Tag: Kosovo

Since July 2005, university management and the ministry of education have failed to make decisions in a number of key areas, most notably the appointment of a rector.

Participants in the BIRN event included leading figures in the territory’s education sector, such as the deputy minister for education, Fevzi Berisha, the Kosovo premier’s education adviser, Dukagjin Popovci, and the former minister for education, Rexhep Osmani.

The audience was made up of students from a number of university faculties.

Adem Beha, a political sciences student, listed some of the major problems affecting higher education in the territory.

“Isn’t it wrong that professors only come to classes when they have free time; when exam papers are lost; and when professors are guilty of plagiarising their own MA and PhD theses,” he said.

Natyra Gjurgjeala, a medical faculty professor who had been working at the university since 1974, said that the academic criteria applied at the moment is one of the worst in UP’s history.

The panellists were questioned extensively on the mismanagement of funds and corruption.

Popovci said the lack of funds was just an excuse for low-quality teaching, pointing out that the real problem was bad planning.

“Of the 400,000 euro set aside for the university’s budget for the first three months of this year, only 100,000 have been spent,” he said.

Elbasan Hoti, a student representative, said the administration of UP is so bad that students have no idea who to approach for student projects.

Jusuf Thaqi, a psychology student, said that one of the biggest problems for students was self-motivation because of their poor employment prospects.

“Lack of motivation among students is one of our biggest concerns – even if you get straight A grades, it is highly unlikely you will get a job when you leave university,” said Thaqi.

One of the most controversial subjects tackled in the debate was the upcoming election of faculty deans and the future leadership of UP.

Sejdi Hoxha, a representative of student parliament, complained about the transparency of the former, claiming that students had been excluded from election commissions – a claim denied by Berisha, who insisted that the commissions were overseen by the OSCE.

The battle between two biggest political parties, the LDK and the PDK, for control over the university was another topic of discussion.

Commenting on the politicisation of UP, Gjurgjeala said “student engagement in politics and politicians’ encouragement of this should remain outside the university.

“University should be a place dominated by activities that increase the quality of studies.”

Adopting a format similar to the BBC’s cultural slot Newsnight Review, the programme asked why so many Pristina movie-goers were going to see the film and what religious and non-religious Kosovars felt out about the controversy surrounding it.

To discuss the issues thrown up by the book and the film, BIRN invited a panel of four prominent Kosovars: Dukagjin Gorani, from the Kosovar Institute for Journalism and Communications; Iliriana Loxha, an artist; Milazim Krasniqi, a writer; and Anton Berisha, an engineer.

Gorani said that the popularity of the film in Pristina, as in the rest of the world, was down to its incorporation of numerous religious dilemmas in a “populist thriller” format.

“For me as a Catholic, the Da Vinci Code is not interesting at all,” said Berisha. “This book has no facts and no analyses, nothing but unproved claims.” Berisha reckoned the book was an insult to Catholics the world over.

Gorani disagreed, saying it allows readers to question biblical stories, in particular whether Jesus was the son of God or an extraordinary human being with great leadership and oratory skills.

Discussing whether the controversial assertions made by the film could be defended as freedom of speech, Krasniqi said this right ends the moment it is used to offend, upset or ridicule others. He drew parallels with the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed which so enraged Muslims.

The panelists contrasted the big local interest the Da Vinci Code generated with the generally low turn-out for other cultural events in the territory.

Krasniqi pointed out that a bookfair held this month served to highlight the low level of interest in reading. “There is a huge cultural crisis happening in Kosovo at the moment,” said Krasniqi.

He described the Da Vinci Code as something of circus which will do little to encourage local audiences to buy books or go to the theatre and cinema more often.

* The RTK debates are moderated by Jeta Xharra, BIRN Kosovo Director.

Albni Kurti, leader of Selfdetermination movement, which is lobbying for a boycott of Serbian products, participated in the programme together with Mimoza Kusari, head of American Chamber of Commerce, Baton Haxhiu, head of Express neswspaper and Avni Zogjani, head of the Cohu (Stand Up) movement, an NGO that fights against corruption.

This was a heated debate, with the main topics of discussion being the need to prepare for UNMIK’s departure and economic survival of Kosovo once its status is resolved.