Team Škofijci revival – Katarina Grad, Lara Meglen, Petra Vidmar, Tomaž Rode (year 4) and Matej Urbančič (year 2) –  along with their mentor Tadej Rifel, Ph. D. attended a prize trip to Frankfurt from 4th – 5th April 2017 as the winning team of this year’s Generation Euro competition in Slovenia. Mrs. Sanja Pregl, a representative of the Bank of Slovenia, accompanied us on behalf of the organizers.

After a joint breakfast, we went to the headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB), where we first met with a former student of The Diocesan Classical Gymnasium, Timotej Homar, Ph. D., who works in the field of bank supervision. This was followed by lunch and a guided tour of the main building of the ECB. We also attended the celebration of the issuance of the new 50 € banknote. In the afternoon, a tour to the city was arranged, unforgettable for its excellent guidance. The day ended with dinner out and an informal gathering with participants from other countries.

The next day was more learning-oriented, with a morning lecture on bank supervision in the EU and a discussion with experts. The group photograph and lunch were followed by the culmination of our two-day trip: a conversation with the President of the ECB, Mario Draghi. Besides answering a few questions on monetary policy, the president highlighted the values of the EU and the importance of the euro for its unity. Next on the schedule was the award ceremony. We were really proud to receive the award from the hands of President Draghi! This marked the end of the event. Four team members promptly left for Rome, where we joined the rest of the graduates on the excursion. The other three participants spent a few remaining hours in the city. /Tomaž Rode, year 4/

View the video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC-EXhPPaN0