On 16 September 2021, WUS Austria representatives and international experts, Ms. Veronika Nitsche and Ms. Louise Sperl, had productive meetings with the leadership of two public universities in Kosovo, namely, University “Isa Boletini” in Mitrovica (UIBM), and University “Fehmi Agani” in Gjakova” (UFAGJ). The meetings were in the context of HERAS Plus Project, specifically part of the monitoring visit that aims to evaluate the progress made, in this case at the university level.

Ms. Nitsche, on behalf of  WUS Austria, as well as on behalf of the three-party consortium (WUS Austria, ZSI and OeAD) that is implementing the project, thanked the rectors, Mr. Alush Musaj of UIBM and Mr. Artan Murati of UFAGJ, for their unwavering cooperation with the Project, and for their commitment in the process of advancing the overall higher education system in Kosovo.

In return, the rectors Mr. Musaj and Mr. Nimani, and their teams, positively assessed the progress made in the framework of HERAS Plus and engaged in discussing the future joint activities. The Rectors expressed appreciations for the contribution, made by the Project, in matters that relate to strategic planning, internal legal framework, preparations for accreditation, building institutional capacities and international networking and mobility.

On 10 February 2021, the first Steering Board (SB) meeting was conducted successfully via online platforms.

The project Team Leader Aqim Emurli offered an overall presentation of the progress of the project implementation, in the presence of SB members: Austrian Development Agency, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kosovo and Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research as well as in the presence of the consortium members.

The representatives of the consortium members WUS AT, ZSI and OeAD also addressed this meeting. They updated on the achievements, challenges and possibilities throughout the project implementation, including here the pandemic situation and its impact on the project. 

The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kosovo, represented by Ms. Shpresa Mehmeti, informed on the latest political developments and the successful impact of the project within the Ministry.

The meeting was chaired by the Austrian Development Agency.

In the end, the project team received clearance and advices to continue on the same path in the upcoming period. .

On 18 December 2020, ‘HERAS Plus’ Project organized an Online Information Session on the Scholarship Fund, or, as it is referred in the Project, the PhD and Post-Doc Fellowships Program. The Fellowship Program aims at contributing to Kosovo academic community, and institutions, by developing researchers graduated from Austrian Universities.

A comprehensive presentation of the Program was delivered by Ms. Silvia Riegler, Program Officer at the Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research (OeAD). The presentation offered an overall overview of the scholarships, including the target group, the eligibility criteria, the timetable and the application and selection procedure. It was also presented that the objective of the call is that PhD students and post-doc researchers will contribute to the institutional capacity development of their home institutions in Kosovo by completing their PhD studies and the post-doc research at an university in Austria.

The session proved very informative and interactive. Up to 38 participants joint the online session, many of whom contributed with questions, comments, and discussion. The Session was moderated by Mr. Nehat Dervishi, Thematic Coordinator for Higher Education within ‘HERAS Plus’ Project. The Project Team continues to receive and address questions from candidates interested in applying for the Program. .