On 14-15 September 2023, HERAS Plus supported the University of ‘Haxhi Zeka’ (UHZ) to organize the first conference of the Regional Economic Forum Dukagjini (FERD) which aims at connecting the higher education system with the labor market needs and the private sector of the Dukagjini region.

The event was officially opened and addressed by Rector of UHZ, HERAS Plus Team Leader, Minister of Regional Development, Deputy Ministers and 7 Mayors of Municipalities of Dukagjini region. They all concurred that the knowledge and concepts shared at the event will advance the cooperation between the university, industry and the central and local government institutions in identifying, developing and implementing activities that will fulfil the needs for local economic development in the country.

Overall, this conference aims at contributing to a more competitive higher education sector as well as to economic, social and cultural development of the region of Dukagjin and its surroundings. The first day of the conference was organized in three sessions, which drew panelists and speakers such as Deputy Ministers, experts and professors from regional HEIs, representatives from the industry. The first and second sessions undertook a distinct national perspective, discussing the strategic framework for economic development in Kosova and the role of HEIs. Whereas the third session discussed the cooperation of the university with local government and industry, including experience from regional countries.

On the second day, the conference is taking place in municipalities of Decan and Junik, and presentations and panel discussions will be centered on how HEIs are incorporated into local planning, the designing of policies and programmes for local governments, and how much HEIs are utilized in the municipality in terms of their potential for expertise in planning as well as for the implementation of overall policies.

Following the insightful discussions between speakers, panelists, and participants, the following recommendations and suggestions were made: to increase attention in the developing of curricula taking into account international trends; addressing SDGs, national and local priorities; development of appropriate models of cooperation with institutions and businesses/industry; participation of Universities in the design of strategies at the national and local level as well as in joint development projects; addressing intellectual property issue;  direct interaction with businesses to determine the need for training, specialization, etc., and to address the gap between the available supply and the demand of the labor market; increased commitment to cooperation networking and absorption of funds with a focus on those of the EU and similar.

On 01-02 February 2023, the Project was pleased to facilitate a two-day tailormade workshop on Project Cycle Management (PCM) for the University “Haxhi Zeka” in Peja (UHZ). This workshop was designed jointly by the HERAS Plus Team and the UHZ leadership.

The workshop was attended by 20 academic staff that are now trained in effective planning, executing, and evaluating projects for maximum impact. The tailor-made workshop aimed to enhance the skills of the participants in writing, monitoring, and executing projects. The program covered all phases of Project Cycle Management and was delivered through a combination of presentations, group work and interactive exercises.

The workshop is part of the support provided to UHZ based on the competitive fund for strategic development of public universities. The goal is to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to effectively manage projects and achieve successful outcomes.

study visit

On 31 August 2022, HERAS Plus Project organized a kickoff meeting at the University “Haxhi Zeka” in Peja for supporting the development of the new University strategic plan.

UHZ have come with a request for expert support to develop their new strategic document. Heras Plus will support the working group of the University which is tasked to review the current strategy and come up with an upgraded strategic document that will cover the next three to five-year period.

This activity comes as a recommendation from the Baseline Assessment Report that refers to the university development and improvement in line with standards and principles of European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the 3rd mission of the University.

HERAS Plus is happy to support the five-day intensive Training of Trainers (ToT) on “Advancement of teaching methods in higher education” for academic staff of University ‘Haxhi Zeka’ in Peja (UHZ) that is taking place between 30 May and 3 June 2022. Today’s session was attended and addressed by the UHZ Vice Rector Mr. Edmond Beqiri, HERAS Plus Team Leader Mr. Aqim Emurli and CERGE-EI Foundation Director Ms. Eleanor Hammond, where they stated that this training will enable the participants to further enhance and advance their teaching and pedagogical skills.

The training is being facilitated by the experts of Czech funded project ‘Raising higher education teaching standards in Kosovo (CERGE-EI Foundation)’. At the core of this activity is a series of pedagogical tools developed based on CERGE-EI’s popular and tested Teaching Principles and Practices course. The UHZ academic staff will benefit from the on-site expertise and subsequently expand the gained knowledge across different academic disciplines. The impact of this ToT is expected to be immediate. At the end of the event, the participants will undergo a test and will be provided with certificates.

This activity is being implemented in the frame of the joint MoU with UHZ as well as part of the earmarked support at HERAS Plus provides to UHZ.

On 21 October 2021, HERAS Plus project team had a constructive introductory meeting with representatives of the newly appointed Rector of the University “Haxhi Zeka” in Peja (UHZ), Mr. Armand Krasniqi, as well as with Ms. Majlinda Belegu, head of UHZ Steering Council.

The project Team Leader Mr. Aqim Emurli, expressed Project’s commitment in supporting UHZ along with other public universities in building institutional capacities. Mr. Emurli noted that there are opportunities within the scope of the Project for concrete cooperation and support in matters related to internal regulatory framework, strategic planning, quality assurance, labor market relevance, as well as governance issues.

Rector of UHZ, Mr. Krasniqi, and the wider UHZ delegation, informed the Project Team about the achievements, current challenges and perspectives. Furthermore, the UHZ representatives showed readiness to continue the collaboration with the Project in the fields of common interest.