Celebrating WUS Austria’s 30th Anniversary in Kosovo
Prishtina. Following the 30th anniversary celebrations of WUS Austria in Graz in November 2013, WUS Austria held a reception on Wednesday 29 January 2014 at its premises at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) in Prishtina. The celebration was to mark the work of WUS Austria in Kosovo and take the opportunity to also celebrate the occasion with donors, partners and friends in Kosovo.
The welcome was given by Ms. Etleva Blakaj, project manager at the WUS Austria Office in Prishtina. Ms. Blakaj further introduced the key speakers: Minister Rame Buja, Austrian Ambassador Johann Brieger, Vice-rector of University of Prishtin “Hasan Prishtina” Lindita Tahiri, and President of the Board of the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA) Ferdije Zhushi-Etemi.
WUS Austria has been present in Kosovo since 1997 and has supported the University of Prishtina throughout the time of conflict in 1999 and in the aftermath. Since then the organization has also worked with the newly established private and public higher education institutions in Kosovo including also a wide range of thematic fields such as quality assurance and support to the development of the KAA, curriculum development (including PhD studies), support to development of research structures, good governance at higher education institutions, brain gain and supporting excellency through student competitions (10 years of Balkan Case Challenge).
Today WUS Austria implements a range of different EU funded projects and the project Higher KOS- Promoting Institutional Development in Higher Education and Research in Kosovo (financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation and the MEST, implemented in a consortium by WUS Austria, ZSI and OeAD) in Kosovo. Higher KOS is currently the biggest running project and focuses on three thematic areas: (1) The quality of education (improved and labour market oriented teaching and learning (didactics, planning), and improved quality assurance mechanisms); (2) The system of research promotion (developing capacities and establishing a national research fund and administration that is functioning according to international standards); (3) Quality management and governance as well as administrative capacities of main stakeholders (MEST, universities).
For a full list of currently running projects click here.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the donors of our actions, which are funded with support by the Austrian Development Cooperation, the European Union and the MEST in Kosovo.
photos: WUS Austria and MEST
