NUMBER 08 Kosovar Center for Investigative Journalism (KCIJ). Editor in Charge: Lorik Bajrami; Reporters: Florie Xhemajli; Qëndrim Bunjaku; MONTHLY NEWSPAPER JUNE 2014 Arton Demhasaj; Tinka Kurti; Visar Duriqi; Besa Kalaja; Besnik Boletini. Phone: 038 248 506. E-mail: [email protected] PREPORTR THE NAKED UNIVERSITY THE PATH OF LETTERS A considerable part of governmental officials, including Prishtina University, to a large extent, conducts its studies ministers, are at the same time teachers in institutions of without literature. The basis of the program of this university higher education. This has degraded the quality of teach- continues to be scripts and sketches of lectures. The current ing in this education level, making it a mockery of science. literature is very outdated. In general, we have a going back as Besa Kalaja, Qëndrim Bunjaku regards the standard of studying in this university, a return to “The Path of Letters”, when we only got the alphabet. Besnik Boletini Hashim THAÇI Kryeministër i Republikës së Kosovës 15 Janar 2010 “TEMPLES OF KNOWLEDGE AND SCIENCE ARE THE RAY OF LIGHT FOR THE NATION AND HUMANITY” JUNE 2014 | NR 8 2 MONTHLY NEWSPAPER The naked University A considerable part of governmental officials, in- cluding ministers, are at the same time teachers in institutions of higher education. This has degraded the quality of teaching in this education level, mak- ing it a mockery of science BESA KALAJA, QËNDRIM BUNJAKU The politics has stripped the credibility in front of the public academic staff of UP and private work in university as secondary. Despite the fact that Demo- University of Prishtina from eye. colleges. The university also has consid- cratic League of Kosovo (LDK) any academic quality and lost Today, to be an academic A large number of academic erable lacking of staff with the has led the Ministry of Educa- any integrity of the academic staff in UP, you must necessar- staff, be that of Prishtina Uni- highest degree, PHD. From the tion since after the war, which staff. It has transformed UP ily be a vassal of politics and be versity, or private colleges, hold information Preportr has ob- had little or no impact at all in into a base from where it aims stripped of any academic and high political positions or act tained from websites of three the University, it appears that to mobilize its constituency by professional attributes. as directors of departments in faculties, the Law, Economic UP has always been command- using it for electoral purposes. This research by Preportr government institutions. and Philosophy, it results that ed by the Democratic Party of For years on end, the Univer- has found that there is in this According to the findings of half of the staff is with a mas- Kosovo (PDK), through its ‘aca- sity has functioned around a high education institution, an Preportr, it results that a large ter’s degree. demic’ mercenaries. vicious circle between politics interconnected triangle of the part of the academic staff of UP, Preportr’s findings have The powerful and direct in- and higher education. impact of politics upon the re- but also private colleges are ei- shown that the recruitment of fluence of LDK in UP, according While UP has been exploited cruitment of academic staff, and ther direct part of politics , ore academic staff in UP, but also to Dukagjin Popovci, ended in as a base for launching many the selection of leading bodies. faithfully serve it . the selection of governing bod- October 1st 1997. current politicians into politics, In addition, the research shows Prishtina University in this ies cannot be carried out with- The entire leading structure it has also used the University that there is a strong link be- case is the biggest victim since out a political affiliation or sup- of UP, ever since after the war, to decorate itself with the aca- tween the high public positions, almost all professors who are port, the Democratic Party of has either followed directly by demic cloak, in order to obtain state governing bodies, and the also politicians, consider their Kosovo being the leader in this. politics, or indirectly was linked JUNE 2014 | NR 8 MONTHLY NEWSPAPER 3 with politics by serving all par- Bajrami were committing an- ties who had power. other violation – they had begun THE NUMBER OF OFFICIALS But, the use of politics to THE OVERALL NUMBER OF building their houses without benefit positions in university POLITICIANS AND HIGH PUBLIC a permit. At the time when the WHO HAVE POLITICAL POSTS has not been a one-way road. houses were built, the Director Many professors and assistants OFFICIALS WHO WORK IN THE of Urbanism, Lulzim Nixha had AND WHO HAVE BEEN IN- have exploited the university UNIVERSITY OF PRISHTINA AND reacted. to obtain important political PRIVATE COLLEGES: Following Kelmendi, for VOLVED IN PUBLIC UNIVERSI- posts, be that as members of a short period of time Arsim parliament, political advisors, Bajrami became rector of the TIES