Event Report

On the 4th of March 2011 at the EU Information and Cultural Centre in Pristhina we presented the results of their six month research in the field of the regional cooperation through education. This project was developed in the framework of the “Southeast Europe and the EU – Leadership Development Programme” 2010-2011, organized by the European Fund for the Balkans, College of Europe and Transfuse Association.
The presentation of the booklet was followed by a panel debate organized wich focused on the same topic - Regional Cooperation and Education in SEE.

Here is a short resume of the Panel Debate and the interventions of our 5 panelists:

Regional Cooperation through Education

Kushtrim Bajrami, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Kosovo
Mr. Bajrami discussed that the education has to be one of the main priorities of the Government of Kosovo. He shared some official information about the very much developed preuniversity cooperation with Albania (sharing the same books), and with Turkish and Serbian communities in Kosovo. Although the University of Prishtina signed cooperation agreements with different universities but the main problem is that the agreements don’t have the concrete plans of implementation and realization.

Gerd Lemke, representative of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Mr. Lemke shared some information regarding the DAAD cooperation and programmes in the region. He offered various possibilities for scholarship for students in Kosovo and other Western Balkan countries. He also recommend to student several programmes organized by the GTZ, OSCE, German Embassy and internships in the German Parliament. 

Cooperation among the Universities in Southeast Europe

Valentina Qarri, SPARK Representative, Kosovo
Ms. Qarri enthusiastically named the education as the spirit of each society. She shared her opinion that one of the best practices for regional cooperation in the region is network of business centers in the International College of Business, as a good example of professional education.

Challenges and opportunities   

Snezana Bilic-Sotiroska, TEMPUS Macedonia                                                                                            
Kimete Canaj, TEMPUS Kosovo

Ms. Bilic Sotiroska and Ms. Canaj explained some good cooperation cases through Tempus and Erasmus Mundus programs. “Basileus 3”, “Joint EU-SEE Network” and “Erasmus Mundus” are offering a unique learning experience. Through them students have an opportunity to develop their international skills and enhance employability?

The introductory speeches were followed by a lively discussion. The special guest of the event were participants of the LDP Alumni Network. 

***The article appeared on the website of the European Fund for the Balkans, available under:

http://www.balkanfund.org/the-news/experiencing-europe/59-leadership-development-programme--ldp/260-event-report-ldp-v-group-activity-regional-cooperation-through-education-4-march-2011-eu-info-and-cultural-centre-prishtina.html

Panel Debate

The Leadership Development Programme Fellows - Joint Activity "Regional Cooperation in Southeast Europe" - are inviting you on Friday, March 4, 2011 in Prishtina to the Panel Debate "Regional Cooperation through Education".

This event is organized by the LDP Fellow Joint Activity “Regional Cooperation in Southeast Europe” with the support of the EU Information and Cultural Centre in Kosovo, in the framework of the “Southeast Europe and the EU” - Leadership Development Programme (V Edition, 2010 –2011).

The Southeast Europe and the EU – Leadership Development Programme is organized jointly by the European Fund for the Balkans, the College of Europe and the TRANSFUSE Association. The Programme aims to transmit knowledge about the EU and its relation to the SEE, to stimulate the leadership and professional skills of participants and to encourage an exchange of views of young people who aspire to play an active role in the future of their countries.”. More information about the programme is available on the programme website www.seeyoungleaders.org.

The event consists in several panel discussions on key topics of our research and will conclude the joint activity project by launching of our booklet "Regional Cooperation through Education".

Here you can find the final Agenda of the event:

EU Information and Cultural Centre in Kosovo
Prishtina, 4th of March 2011

09:30 – 10:00 Welcoming and registration of participants

10:00 – 10:20 Opening remarks

Liridona Ponosheci, LDP 2010-2011 Fellow, Project Coordinator

Branka Panic, European Fund for the Balkans

10:20 – 10:30 Launch of the “Regional Cooperation through Education” BOOKLET - research of the LDP Kosovo Group Activity

Doru Toma, LDP 2010-2011 Fellow

10:30 – 11:00 Regional Cooperation and Education in Southeast Europe

Kushtrim Bajrami, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Kosovo

Christph Dießenberger, Geman Embassy in Pristina

11:00 – 11:30 Cooperation among the Universities in Southeast Europe

Hana Kursani, University of Prishtina

Valentina Qarri, Sparks Office in Prishtina

11:30 – 12:00 Challenges and opportunities

Snezana Bilic-Sotiroska, TEMPUS Macedonia

Kimete Canaj, TEMPUS Kosovo

12:00 – 12:25 Q & A

12:25 - 12:30 Closing Remarks

* This activity is a sole responsibility of the group members that have organized it.

** LDP Fellows will distribute free copies of the booklet to all present at the event. 

Who we are?

We are a group of 6 enthusiastic young professionals selected to take part in the in the 5th edition of the “Southeast Europe and the EU" Leadership Development Programme (2010-2011), organized by College of Europe, European Fund for the Balkans and Transfuse Association. 

Our joint activity had to concentrate on "Regional Cooperation in Southeast Europe" and we chose to focus on Education as a engine for the development of the countries in the region. The articles on this blog are part of a booklet entitled "Regional Cooperation through Education" and containing a research on university cooperation in Southeast Europe and identifying best practice  examples in this field. 

For further information about us, our research, the panel debate or the project, you can contact us on educationbalkans [at] gmail.com.

 

Our profiles

Liridona PONOSHECI (Kosovo) - holds a Bachelor Degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Prishtina. Currently, she is working within the Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKM) as a Language Translator and Programme Management Assistant.

Jelena BESLIN (Serbia) - graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade and is the co-founder of the Libertarian club  - Libek NGO.

Muhamet BRAJSHORI (Kosovo) is currently working for USAID and Southeastern Europe Times in Pristina. He is doing his Master Degree in European Studies at the Centre international de formation européenne. He has finished his BA in Political Science at the University of Pristina.

Marjan DAMJANOVSKI (Republic of Macedonia) is a political scientist graduate at the Faculty of Law Iustinianus Primus within the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, and is currently enrolled in a Masters programme in European and international policy and diplomacy at the FON University in Skopje.

Doru TOMA (Romania) has a Master degree in Geopolitics from the French Institute of Geopolitics (University Paris 8) and since 2008 he is working within the Rule of Law Program South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Arif Gökhan RAKICI (Turkey) has a MA in Politics and International Relations of the EU from the European Union Institute (Marmara University) and for the last 7 years, Arif has been working as a trainer and researcher in a private consultancy company in  Istanbul.