Due to the non-functioning of the new building of the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, this faculty is at risk of being closed.
This was stated by the Rector of the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, Arben Hajrullahu, who said that this situation has come about “because of the occupation of the University of Prishtina’s property by the energy distribution company KEDS”.
In a media conference, Hajrullahu said that since 2013 the new building of the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine has remained unused, and as a result, under current conditions, this faculty will not be able to be accredited, KosovaPress reports.
“Since 2013 this building has not been put into use for various reasons. Millions of taxpayers’ money have been invested in this building and we are now in a situation where, if we fail to make the new building of the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine functional, then the faculty will be closed. At the very least, the faculty will be shut down; we have no possibility to accredit the faculty’s programs if we do not have a building. We cannot carry out studies on the streets or in fields somewhere; we need a home, and the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine does not have a home,” said Hajrullahu.
The Rector of the University of Prishtina emphasized that on July 7 of this year they submitted an urgent request to KEDS to remove its tents and warehouses from the land where the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine was built, in order to enable the relocation of the high-voltage power line.
If this does not happen, Hajrullahu warned that they will block KEDS’ entrance.
“Let the illegal tents and warehouses that they have placed on the campus of the University of Prishtina be removed, so that the transmission lines can be moved to the new pole, which has also been financed from the University of Prishtina’s budget, and all other issues will be clarified through other procedures. We are not interested in escalating the situation. If this does not happen, I publicly promise that at the beginning of next week we will take all the necessary steps because we have no more time to lose; we will take all steps to remove those illegal warehouses from the University of Prishtina’s land and thus clear the way for the new building to become functional. We will go to KEDS’ door and prevent them from entering their own building where their headquarters are, together with professors and students, and we will block their door,” Hajrullahu emphasized.
Rector Arben Hajrullahu stated that the properties of the University of Prishtina are not being violated only by KEDS, but also by businesses, calling on them to leave.
“The properties of the University of Prishtina have been under attack and violated for years and decades. I publicly call on all those who have encroached on UP’s land to pack their bags this weekend and leave the University’s properties; otherwise we will go out and defend UP’s land. And when it comes to the campus of the Faculty of Agriculture, we also have different businesses there; just like KEDS, Lesna and Jona Med should not wait to find themselves in the same situation we have reached with KEDS,” said Hajrullahu.
KosovaPress has contacted KEDS regarding this issue and will keep you informed as soon as there is a response.
