Following welcoming remarks by Srećko Prusina, Director of the HDZ Foundation, and Josip Matković, President of the HDZ City Organisation of Trogir, the substantive part of the programme began on Saturday.
The first day of the programme focused on international security and defence. Prof. Dr. Gordan Akrap, Vice-Rector of the University of Defence and Security Sciences “Dr Franjo Tuđman”, provided participants with insights into the work of intelligence services, modern intelligence gathering and security policy analysis, as well as the foreign policies of the United States and Russia.
The second thematic focus was on management and personnel leadership in the political environment. Zoran Komar, lecturer at VERN’ University, addressed the specific demands of political work and the professional management of stress and challenging situations. Participants received practical guidance on reflecting on their own sources of pressure and developing strategies for dealing with stress in a confident and constructive manner.
The final day of the programme was dedicated to political communication. Communication experts worked with the participants on crisis communication, persuasive argumentation and handling challenging questions. Through practical exercises, video recordings and the joint analysis of their own speeches and statements, the participants were able to reflect directly on their rhetorical and communication skills and further develop them in a targeted manner.
In addition to professional development, the seminar provided an opportunity for exchange, networking and joint reflection. In this way, the event combined political education with the targeted development of professional, communication and personal competencies. It made a further contribution to the participants’ professional development and networking, while underscoring the importance of continuous political education and the promotion of women in politics and society.
