Universities in Kosovo face similar challenges in terms of research activity. They all face low capacity to undertake quality scientific research, as well as they lack the institutional structures and certain policies to support research activity on a constant basis. Project expected results:- An assessment report published in outlining research situation in Kosovo.- Seven (7) research offices will be established, one per each university partner (except UP which already established it). - Respective universities will nominate at least one research coordinator per each research office.- Seven (7) strategic plans developed, one per each university (except UP who has already established it).- Establishment of six (6) scientific journals, one per a research priority in Kosovo.- Establishment of six (6) interinstitutional Scientific Committees, one per each scientific journal.- Establishment and update of a register of reviewers (international reviewers, also local reviewers with established international scientific reputation).- Establishing an inter-institutional Organizational Committee for the Annual Scientific Conference;- Organization of at least one conference during project life in six scientific sessions, with participation of around 200 researchers, from which 100 who present research work;- Minimum 60 papers fulfilling standards selected for publication into the scientific journals.- Policy/regulation on research ethics and integrity adapted in each beneficiary university (eight policies/regulations).- At least eight (8) Research Ethics Committees established and made functional, one per each beneficiary institution (respective universities may establish such committees at faculty levels).- An online open access database developed and launched;- Around 100 researchers, minimum 10 researchers per beneficiary partner will be trained on preparation research articles by meeting criteria of internationally indexed journals.

Higher education governance and its autonomy is strongly enhanced by the effective and convincing accountability, transparency and financial sustainability. Discussions on the university governance and autonomy throughout HEIs in Europe are coming as a response to diverse challenges at the different country’s context. As a result, the need for gaining and enhancing public trust in higher education became manifest to develop appropriate forms of transparency and accountability of both public and private institutions. An initiative to form a consortium came as response to address these challenges through the project Strengthening university autonomy and increasing accountability and transparency of Western Balkans Universities /STAND project .The concept entails investing in the strengthening the mechanisms that ensures the long-term sustainability of university autonomy, transparency and accountability. The project foresees cooperation between HEIs in the WB region, their respective ministries and program country partners and contributes to the increasing of professional capacities of HEI staff in partnering HEIs. As structural project it will support reflecting on standards at EU partners and enhancing them at WB institutions through intensified regular academic and management exchange of good practice and sustainable networking between EU-WB partners. A mix of bottom-up and top-down approach that will be used in the project, fosters the dialogue between universities and ministries, and thus enables the consortium to contribute more effectively to the project implementation and sustainability to strengthen the autonomy of Western Balkans higher education institutions. The project aims to reach up to 50,000 persons engaged in higher education and other related activities in Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro and abroad through its dissemination activities.

“Creating Theory to Practice Centres for Innovation and Employment” project aimed to improve the relevance of higher education for the labour market and society in Kosovo through creating sustainable models of interaction between universities and enterprises. It responded to the Erasmus + objective in the Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education that strives ‘to improve the quality of higher education and enhance its relevance for the labour market and society’, since it assumes the establishment of Theory to Practice Centres (T2Ps) as sustainable models of fostered cooperation between universities and enterprises and exchange of experience and good practices with HEI from Programme countries. Six Theory to Practice Centers were established, which were also united into European Association of Theory to Practice Centers-T2P Europe, to ensure further sustainability of the project. While using a new teaching methodology (case studies), the T2Ps will continue to serve not only as advice centres, but will act as hubs for three disciplines and three sectors (education, business, public sector). The new established centres already brought together more than 150 local teaching staff from six partner institutions in Kosovo engaged in peer learning activities, 83 individual mobilities were realised, more than 500 students benefiting from updated courses and lifelong education studies and more than 340 researchers and business professionals at the conferences. The project will benefit to 20,000 persons engaged in higher education and economy in Kosovo and abroad (through its professional dissemination). This project will contribute to resolving the problem of identified skills mismatches in the long run, through modernization of higher education in Kosovo, its improved cooperation with the private and public sector and introduction of recognized lifelong learning outcomes as a base for flexible career paths. It is the first endeavor of this size and the impact to the whole territory of Kosovo, embracing its ethnic, cultural and language diversity as strengths in the project design.

This project aims to develop links between universities and enterprises in order to enhance teaching and learning, upgrade the curricula in line with the needs of enterprises and improve the financial sustainability of HEIs in Kosovo.Enterprise managers will be appointed to university boards as the voice of the private sector to help universities design programmes of study in line with the needs of enterprises and the labour market. Universities will send a number of their lecturers to companies for a short period to observe the working of companies and identify challenges facing companies as well as the business environment in which they operate. The lecturers will use their knowledge of the companies and the insights they have gained to prepare material for case studies to be used in their subjects. EU partners will assist the Kosovar lecturers to write case studies which can be used in the classroom. The use of case studies, particularly those based on Kosovar companies, is rare in Kosovo and will require a change in teaching, learning and assessment methods which will help improve students' knowledge of the actual conditions of Kosovar companies and will improve their preparedness for the labour market. A book of case studies of Kosovar companies will be prepared in Albanian so that it can be used by students at partner and non-partner universities in Kosovo.The project will also identify the knowledge and skills gap in university graduates through a Survey of the 150 largest to micro companies. It will be used by universities to revise their curricula in order to embed in their programmes the knowledge and skills required by enterprises. EU partners, using their own experience, will support the Kosovar colleagues in this endeavour.Using the Survey, the project will also identify the training and other needs of enterprises. Universities will offer training courses and consultancy services to companies. EU partners will also provide updating visits for the Kosovar teaching staff to prepare themselves for conducting training courses. The provision of these services can potentially contribute to the financial sustainability of Kosovar universities.Finally, universities will work with NGO partners and SMEs (using the Survey of 50 SMEs) to identify training needs of SMEs. University staff and NGO partners will prepare training workshops for SMEs in the range of subjects which have been identified. These training courses will also help foster closer relationship between universities, their staff and SMEs.Kosovar partner universities will be provided with modern equipment that will help them improve the teaching and learning process particularly on the subjects which have had their curricula improved or case studies offered to students. Some of the specialist equipment will also be used when offering training courses for company employees.The closer links with the enterprise sector, improved curricula with embedded employability skills, case studies of actual Kosovar companies, combined with student placements will enhance the employability of university graduates. In this way, some of the targets of the national strategy for higher education will be realised.