Milena Andreeva

 

Director

Youth Policies Directorate

Ministry of Youth and Sports

Republic of Bulgaria

Young Leaders Program (’18)

 

 

 

Please tell us about your career path so far. What is your area of specialization and how did you come to work

 “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”, Albert Einstein has said. During my studies in well-respected universities in Bulgaria, Greece, Slovakia, and South Korea, I majored in economics, diplomacy, international studies with a focus on peace and security issues. My dream was to pursue a career in the military diplomacy field since peace is the most precious asset for each society and a prerequisite for development in my opinion.

 

After an internship at the International Military Staff of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels, I became a civil servant in the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense, working as a bilateral cooperation expert, for over seven years. My job provided me the opportunity I have always dreamed about – to contribute to bridging countries through dialogue and cooperation.

 

However, I wanted to contribute to the society even more so I started volunteering in projects for creating better conditions for the youth. Later on, I was chosen to represent the young Bulgarians before the United Nations as a Bulgarian Youth Delegate to the UN, in a European Union Youth Conference, in the EU-China High-Level Dialogue, while being active at a national level in the sphere of youth. I found working with and for the young people meaningful and rewarding.

 

Feeling leadership potential and being encouraged by my supervisors to develop even further those abilities and my skills in public policy making, I applied and joined the Young Leaders Program at GRIPS. The Program has not only contributed to master my knowledge and skills but has also strengthened my confidence that I am ready for the next step – be not only an informal leader but a formal one too.

Exactly a year after I came back from Japan, I was appointed as a Director of Youth Policies Directorate at the Bulgarian Ministry of Youth and Sports.

 

In your current capacity, what do you see as the main opportunities and challenges for Bulgaria over the course of the next five to ten years?

The population of Bulgaria is shrinking, respectively the youth population is. Nevertheless, I am confident in the ambition, creativity, intelligence, and willingness for the development of our young people. At the same time, we witness a growing urbanization process especially valid for youngsters. The digital age creates opportunities to decrease the discrepancies of services provided to the young people in various regions of the country and innovation could assist us in overcoming this pending challenge for Bulgaria and many other countries.

 

What I consider a positive characteristic of the Japanese and Korean societies is the deep respect for the traditions as well as the continuity between generations. All significant achievements are a result of a collective effort and only by building upon previous experiences and lessons learned, we can reach further. The Millenials and Generation Z in Bulgaria often want to rediscover and find new ways for addressing everything that surrounds us, which has both positive and negative sides in my opinion. I believe that Bulgaria is walking on the path of understanding the importance of social cohesion and the value of complementarity between generations that have different ideas, mindset, and experience.

 

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your work? And what have been the most interesting or rewarding aspects of your career thus far?

Being in a leadership position, I have to not only have a strategic view over all processes, distribute the tasks according to the skills and expertise of each employee, exercise constant control and provide assistance, but also get to know the characters of the employees, feel who is a team player or works better alone, and serve as their inspiration, role-model and a person they can rely on. Being a leader, not only an administrative figure, on a daily basis is a challenging endeavor that can be tackled only with much love, patience, belief in the cause we are all dedicated to, and attention to every detail. To provoke my colleagues to unleash their potential and give the most they are capable of is my highest aim and is very rewarding when at the end of the day we have contributed to the wellbeing of the young people.

 

When it comes to the technical aspect of my work, how to balance between the bureaucratic requirements of the administration and the need to apply innovative methods and creativity when it comes to reaching the youth is a challenge. Young people are rapidly adapting to the new reality and require from the administration to be as flexible and dynamic as they are. However, the right balance between old and new, stable and flexible, hierarchy and equality needs to be found.

 

What led you to GRIPS? What was the most important thing you learned while here and how has your experience at GRIPS prepared you for future endeavours?

