Two recent events highlighted USAID/Kosovo’s ongoing support for reform efforts at the University of Prishtina.  On June 9^th, Mission Director James Hope met with University of Prishtina’s (UP) Dean of the Faculty of Education, Et’hem Ceku, to show USAID support for the partnership between the Faculty of Education and Indiana University, and to acknowledge Dean Ceku’s efforts to support continuing professional development of his academic staff.  Since the USAID university partnerships program launched two years ago, Indiana University and UP’s Faculty of Education have cooperated on a number of levels, including faculty exchange visits focused on enhancing teaching methodologies, using qualitative research for studying education, and using online resources to aid teaching; mentoring for UP faculty on their research projects; and the organization of education research symposia in 2016 and 2017. 

On June 5^th, Acting Deputy Mission Director Miranda Jolicoeur attended an event to inaugurate the University’s new Office for Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP).  The ORSP will help UP to identify research opportunities for teaching staff and support their efforts to win funding, ensure the quality of proposals and track all proposals and funded projects, monitor the budget, and communicate research progress and outcomes. 

USAID’s Transformational Leadership Program -  Scholarships and Partnerships continues to work in cooperation with the Government of Kosovo to transform the structure, management, capabilities, and culture of higher education in Kosovo to enable domestic institutions to produce graduates that are ready for a developing labor market.