The OSCE delegation was briefed on the Balkanistic Study Programme at the University of Prishtina (UP)

During a visit to the University of Prishtina, senior officials from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo showed a keen interest in the latest updates concerning the Balkanistic Study Programme at the University's Faculty of Philology.

They learned that UP is currently filling two teaching positions based on the open call for applications announced for this programme in September. The University's plan is to secure accreditation and begin admitting new students to the Balkanistic Study Programme for the 2026/’27 academic year.

The programme is designed not only to train translators in the languages of neighboring countries but also to produce graduates who are knowledgeable experts in the culture, history, and traditions of the Balkan peoples.

The OSCE Mission officials also briefed UP's management on the findings from the August 2025 visit of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Christophe Kamp, to Kosovo, which included a meeting at the University of Prishtina. They noted that the Commissioner's work will place a special focus on education, languages, and contested history in Kosovo and the wider region.

For their part, UP's leadership stressed the critical need to integrate all communities and educational institutions into Kosovo's education system, aiming to finally break the cycle of division inherited from the past. The discussion also covered the challenges graduates face both domestically and regionally in getting their degrees recognized.

The Rector of the University of Prishtina, Prof. Dr. Arben Hajrullahu, alongside the Vice-Rector for Internationalization and Academic Exchange, Prof. Dr. Rozafa Basha, thanked the Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ms. Cornelia Taylor, and the Director of the Department for Human Rights and Communities, Ms. Kavya Rajan, for their visit. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and expanding this cooperation.