exclusion, youth unemployment, among others, all hold clues for possible future challenges if the right strategies are not adopted and implemented towards more positive outcomes. 21. education must respond to the realities of a fast - changing world powered by cutting - edge technologies that are disrupting industries and traditional ways of doing things, and at the same time presenting opportunities for leapfrogging developmental challenges. 22. madam chair, while technology is a key enabler of resilience, it will not take us to the promised land by itself. other key pieces of the puzzle must be in place and at the right times. please permit me to articulate a few for your kind consideration : ▪ first, we must carefully consider the course offerings and other enrichment activities available to students. which courses will we need to teach our students over the next 75 years as we prepare them for a more complex world? which skills ( technical and soft ) are relevant to equip them with tools to solve the nation ’ s and the world ’ s critical challenges? how can we equip them with true leadership, entrepreneurship, and communication skills that give them a competitive edge? how

petar goshev : south eastern european countries ’ competitiveness and challenges on the road to eu introductory speech by mr petar goshev, governor of the national bank of the republic of macedonia, at the international conference “ competitiveness of the south eastern european countries and challenges on the road to eu ”, organized by the national bank of the republic of macedonia, skopje, 30 may 2008. * * * honored guests, dear friends, i wish you a very warm welcome to the conference of the national bank of the republic of macedonia on the competitiveness of the south eastern european countries and challenges on the road to the eu. similarly to the several conferences and workshops organized by our bank in the recent years, this one will also seek to develop a discussion on a very important topic for the countries in transition striving to reach the income level of the eu member states. although real convergence is not directly in the focus of interest of the monetary authorities, the unbreakable tie between the nominal and real convergence makes this topic extremely important also from a viewpoint of the monetary policy. therefore, at this conference we will try to analyze once again the achievements of the new eu member states, particularly their experience, their successes, but also their failures regarding competitiveness of their economies on the road to eu and emu membership. i am convinced that south eastern european countries, that is eu candidate and potential candidate countries, will have an opportunity to broaden their knowledge about what to do and what to avoid on the road to eu. at the same time, we will also share the experiences about the challenges that the south eastern european countries face with on their way to the real convergence. the transformation of the central and eastern european countries and their final membership in the eu is one of the most remarkable events in human history. never before had so many countries and people made so many changes in such a short time. during the 1990s, we witnessed a complete renewal of entire systems and institutions, implementation of structural reforms, but also establishing new ways of living and thinking. what is important for us here is that these changes were happening simultaneously with a huge rise of income and living standards in general. although not a perfect indicator for the remarkable changes, the comparison of gdp per capita in the beginning of transition and now shows a clear picture of the progress. in 1993, the group of 10 new eu member states had a gdp per capita that was 37. 2 % of the euro - zone level at that time, but