ACCESS Macedonia 2011
Just one week after the exchange in Croatia, this year's ACCESS (Academic Congress of Civil Engineering Students) took place in Macedonia from October 9 to 16.
We spent the first two days in Skopje. The technical part of this exchange began with a visit to the construction site for the future Skopje Concert Hall. What was surprising about this building was the large number of masonry walls, which can apparently be produced more cheaply than concrete walls due to the low labor costs.
We then visited the shell of several government buildings currently under construction. What was special about these buildings was the marble-clad façade and the copper roof. These buildings are part of the "Skopje 2014" urban development project. The aim is to rebuild historical buildings, monuments and squares. From 2008 to 2014, 200 million euros will be invested in this project.
We spent the second part of the exchange in Ohrid. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located on Lake Ohrid. Although the distance was only 180 km, it took us 4 hours by bus due to the road conditions. Lake Ohrid forms the border with Albania and is a popular summer vacation spot for Macedonians. We visited a pile-dwelling settlement from the late Bronze/Early Iron Age around 1200-600 B.C. The construction work of the population at that time was impressive. We also visited an Orthodox monastery, a castle and an excavation site.
On our return journey from Ohrid to Skopje, we stopped at Lake Matka. A cave was found on the shore of this reservoir, which we explored on a boat trip.
We spent the last three days back in Skopje. During a visit to the Earthquake Research Center, we listened to several specialist lectures and visited the shaking table for earthquake research.
Our schedule also included a guided tour of Skopje's airport terminal, which is only six weeks old. This gave us an insight into the complex construction and operation of an airport building.
As at every ACCESS, elections were held for the new General Board (GB) and the venue for the next ACCESS. It was unanimously decided that next year's ACCESS will be hosted by LC Karlsruhe. Merlin Best (2nd Chairperson LC Karlsruhe e.V.) was elected Second Vice President. Iva Popovic (LC Zagreb) will also chair the GB in the next term of office.
After a pleasant dinner with local specialties, this very successful ACCESS came to an end.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for a very well-organized exchange, an unforgettable programme and the many good meals.