AND PRIVATE COLLEGES ministers, deputy ministers, University, who derived di- municipal assembly presidents, rectly from politics. Bajrami etc. was dismissed from the post OFFICIALS WHO HOLD PUBLIC POSTS Even student organizations, by the Minister of Education, ARE INVOLVED IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE which never dealt with student Rexhep Osmani, coming from 50 UNIVERSITIES problems, sided with politics LDK, with the reasoning that when it needed them. This 102OFFICIALS WHO HAVE POLITI- Bajrami was appointed in this POLITICAL OFFICIALS ARE INVOLVED IN support was not offered only post in an unlawful manner. CAL POSTS AND WHO HOLD HIGH PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES when ex-soldiers of KLA were PUBLIC OFFICES WORK IN UP AND The University was led for a few being accused, or sentenced for months by the Leading Council. 22 PRIVATE COLLEGES. war crimes. Leaders of student In 2006, Enver Hasani was POLITICAL OFFICIALS ARE INVOLVED IN organizations who dealt with elected rector of the University. PRIVATE COLLEGES politics more than with student During his mandate, Hasani 19 problems, today have very im- In its research, Preportr tried to restore order by iden- POLITICAL OFFICIALS ARE INVOLBED portant positions in institutions has found that many of min- tifying professors who had IN PUBLIC AND UNIVERSITIES AND of Kosovo. isters, members of parliament, plagiarized their PhD degrees. 08 PRIVATE COLLEGES political advisors, department For this action, Hasani did not University of politics receive any support from any- directors of different govern- POLITICAL OFFICIAL WORKS IN TWO Prishtina University, since one. Even the Leading Council ment institutions are professors PRIVATE COLLEGES its establishment, has been the in Prishtina University but also was divided on the matter, some right arm of the most important in private colleges. being pro and some against it. 01 political events Kosovo went Academicians of the execu- Consequently, even during through. Established in 1971, tive: Hasani’s time, not much was UP has been the leader of most Members of the Parliament done in depoliticizing UP and important processes Kosovo of Kosovo who work as lectur- carrying out reforms. THE NUMBER OF HIGH PUB- went through beginning from ers in UP but also in private The most significant inter- demonstrations of 1981 and the colleges. ferences of politics were com- LIC OFFICIALS WHO WORK IN events of 1997. In Presidency of Kosovo mitted during the time when The role of the university Municipal Mayors Muje Rugova served as rector THE GOVERNMENT AND WHO has changed throughout the Ladies of the Academy of UP. During his mandate, years. After the war, the efforts Rugova committed numerous of few people from the academic Leading structures derived violations. The last two years ARE INVOLVED IN PUBLIC world who were committed to from politics of his mandate, he was in the depoliticizing this institution Immediately after the war, position unlawfully, since he AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES: did not yield any fruits. The Zejnel Kelmendi came in as had reached the age of 65 and more years go by, UP is being should have been retired. head of University. Apart from HIGH PUBLIC OFFICIALS ARE IN- exploited by politics for narrow occasionally serving political Mujë Rugova served favors VOLVED IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNI- interests of political groups or parties, she did not make any to powerful people of PDK. other groups of interest. important impact in reforming During his time, Bekim Haxhiu 52 VERSITIES (EXCLUDING THE MINISTRY The latest elections of the and increasing the quality of the – Kamishi, deputy from PDK OF HEALTH) leading structures of this uni- University. and former member of SHIK versity only proved this even This work was done by became an assistant professor. OFFICIALS ARE INVOLVED IN THE more. Apart from the rector Georg Woeber, special advi- In Haxhiu’s case, all recruit- PUBLIC UNIVERSITY who came directly from politics sor for high education in the ment criteria for the selection 19 and who actively contributed of new academic staff were Ministry of Education. OFFICIALS ARE INVOLVED IN THE to it during the elections cam- violated. The stumbling in high PUBLIC UNIVERSITY AND PRIVATE paign, also other members of education, he justified with Just for days short of com- COLLEGES the Leading Council, and some conditions through which this pleting his three-year mandate 08 faculty deans have derived from institution had gone, the only as rector of Prishtina Univer- political affiliations. high education institution at sity, Rugova issued two deci- OFFICIALS ARE INVOLVED IN PRI- “Politics is present in the that time. In Woeber’s time, sions, according to which 16 VATE COLLEGES University of Prishtina and this Prishtina University acquired candidates obtained the right 25 situation continues from mid its statute.