Venera Novakovski opened the Nova Language Institute
in Skopje in late 1991, immediately following Macedonian
independence. Like many markets throughout eastern
and southern Europe, the movement towards free market
economics had created a number of international business
opportunities, one of which was language training. The language
institute’s growing reputation led to the expansion of
the school in 1996 from language training only to become
the first private school in Macedonia, providing both primary
and secondary educational services. Because Nova
was the first private educational institution in Macedonia,
it found itself classified as a for-profit company, complete
with tax liabilities. Macedonia had not developed a notfor-
profit institutional and legal structure which most educational
institutions worldwide depend upon.
In the early years Nova was categorized as the
‘‘American School,’’ where foreign expatriates sent their
children to school while stationed in Macedonia. These
expatriates were often in Macedonia for extended stays
(two to five years, typically), and finding educational services
which were both English-language and accredited
outside of Macedonia was very valuable. The expatriate