The network of AIESEC alumni in Slovenia is very extensive and extends from its founding in 1953 until 2020, when AIESEC closed its doors in Slovenia.
In the 'Alumni' tab you will find everything about the people who formed AIESEC in Slovenia!
A brief history of AIESEC in Slovenia
Since the foundation of AIESEC International in 1948, there has always been a tendency to expand the organization to other countries. Considering the economic and political situation, these were wishes that few organizations, especially non-profit organizations, dared to dream. On the other hand, the students wanted the arrival of international organizations, as they could open doors for them abroad.
One such student was Srečko Jamnišek, who heard about an international organization that enabled many students in the West to go abroad for professional practice. Without delay, he got in touch with the organizing committee, which listened with trepidation to the idea of expansion into Yugoslavia, as it would be the first Eastern Bloc country to receive membership. They were most afraid that socialist ideas would invade the organization, and on the other hand, the party was afraid that revolutionary ideas would dominate the political system in Yugoslavia.
Fortunately, both sides saw mainly the positive aspects of the organization's presence in Yugoslavia, and so in 1953 Sreček was entrusted with the first mandate of managing AIESEC Yugoslavia. According to him, AIESEC was first established in the larger cities of Yugoslavia; on Slovenian territory, it was first established in Ljubljana at the Faculty of Economics.
AIESEC was well received by young people in Yugoslavia, as it offered opportunities abroad - the chance for students to learn foreign languages, to get a passport, to look beyond the borders of the Eastern Bloc and, in accordance with the vision of AIESEC, to expand the mindset of peace and the improvement of human potential , and they return enriched with the experience of the business world of Western Europe. Therefore, it is not surprising that already in the first year they realized around 50 exchanges.
Together with the increasingly international mindset of the students, the desire for an ever-increasing presence of AIESEC in the Slovenian space also grew. Thus, in 1964, the local committee of AIESEC Maribor was established at the Faculty of Economics and Business, and in 1972, the local committee of AIESEC Kranj was established at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences.
Unfortunately, we know very little about the activities of AIESEC in this period, but we can say with certainty that together with the number of AIESEC countries, the cooperation of AIESEC Slovenia with foreign countries also grew, and consequently also the number of active members and implemented practices. The biggest turning point for AIESEC Slovenia was in 1991 with the independence of Slovenia. Following the example at the national level, AIESEC Slovenia applied for and received independence at the international level in 1992.
The breakup of Yugoslavia did not slow down the development and activities of AIESEC Slovenia, on the contrary. The number of projects, active members and internships increased from year to year until 2001, when AIESEC International, due to the increasing scope of activities, limited the field of activity to projects directly related to the exchange.
At the same time, AIESEC's approach to the individual and society has also changed. While projects were increasingly based on pressing social problems and emerging markets, the approach to the individual became structured and based on personal development and improvement. Only the connection of the largest partners, the definition of the 2010 vision and the structuring of the competence model shaped AIESEC into what we know today.
It is also worth noting that in the history of AIESEC Slovenia, there were two attempts to establish a local AIESEC Obala committee, but both failed miserably. Despite everything, the operation of the other three local committees remained uninterrupted from the opening until 2020, when AIESEC in Slovenia closed its doors due to a lack of membership following the corona crisis.
//part of the text is taken from the book Od bajtarjev do astronautov, written by Srečko Jamnišek
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