The launch of the Kosovo Research Information System (KRIS) on April 27th 2023 stands as a remarkable achievement that has united stakeholders from diverse institutions and relevant organizations. This momentous event not only celebrated the successful completion of KRIS , a process that started in November 2020,  but also served as a platform to showcase its remarkable capabilities. Attendees were treated to insightful presentations highlighting the system’s development, captivating real-time demonstrations, and an inspiring user showcase by the esteemed University of Prishtina. KRIS emerges as a pioneering contribution, revolutionizing Kosovo’s higher education system by establishing a centralized platform for seamless research data collection and empowering stakeholders such as MESTI, researchers, students, and vital statistical and accreditation agencies with valuable data outputs.

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Launch

On 30 March 2023, a Workshop on the Innovation Voucher Scheme was conducted to support the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation in the finalization of the Scheme. The event was a continuation of a focus group held on March 17th and was designed for a broader audience, including representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations, higher education institutions, institutes, and the private sector as stakeholders and potential beneficiaries of the Innovation Voucher Scheme.

The workshop delved into the details of the Innovation Voucher Scheme, including its implementation, impact monitoring, and potential benefits. Inputs received from participants will be essential in finalizing the Scheme and accompanying documentation and implementation procedures.

The Innovation Voucher Scheme is expected to boost the innovation potential of eligible entities and foster collaboration between knowledge providers, especially universities and institutes, and the private sector.

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On 27 February 2023, the project supported the official ceremony of launching the newly established Organization of Kosovan-Austrian Alumni (OKAA). The event was greeted by the Member of European Parliament Lukas Mandel, MESTI Minister Arberie Nagavci, Austrian Ambassador Christoph Weidinger, University of Prishtina Rector Qerim Qerimi and the project Team Leader Aqim Emurli.

The OKAA is a non-profit legal entity, which is expected to further promote the internationalization and academic mobility between Kosovo and Austria, share lessons learnt and act as a catalyst for generating new ideas. In the upcoming period and within the project duration, different ways are sought to provide specific support and assistance with the aim of functionalizing the OKAA and helping to fulfil its mission.

All speakers at the event were of the opinion that OKAA needs additional capacity building support that will make sure that is headed in the right direction, becomes self-sustainable, fund-raises on its own and gets involved in the higher education sector as new stakeholder – at all time by bringing the Austrian experiences on board.

On 21 and 22 February 2023, the Project was happy to organize and deliver one-day training events for the University “Isa Boletini” in Mitrovica (UIBM) and University “Kadri Zeka” in Gjilan (UKZ) respectively. The theme of the training was Achieving Strategic Educational Goals through Embedding the Concept of Learning Outcomes.

The training ensured that participants from both universities have been strengthening their skills for developing the learning outcomes based on the predictions of what skills will be most needed in 2025 (The World Economic Forum, 2020). This part of the training supported universities in their aims to increase the relevance of the study programmes for the labour market needs.

Training also focuses on improving the capacities for aligning designed learning outcomes with relevant teaching, learning and assessment methods to ensure that intended learning outcomes are translated into meaningful educational plans. Last but not least, participants in the training explored the possible ways universities can continuously evaluate how well students have developed intended learning outcomes and improve the teaching, learning and assessment processes accordingly.

Overall, the training contributed to strengthening the relevance of the study programmes for the labour market needs and the quality of planning and evaluating the educational experience, both essential pillars for the educational mission of the universities.

On 09 February 2023, HERAS Plus in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) organized the second meeting of the working group engaged in drafting the Administrative Instruction (AI) that will regulate the introduction of a performance-based funding system for Kosovar public universities. This meeting builds on the progress made during the first meeting, held on 13 December 2022, where the working group agreed on the methodology and timeline for developing the AI.

HERAS Plus was happy to provide expert support and facilitate the proceedings of the working group during the meeting. Our team of experts presented a framework of the Administrative Instruction and engaged in deliberating the draft articles and collecting feedback from the working group members. The working group is composed of members representing all stakeholders, including MESTI, the Ministry of Finance, all public universities, and prominent (independent) experts in the field of Higher Education in Kosovo.

The Administrative Instruction that is being drafted by the working group is based on the findings and recommendations of the Roadmap document developed by HERAS Plus in collaboration with MESTI. The Roadmap provides guidance to Kosovar decision-makers on how to introduce a performance-based funding system for the public universities, with the goal of improving the governance of higher education in Kosovo. The working group meeting held yesterday marked an important step in the implementation of the recommendations made in the Roadmap document.

We believe that a performance-based funding system will help to improve the quality of education and research at Kosovar public universities. The new system will incentivize universities to strive for excellence and provide better outcomes for students, academic staff, and the wider community.

HERAS Plus Project is excited to see the progress being made in the implementation of the Roadmap document and look forward to continuing our support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation in this important initiative.

 

 

provides

On 25 November 2022, the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) has presented the Roadmap on Performance Based Funding of Public Higher Education Institutions, this document was developed in close cooperation between MESTI and the Ministry Austrian Federal Agency for Education, Science and Research, with the support of HERAS Plus.

On this occasion, MESTI Minister, Ms. Arbërie Nagavci emphasized that this document will contribute to the improvement of quality in higher education, which has been put in the center of attention of the Government and is one of the 5 objectives of the Strategic Plan of Education for the 4-year period. Minister Nagavci emphasized that performance-based funding is a legal obligation foreseen by the Law on Higher Education (of 2011) and has never been implemented until now. This way of funding, she said, increases responsibility and transparency, because it will push universities to plan carefully and their planning to be in line with national priorities.

The Austrian Ambassador to Kosovo, Mr. Christoph Weidinger, also spoke about the importance of this document, who said that Kosovo can gain experience from the way of funding higher education from his country and for this they are ready to contribute further.

