Wolfgang Benedek is a founding member of WUS Austria and has served as its chairman since 1992. In this function, he chairs the board of WUS Austria, which gives the overall direction for the work of the organisation and assists the development of its activities. He has been instrumental for developing WUS programs in the Balkans to assist students and universities during the war-time of the 90s and after.

Wolfgang Benedek is professor of international law at the University of Graz, with a focus on human rights, human security and international economic law and also teaches at the Vienna Diplomatic Academy and the Master Programmes on Human Rights and Democratisation in Venice and Sarajevo. His support for the universities of Sarajevo and Prishtina in particular has been recognized by honorary doctorates and an honorary citizenship of Sarajevo.

Almir Kovacevic is Executive Director of WUS Austria. As such, he is responsible for the management of WUS Austria's head office in Graz and the regional offices in Prishtina and Sarajevo.

Almir Kovacevic is responsible for the following areas: organization management (people and program coordination) fundraising, PR, communication marketing, budgeting and finance issues, international coordination.

He is in charge of internal quality assurance and monitoring of the WUS Austria projects in South-Eastern Europe and has worked and lived in Kosovo as team leader in a large international project fostering the link between education and the labour market. He is particularly interested in technological transfer and in cooperation between universities and economic sector.

Almir Kovacevic earned a Master degree in Sport Sciences from the University of Graz.

Veronika Nitsche has been working for WUS Austria since 2001. The key qualifications of Veronika Nitsche are international project management, organizational development and fundraising and she has a profound knowledge of trends and developments in higher education. Consequently, her main tasks are the development and implementation of projects in the field of higher education in South-Eastern Europe. Additionally, through her long experience in the non-profit-sector, she contributes as a member of the Executive Board to the strategic objectives of the organisztion. Veronika Nitsche earned a degree in "International Project Management" and the MBA in General Management from the University of Graz.

Dino Mujkić joined WUS Austria in 1999. He was Regional Manager in BiH of WUS Austria responsible for the overall activities of the organisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2012 he founded his own NGO SMOC - Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures and has since then started to work at the University of Sarajevo. Today he is active for WUS Austria as Associate Member of the Board.

For WUS Austria Dino coordinated numerous projects in cooperation with donors such as the Austrian Foreign and Science Ministries, Austrian Development Agency, European Union, Austrian Universities, various Rectors’ conferences, foundations, BiH government institutions, Embassies, partner organizations etc. Furthermore, he was responsible for monitoring of all WUS Austria activities in BiH and he coordinated office-working groups for strategy, fundraising, public relations and finances as well as implementation of identified measures.

Dino Mujkić holds a PhD in Sport Management.

Bernadette Holzer is project coordinator at WUS Austria, responsible for strategic coordination, project development, and project management. She has over 10 years of international experience in capacity building, strategic programming, research, and project and training management at the nexus of human rights, peace, and development. 

Bernadette has previously worked with different international and non-governmental organisations as well as universities and cooperated with a wide range of national and international stakeholders, as well as the public sector. Her thematic expertise includes human rights and peacebuilding, support of peace processes, children's rights, and the implementation of human rights at the local level.

She holds Master’s degrees in Political Science and Communication Science from the University of Vienna and a European Master’s Degree (E.MA) in human rights and democratisation from the Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice/Lido.

Maria Rottensteiner joined WUS Austria in May 2010. She is responsible for the implementation of selected EU Projects (mainly Erasmus+) and project development. Maria is experienced in the areas of internationalization of higher education, quality assurance and linking higher education with the labor market. One of her focal points is quality assurance and quality control both from an internal and external perspective.

Maria holds a Diploma Degree in English and a combination of studies from the University of Graz.

Marc Schwärzli joined the WUS Austria Team in April 2016 as financial manager. He is also responsible for the management of several projects in the areas of Higher Education Development, Arts, Culture and Sports.

He holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Graz and brings in several years of work experience in national and international projects. He is accountant and a former lecturer in business informatics, operations research and accounting.

