Connecting the University of Prishtina with the academic diaspora is the main objective of the concept document for the establishment of a Migration and Diaspora Unit within the Center for Advanced Studies, KosovaPress reports.

The initiative was presented during the second edition of the “Together in Science” Forum, which brought together researchers from the diaspora and the university’s academic staff with the aim of strengthening scientific and institutional cooperation.

The Rector of the University of Prishtina, Arben Hajrullahu, said that UP has already established the regulatory framework for the affiliation (exchange) of professors from the diaspora, while the number of academics associated with the university is approaching ten.

“It is an extraordinary potential that Kosovo and the University of Prishtina have spread all over the world. We must be aware that this potential has an expiration date and we need to use this momentum to do the best possible by connecting this academic potential that we have spread across the world, but which has also been proven at renowned global universities, with the University of Prishtina and our country, so that we can jointly develop programs and research and development projects. Therefore, the very name of the forum, ‘Academic Diaspora Together in Science’, I believe portrays and reflects this potential very well… We have professors in the fields of computer sciences, medical sciences, as well as social sciences and humanities, meaning the range is comprehensive. I hope that the number of academics from the diaspora associated with the University of Prishtina will continue to increase,” he said.

The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Elis Badalli, said that the forum is a platform connecting the knowledge, experience, and vision of the academic diaspora with Kosovo’s institutions.

He emphasized that the diaspora remains one of the country’s most important assets and that strengthening cooperation with universities and researchers abroad is a priority for Kosovo’s long-term development.

According to a presentation by GIZ representative Krenare Loxha, the unit aims to institutionalize the university’s links with the academic diaspora, promote scientific research, knowledge exchange and international cooperation, as well as support evidence-based policymaking.

The proposed model foresees the development of the unit in three phases over the coming years, beginning with institutional establishment and the creation of strategic partnerships, followed by the piloting of programs such as mentorship, registration of the academic diaspora and the creation of a database. In the third phase, the unit would operate with a consolidated governance structure and a sustainable financial model.

According to Loxha, the plans also include the creation of a digital platform that will serve to connect and facilitate cooperation with researchers from the diaspora.

The development and operationalization of this platform will be the responsibility of the unit and the Center for Advanced Studies, while the launch of the planned pilot programs is expected after the first year of the initiative.

The presentation emphasized that the unit should be primarily funded by the University of Prishtina, with additional support from strategic partners and donors, so that its operation does not depend on short-term projects.

The second “Together in Science” Forum at the University of Prishtina is supported by GIZ and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.