Mr. Elmar Pichl, Director General at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research said performance-based funding models are used in many countries. Mr. Pichl said that sometimes reforms take time, but some cannot wait long, especially those of education, and he emphasized that it is clear that the new funding should start now.

Meanwhile, Mr. Aqim Emurli, Team Leader of the HERAS Plus Project, said that the preparation of this Roadmap has started since 2021 and that the project is ready for the implementation of this activity to begin immediately.

The Deputy Minister of MESTI, Mr. Dukagjin PUpovci, spoke about the development of this Roadmap, who said that performance based-funding fulfills the needs of public universities than funding based on historical data that we have had so far.

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study visit

On 13 October 2022, HERAS Plus Project, the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) and the public higher education institutions (HEIs) organized the 2^nd Annual Conference on Higher Education in Kosovo. This year’s Conference focused on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of strategic documents of the higher education institutions.

The conference was opened by Mr. Aqim Emurli, Team Leader of HERAS Plus Project, and was addressed by the Minister of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI), Ms. Arberie Nagavci, by Austrian Development Cooperation representative, Ms. Albulena Zaimi, and by WUS Austria Managing Director, Ms. Veronika Nitsche, on behalf of an implementing consortium.

In the opening remark, Mr. Emurli, highlighted that HERAS Plus Project is engaged in supporting public universities respond to increased pressures to improve their M&E systems and to move out of their methodological comfort zones. For this purpose, a ‘Manual on M&E of strategic documents’ was produced and launched during the Conference.

Minister Nagavci, in her official address, thanked the Republic of Austria for supporting all education sectors and reforms in Kosovo. Further, the Minister emphasized the main strategic orientations of the higher education (HE) sector outlined in the Education Strategy 2022-2026, focusing on government efforts to improve the financing model for the public HEIs.

Ms. Nitsche, on behalf of a three-party consortium implementing the Project, confirmed that HERAS Plus is committed to supporting the higher education in Kosovo in its transformation towards internationality, coherence, effectiveness and efficiency, and improving the employability of students.

The Conference was organized in three sessions. It attracted panelists and speakers such as rectors of public universities in Kosovo, policy makers, and higher education experts, national and international. The first session undertook a distinct national perspective, discussing the new strategic document on education, interlinked with the current situation and challenges faced by Kosovo’s universities in monitoring and evaluating their strategic plans. Whereas, the second and the third sessions discussed the national practices through the lens of international experiences in developing, monitoring and evaluating strategic plans of the universities, allowing for more in-depth discussions on Strategy formulation and M&E based on specific cases.

The initiated discussions between policymakers, university leaders, and higher education experts will help universities in Kosovo to develop an efficient and effective support system for planning and control cycle using the tools of the M&E of strategic documents.

study visit

On September 22nd, the Workshop on Horizon Europe Project Proposal Writing concluded successful proceedings. Alongside the support provided to the capacity building of the Kosovo National Contact Points (NCP) structure and training of young professionals on Horizon Europe, HERAS Plus is also enhancing Kosovo’s participation in Horizon Europe through tailor-made training on the collaborative projects under Horizon Europe.

The Workshop on Horizon Europe Project Proposal Writing attracted a wide range of professionals from public and private Higher Education Institutions and civil society organizations. The training offered an overview of the Horizon Europe collaborative project actions and practical guidance on the entire application process, including Project Idea, Call Decoding, Implementation Part: Activities- and Excellence Part; Task description and Work Packages, Project Budget and Eligible Costs, Deliverables and Milestones; Impact Pathways, Exploitation and Dissemination, Communication. Through group work and practical exercises, participants engaged in developing concepts and received feedback from the HERAS Plus experts.

HERAS Plus will continue to support participants with individual consultations to upgrade the project concepts/ideas developed during the training through feedback and guidance for application to Horizon Europe calls.

study visit

On 20 September 2022, in close cooperation with Ministry of Education Science Technology and Innovation (MESTI), we supported the working group proceedings of developing new Administrative Instruction (AI) on “Register of the scientific innovative institutions”. The AI is very important for MESTI because it regulates (among other issues) i) Definition of the requirements for the respective Institutions; ii) Conditions/requirements for issuing a license; iii) Institutional obligations related to the national interest; iv) Institutional obligations related to international documents and directives; v) Dissolution of the Institutions, etc. For this purpose, HERAS Plus has provided expert support (national and international).

Support provided to the development of the Administrative Instruction “Register of the scientific innovative institutions” recalled by article 7 of Law No.06/L-049 on Scientific Innovation and Transfer of Knowledge and Technology, ensues the previous support to the development of the Administrative Instruction No 11/2021 on Transfer and Forms of Transfer of Knowledge and Technology, and to the implementation of the respective law.

study visit

On 12-15 September 2022, the project organized and facilitated a study visit to Austria for the Kosovan delegation, composed of representatives Ministry of Education Science Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and representative of the public higher education institutions (HEIs). During the visit, the delegation conducted meetings and workshops at the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research as well as at the Austrian HEIs where they heard about the lessons learnt from Austria, how was this system developed and how was handled since its start, was there anything missing in order the system is implemented swiftly. Also, the capacity building measures that the Ministry undertook in order all levels of university were informed and prepared for the new system. All this information and knowledge will be taken into consideration by the Kosovan side when developing/implementing similar system in Kosovo.

As a follow-up to the visit and with the support of HERAS Plus, the MESTI plans to develop/finalize a roadmap which will provide an overall framework for performance-based funding and the implementation of related workshops. In addition, MESTI aims to develop an administrative instruction (AI) based on the findings of the roadmap and the options identified therein. .

study visit