Louise Sperl joined WUS Austria as a project manager in January 2014. She is responsible for different EU projects and project development with particular emphasis on access to higher education for vulnerable and marginalised groups. Louise has more than twenty years of work experience as a project manager, researcher and technical expert in the areas of human rights, development and gender. Louise has previously worked with the United Nations (UNDP, UNOWA) and different non-governmental organisations, think-tanks and academia.

Louise holds an MA and doctorate degree in law from Vienna University. In her PhD thesis she has specialised on international human rights law (economic and social human rights, refugees).

Aquim Emurli is leader of the SHER program who reports to the three-party consortium WUS Austria (lead partner), ZSI and OeAD.  Under the supervision of the consortium, Mr. Emurli is responsible for the sound management and timely implementation of the program, as well as the efficient use of program funds and management of the program team and experts. He provides expert support in the areas of higher education, strategy development, M&E, performance-based funding, quality assurance, joint/double degree, research and innovation. In addition, he reviews the program deliverables, products and assessments and ensures their quality check, steers reporting processes (narrative and financial), as well as other contractual obligations regarding the implementation of the program in line with Austrian Development Agency (ADA) regulations. Furthermore, Mr. Emurli fosters policy dialogue with relevant stakeholders at policy, university and research level, and provides conceptual support to ADA Coordination Office.

Before joining WUS Austria in 2017, Mr. Emurli has managed and lead several international organizations/projects and programs (funded by EU, OSCE, ReSPA, UNDP, World Bank and other donors) which have supported the good governance, public administration reforms, research and development, decentralization, education development, as well has provided consultancy services to ensure enhanced the institution building in the Western Balkans region (Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, BiH and Kosovo), Bulgaria, ENP countries (Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova). In addition, Mr. Emurli has worked as key expert for the World Bank project in Uzbekistan to develop strategies, policies and procedures for establishment of quality assurance system in higher education sector (internal and external) in line with the European Standard Guidelines (ESG’s).

Mr. Emurli was also a team leader of the previous two projects funded by ADA and implemented by the consortium WUS Austria, ZSI and OeAD i.e. HERAS - implemented during the period February 2017-March 2020 and HERAS Plus - implemented during the period June 2020-February 2024.

Donjeta Ibra is the Office Manager of the SHER programme who reports to the three-party consortium WUS Austria (lead partner), ZSI and OeAD. Within the program, under the supervision of the Team Leader, Ms. Ibra is responsible for overall office management, consisting of a broad range of services and resources which allow the program to operate efficiently. She is responsible for all office procedures and supports the program team in swift implementation of its activities. Moreover, Ms. Ibra facilitates communication between the local office, experts, consortium members, Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, public Higher Education Institutions and other partners as needed.

Before joining WUS Austria in 2017, Ms. Ibra was actively engaged in Civil Society sector, working on educational, inclusive and human rights projects, as well as monitoring and evaluation projects, supported by international donors such as Austrian Development Cooperation, British Embassy in Kosovo, Finnish Embassy in Kosovo, UN agencies, Save the Children and so on. In addition, Ms. Ibra has also worked for a year within the Assembly of the Republic of Kosova.

Ms. Ibra holds a master’s degree from the Faculty of Economics, University of Prishtina.

Mr. Ibra held the office manager and national project assistant positions of the previous projects of similar scale: HERAS – implemented during the period February 2017-March 2020 and HERAS Plus – implemented during the period June 2020-February 2024.

Nehat Dervishi is the Thematic Coordinator for the SHER Program, where he, under the supervision of Team Leader, is engaged in the overall implementation of the Program by coordinating expert contributions, facilitating communication between public universities, Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, the National Science Council, the Kosovo Accreditation Agency, and other key stakeholders. He ensures the quality of expert deliverables while managing a range of Program activities. In addition, he acts as a liaison with Program beneficiaries and assists in preparing narrative progress reports for Program partners and donors.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Dervishi was a key member of the HERAS Plus Project in Kosovo. He was responsible for capacity-building initiatives in public higher education institutions, fostering internationalization, and supporting the development of policies, laws, and strategies, particularly in the field of Applied Science.

