Alma Mater Europaea University, in collaboration with the Higher Vocational School Academia, hosted an exceptional career event where students and graduates were inspired by the successful Slovenian entrepreneur with global experience, Jure Bratkič.
With his direct and sincere approach, he presented participants with numerous valuable insights into entrepreneurship in the USA and pointed out important differences in mentality between Americans and Slovenians.
In the USA, failure does not punish you – it teaches you.
"In the USA, the principle is that the market tells you whether your service or product 'holds water' or not. The environment there is much more encouraging. It encourages risk, learning from mistakes, and does not punish failure. Unfortunately, in Slovenia, feelings of envy still prevail and there is a lack of a proper environment for entrepreneurial development," said Bratkič.
He emphasized that the key to success lies in thinking outside the box, continuous learning, and seeking opportunities, where Americans strongly stand out. "The average American management student has already had two failed companies by the end of their studies, and that is completely normal and even valued there," he said.
"Slovenian decision-makers should definitely spend at least three years abroad."
In his opinion, Slovenian decision-makers and leaders in public administration should also definitely spend at least three years abroad to understand broader contexts and gain experiences that they would then transfer to the domestic environment.
Bratkič also very critically pointed out Slovenia's lag in the field of artificial intelligence, where in his opinion there is a lack of long-term vision and strategic networking. As a good example, he highlighted Serbia, where coding has already been introduced as a compulsory subject in schools and they proactively connected with American companies, thus recognizing and exploiting global potential.
"Success is not a private privilege – it is a duty to the community."
"In the USA, there is a belief that when you succeed at something, you also have the responsibility to give back to the community that enabled your growth. Thousands of nonprofit organizations operate there, contributing to the welfare of society. I strongly miss this part of the culture, the awareness of giving back to the community, at home," Bratkič added.
He also touched on differences in employment culture: "Slovenians are traditionally quite introverted and rarely change jobs, while Americans more often seek new challenges, knowledge, and adapt faster to changes." He advised students not to stay in a job just for a nice resume but to follow their own growth and development.
The meeting took place in a relaxed atmosphere, and Bratkič impressed students and graduates with his openness and willingness to share useful advice regarding career path choices, global opportunities, and the importance of personal growth.
At the event, we also presented the study programs Management and Web and Information Technologies, which Bratkič emphasized are extremely interdisciplinary and attractive: "Both programs open doors to a wide range of modern professions that the labor market seeks and needs. The digital environment is rapidly developing, and Alma Mater offers excellent foundations for this."
