My mission is to support the development of the social economy and social entrepreneurship in Slovakia, especially through university and lifelong learning, counselling, networking, sharing my expertise, conducting research and producing publications. I designed and teach a course Social Economics and Social Economy and Social Entrepreneurship. Students create business plans for a social enterprise with social impact, participate in field trips and finally defend their projects at a "start-up pitching" event. It is an interdisciplinary topic, we involve many stakeholders in the classroom. I am an expert guarantor, creator and the lecturers of the lifelong learning course "Municipal Social Entrepreneurship" and the training program "Counseling for young people in the field of job placement - training for youth workers". I am a creator of the training course for non-profit organizations "Academy of Social Entrepreneurship". I am a co-author of Slovak Law No. 112/2018 on Social Economy and Social Enterprises. I am an expert of the national project Institute of Social Economy and the transnational project "Social Innovation Plus - Competence Centres". I am involved in several national and international projects that have been and are focused on social economy and social entrepreneurship. Every year we organise a workshop or conference on social economy and social entrepreneurship, in order to exchange experiences and to network social entrepreneurs and social economy supporters. I conduct webinars for high school students on social entrepreneurship and I am a member of the jury of the international education and incubation program "Social Impact Award Slovakia".

Gabriela Korimová
retired professor
Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica



Erika Pastoráková
Dean of Faculty of National Economy
University of Economics in Bratislava



Ingrid Ujváriová
Director
Department for Social Economy,  Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic

Thank you to the biggest supporters in my professional career, Professor of Economics Gabriela Korimová at the University of Matej Bel in Banská Bystrica - now retired. During my professional growth from the very beginning (from the time of my PhD studies) she was my mentor and passed on her advice, experience and involved me in activities that helped me to profile myself on the topic of social economy and social entrepreneurship. Without the support of the management of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Economics, I would not have achieved my successes, because they are supporters of innovative ideas and provide opportunities for the development of new disciplines at our university. I would especially like to highlight the attitude of Prof. Erika Pastoráková, Dean of the Faculty, who creates a favourable and supportive environment for creative activity and is open to innovative ideas. I consider the greatest professional recognition to be the fact that I was able to be part of the working group for the creation of a comprehensive law on social economy and social enterprises. I would like to thank the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic for this opportunity. I especially thank Ingrid Ujváriová, the director of the Department for Social Economy, for the opportunity to cooperate with the decision-making sphere in the development of the concept of social economy and social entrepreneurship in Slovakia.