“It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet” is my favorite quote by Miyamoto Musashi in the Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy. I have always associated Japan with innovation, collectivity, persistence and social responsibility thus it is a country I find very intriguing to learn from when it comes to leadership. The Young Leaders Program at GRIPS was the perfectly balanced and all-encompassing program that I needed to refine my leadership skills and develop further my knowledge about policy making in East Asia. GRIPS gave me not only information concerning almost all aspects of Japan – public policies in terms of defense, foreign policy, economy and social issues, its culture, history, etc., but also valuable contacts, experiences, and emotions. It was a memorable year!

 

Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda Motors Co. said that “Japan’s progress has always been driven by ideas” and ideas rather than capital have become the foundation of business. As this is valid not only for the Japanese business model but also for the public policy making process, after my stay at GRIPS I can say that I have more ideas than I can realize as a civil servant and leader. It opened the door to a whole new, very different world, and a model to compare with!

 

Have you had any involvement, professional or otherwise, with Japan since your graduation?

For many years I have nurtured my interest in East Asia and I feel quite privileged to have studied both in South Korea and Japan. This has had a serious impact on my life and with all means I have, I contribute to strengthening the ties between my country, Japan, and South Korea. I am a founder of a non-governmental organization focusing on the multicultural dialogue and cooperation with those countries, I have given lectures before diverse audiences that are often based on the experience I have gained, and participate in various events related to East Asia where I share my opinion and knowledge.

 

How do you maintain a balance between your work and the rest of your life? And what is your favorite thing to do when you are not working? 

The Japanese term “Mono no aware” (物の哀れ), translated as “a sensitivity to ephemera”, is deeply infiltrated in the lifestyle, architecture, mentality of the Japanese people. During my one-year stay in Japan, I became aware of how significant and precious every moment can be because everything is in constant change. Thus in my professional and personal life, I remain in motion, willing to learn and be active by doing activities that bring me peace of mind and keep me in good condition both physically and mentally. I invest my time in getting to know myself better, to look first inwards because this helps me to be in harmony not only with myself but the surrounding world as well.

   

What are some of your fondest memories of your time spent at GRIPS? And what do you miss about Japan?

As a student in the Young Leaders Program, I had a chance to participate in a few sessions of the Diplomatic Academy of Tokyo. At the same time, during my stay in Japan, I wanted to share more about my country, culture, history, etc. and hence I gave a few lectures to Japanese high-school students to tell them about Bulgaria.

 

During those sessions with government representatives and high-school students I saw one and the same – immense willingness to know more about the world, learn from others and work in a team, as one! This sense of unity and respect not only for your own traditions but also for the traditions of other nations will stay forever in my mind and heart and serves as a role model.

 

When it comes to Japan, one of the most memorable experiences was when I climbed Mt. Fuji by myself, at night and I had the opportunity to become one with nature. It was an outstanding emotion – a mixture of absolute awe, admiration, respect, and satisfaction from the achievement – that I often recall.

 

If you could give one piece of advice to anyone considering studying at GRIPS what would it be?

My advice is to “Put Dreams into Action” and GRIPS is a step towards it! GRIPS is a crossing point between educational perfection, valuable information, international experiences, and carefully selected students from all around the world. It is not only a high-ranking and well-respected university but so much more. GRIPS as an institution, the professors, the guest speakers, the other students create an ambiance that provokes you to learn more, discover more, strive for more for yourself, for your country and even for the world. GRIPS has provided me tools to realize my dreams and transform them into action so it will to you!

 

How would you like to maintain involved with the School? What do you expect from GRIPS as an alumnus and do you have any suggestions on how to further utilize the GRIPS alumni network?

One of the most valuable assets I took with me from my stay at GRIPS is the network of experts in various fields who are also leaders in their respective countries. In our interconnected international diplomacy, being familiar with the needs and specifics of your partners could contribute to faster overcoming disagreements and to harmonizing policies. Thus, online discussions on burning issues that concern the work of many of us, as for instance could be the measures undertaken concerning the COVID-19, could be of mutual interest. Exchange of opinions, ideas, lessons-learned or advice could make a difference for our national decision-making process.