On December 2, 2025, \u201cHaxhi Zeka\u201d University in Pej\u00eb successfully organized the third Regional Economic Forum \u2013 Dukagjini (FER-D) titled \u201cInstitutional Partnership for Building the Triple Helix at Haxhi Zeka University,\u201d a grand event that brought together prominent figures from academia, government, business, and international organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event took place in a dynamic and professional atmosphere, where strategic visions and ideas were presented by distinguished local and international experts. At the opening of the forum, welcome remarks were delivered by the Rector of Haxhi Zeka University, Prof. Dr. Armand Krasniqi, Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MAShTI) Mrs. Arb\u00ebrie Nagavci, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Local Government Administration Mr. Ali Tafarshiku, and Mr. Aqim Emurli, Team Leader of SHER.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rector Prof. Dr. Armand Krasniqi emphasized the leading role universities must play in the innovation ecosystem, recalling the need for sustainable education policies, investment in research, and the creation of long-term partnerships with the private sector and public institutions. He highlighted that FER-D has become a concrete platform where transformative ideas take shape and evolve into development projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Arb\u00ebrie Nagavci, Minister of MAShTI, acknowledged the contribution of Haxhi Zeka University to higher education development and the importance of such forums in advancing educational policies and innovation, highlighting UHZ as an exemplary model. She emphasized MAShTI\u2019s commitment to supporting universities in modernization, digitalization, and promoting research as a foundation for sustainable development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Ali Tafarshiku, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Local Government Administration, spoke about the Kosovo Government\u2019s development priorities for the Dukagjini region, underlining the importance of integrating economic policies with academic and research contributions. He stressed that collaborations between universities and development institutions are key to increasing investments and creating sustainable regional development models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Mr. Aqim Emurli, Team Leader of SHER, raised the significance of co-financed projects and evidence-based approaches to designing economic and innovation policies. He emphasized SHER\u2019s support for strengthening institutional capacities and enhancing cross-sector cooperation, describing FER-D as a model of effective regional collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The forum continued with a series of high-level presentations addressing the most current topics in modern economy and higher education. Rector Krasniqi spoke about the role of universities in the innovation ecosystem and the triple helix model, stressing the need for synchronization between academia, industry, and government as a basis for economic transformation. Following him, Mr. Zef Dedaj, Acting Director of KIESA\/MINT, discussed the importance of creating sustainable investment conditions through institutional cooperation, while Prof. Dr. Anastas Angjeli, President of the Mediterranean University of Tirana, offered an in-depth perspective on restructuring development models from economic growth toward social well-being in Albania and the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the second session of the conference, Prof. Dr. Adrian Civici presented an analytical approach to economic competitiveness and the role of knowledge in sustainable development, emphasizing the need for universities to evolve. Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Xhavit Rexhaj addressed the challenges and opportunities for enhancing the triple helix\u2019s performance through partnerships, knowledge, and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The afternoon session brought an innovative dimension to the forum. Prof. Florina Asani, engineer and researcher in Artificial Intelligence, presented the AI agenda in economic sectors, showcasing global practices and local opportunities for integrating advanced technologies. Mrs. Arlinda Shoshi from ONIX SPA provided the private sector\u2019s perspective on business-academia partnerships, while Prof. Ass. Dr. Anton Gojani, vocational education expert, discussed skills intelligence and modern methods for identifying labor market needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event concluded with a summary speech and conclusions by Prof. Dr. Avdulla Alija, SHER Expert, who highlighted the importance of institutional coordination and building a shared vision for sustainable regional development based on knowledge, innovation, and partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FER-D 2025 once again confirmed that Haxhi Zeka University is becoming an important center for strategic dialogue, knowledge production, and innovative policy-making. Through this conference, UHZ demonstrates its role as a leading institution in creating platforms that unite decision-makers, the academic community, the private sector, and international partners to jointly build a sustainable and more competitive future for the Dukagjini region and Kosovo as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The third FER-D conference was supported by SHER, funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), co-financed by MAShTI, and implemented by WUS Austria, ZSI, and OeAD.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On December 2, 2025, \u201cHaxhi Zeka\u201d University in Pej\u00eb successfully organized the third Regional Economic Forum \u2013 Dukagjini (FER-D) titled \u201cInstitutional Partnership for Building the Triple Helix at Haxhi Zeka University,\u201d a grand event that brought together prominent figures from academia, government, business, and international organizations. The event took place in a dynamic and professional […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1033,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n