With extensive experience working on projects implemented by international organizations and consultancy firms in Kosovo, Mr. Dervishi’s expertise covers democratization, good governance, human rights, and higher education. In addition to his public sector work, Mr. Dervishi has extensive experience in the private sector, having coordinated and managed consultancy projects for clients such as DFID, The World Bank, the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, as well as central and local government institutions and private corporations in Kosovo.

Mr. Dervishi holds a bachelor’s degree with Honors in Political Science from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and has completed advanced training programs in Project Management. His international experience, having lived, worked, and studied in Malaysia, Greece, and Albania, has provided him with a broad global perspective. This exposure enhances his approach to project management and the promotion of good governance across various sectors.

Shqiponjë Kodraliu is the Program Officer for the SHER Program, where she is responsible for supporting the implementation of various initiatives focused on research, innovation, gender, and social equity in education. Under the supervision of the Team Leader, she coordinates expert contributions, facilitates communication with key stakeholders, including public universities, the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, National Science Council, and other relevant bodies. Ms. Kodraliu ensures the effective delivery of Program activities and the quality of expert outputs, while also preparing progress reports for Program partners and donors.

Prior to joining SHER, Ms. Kodraliu worked as a Local Consultant with the OSCE in Kosovo, where she co-facilitated the Youth Academy and led leadership and change management training for over 150 participants. Her work involved the facilitation of community-based projects and the advocacy of human rights, particularly in empowering youth and promoting their participation in decision-making processes.

Ms. Kodraliu served as a Skills and Capacity Building Specialist at SOS Children's Villages Kosovo from 2020 to 2023, leading training programs for 300+ youth in life skills, employability, and coaching. She also delivered "Train the Trainer" sessions for government and NGO partners, facilitated policy discussions on youth inclusion, and managed relationships with companies to secure internships and job opportunities. Additionally, she ensured effective project documentation, communication, and reporting, while promoting gender and diversity in all aspects of the program.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Kodraliu focused on women’s empowerment and youth mentoring at TOKA, where she developed educational programs for rural women and mentored youth in community projects. She holds a master’s degree in Management and Informatics from the University of Prishtina and a bachelor’s degree from the same institution, along with an Erasmus+ exchange experience at Riga Technical University.

Certified in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Learning & Development, Ms. Kodraliu brings both practical experience and academic expertise to her role at SHER, where she is committed to advancing inclusive and sustainable development in education and beyond.

Fatima Krujezi is the Program Assistant for the SHER Program. Under the supervision of the Team Leader, she is responsible for providing administrative support, including preparing reports, managing content for the website and social media, and assisting in organizing events such as workshops and trainings. She also assists with logistics, documentation, and translation between English and Albanian. Overall, she is responsible for providing comprehensive support to the team in the effective implementation of program activities.

With a background in communication, Ms. Krujezi previously worked as a Media and Content Officer at Uni-Universum International College, where she handled communications, press releases, and web content. She also worked as a Social Media Manager at SIT (Center for Counseling, Social Services and Research), where she developed visibility strategies and campaigns. Ms. Krujezi was engaged at SIT also as an Assistant Research, where she supported the research department with transcriptions, surveys, and logistical coordination. Beyond her communication responsibilities, she collaborated with CSOs like Forum ZFD and managed logistical coordination for co-creation workshop on Positive Peace.

Ms. Krujezi holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, with an Erasmus+ exchange semester in Sociology and Social Anthropology at Bournemouth University. She engaged in non-formal education on social issues such as human rights, intercultural learning, peacebuilding, reconciliation, where she also worked as a Peer Trainer after receiving a grant through the Western Balkans Y-Peer Training of Trainers, a joint RYCO-UN project supported by the UN Peacebuilding Fund. Additionally, Ms. Fatima pursued training on strategic communication, fund diversification etc.