HERAS Plus and ResearchCult Projects join forces for establishing the first Research Information System in Kosovo by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.

This cooperation aims to design, develop, and functionalize the Current Information Research System (CRIS – as initially named by HERAS Plus) or Kosovo Research Information System (KRIS – as initially named by ResearchCult) in a mutual endeavor of support, provided by the two projects in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the Republic of Kosovo.

Mr. Harri Tuomola, Executive Director of International Business College Mitrovica (IBC-M), welcomed the HERAS Plus team in the MoU signing ceremony and opened the event by thanking HERAS Plus for its role in enhancing higher education, research and innovation and the willingness for cooperation. He addressed participants with acknowledgments of the joint endeavor for contributing towards building a research information system that is going to, first and foremost, contribute to the enhancement of the research quality outputs and research collaborations.

On the other hand, Mr. Aqim Emurli, HERAS Plus Project Team Leader, stressed that HERAS Plus, as a project funded by Austrian Development Agency (ADA) dedicated to improve the higher education and research landscape in Kosovo with activities ranging from intervention in Policy making processes to building capacities and supporting Universities. He emphasized the importance of this MoU in avoiding possible overlaps of projects by creating synergies which will be translated into this specific activity through add-ed value features, functions, and regulation of the research system. This is clear contribution for the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the Republic of Kosovo and all relevant stakeholders related to research, science and innovation in higher education sector.

The process of development of CRIS/KRIS, conceptually defined in the draft-roadmap prepared by HERAS Plus International Expert, will soon be presented for discussion in a Workshop in front of the main stakeholders and other relevant partners to receive and address comments, suggestions, and inputs, at this developmental stage of the activity.