Western Balkans

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

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News archive - Structuring Research and Higher Education in Kosovo

The system of research in Kosovo is in its early stages, not least because of the poor situation in higher education in Kosovo. Private universities with little or no research activities are mushrooming, while the largest public university in Kosovo, the University of Prishtina (UP), is confronted with a strong need for internal reform. However, with the inauguration of the new rector, Professor Enver Hasani, in summer last year, a period of uncertainty in the leadership of the university ended and the international community seems again ready to support the upcoming change processes. In front of this background, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (bmbwk) and UNMIK acting on behalf and for the benefit of the provisional institutions of self-government in Kosovo (Ministry for Education, Science and Technology MEST) have decided on a comprehensive reform project whose operations started in February 2007.

The 3-yearsÂ’ project, which is financed by the Austrian Development Agency, the bmwf (Austrian Ministry for Science and Research - former bmbwk) and the MEST, tackles the following issues:

support for the improvement of the Kosovo Accreditation Agency and the ENIC/NARIC system in order to professionalise the system of accreditation of higher education institutions and academic recognition along European standards and practices,
support for selected UP faculties and staff to upgrade managerial, teaching and research capacities,
support for the implementation of the Kosovo Council of Research and Technology for the governance and conduct of RTD in Kosovo,
support for the development of science-industry links through the establishment of a Centre for Innovation Support and Technology Transfer at the MEST,
support for the connection of the Kosovar higher education and research system to European processes by establishing the Kosovo Centre for International Higher Education, Research and Technology Co-operation,
promotion of collaborative RTD in the region (implemented by the Austrian Science and Research Liaison Offices)
and, finally, direct support for the MEST in terms of sector programming.

The final intended beneficiaries are about 45,000 students of public and private universities, around 80 professors from the UP and 50 Kosovar enterprises which will be serviced by technology audits and technology transfer activities.

Article published in eJournal winter 06/07.
Author: Klaus Schuch, Centre for Social Innovation, ZSI.

Link to the project website: http://www.see-science.eu/link/2501.html

Entry created by Klaus Schuch on March 5, 2007
Modified on March 6, 2007

Western Balkans Info Hub - powered by "Policy Answers" - is funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe project "R&I policy making, implementation and support in the Western Balkans", grant agreement: 10105887. The portal builds upon previous initiatives, such as for instance WBC-RTI.INFO and WBC-INCO.NET, which were funded under different Framework Programmes (FP) for Research and Technological Development (RTD) of the European Commission and other contracts.

Kosovo* (This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.)