Visitors
from Kosovo
Written By: Darrah Price
This
past fall, three distinguished educators from Kosovo visited La
Roche College during an ongoing mission to reform the educational
system in their country. Members of the delegation included: Rexhep
Osmani, minister of education in Kosovo; Zejnel Kelmendi, president
of the University of Pristina; and Kymete Jakupaj, a professor at
the University of Pristina. The three met with La Roche officials
and toured the campus on Wednesday, October 2.
“We are in a transitional process in Kosovo,” said Kelmendi,
whose country is working to rebuild after years of conflict. “This
includes all aspects of society, including education.”
The members of this delegation are the most well respected advocates
of higher education reform in Kosovo. Their visit to La Roche was
the last stop on a tour of American colleges and universities. The
delegation visited several other schools, including Rochester University
of Technology in Rochester, NY, and Arizona State University.
During their visit, the delegation discussed such topics as how
to develop academic curriculum, how to form partnerships with the
private sector and how to better use technological resources. The
three educators also saw a firsthand demonstration of the SMART
classroom technology available in the College’s new classroom
building.
In addition, the delegation met with 20 students from Kosovo that
are enrolled at La Roche through the Pacem In Terris (Peace on Earth)
program. La Roche has committed to bring 20 students from Kosovo
to the College each year for the next three years. It is part of
a cooperative agreement signed by La Roche and the University of
Pristina, which will further facilitate faculty and student exchanges
between the two institutions.
“Our U.S. students benefit from meeting people from other
countries,” said Ken Service, vice president for institutional
relations at La Roche College. “It makes it a richer situation
for all of our students.”
Members of the delegation were impressed by the level of cooperation
they witnessed during their visit to colleges and universities in
the United States.
“It’s a model of globalization,” remarked Osmani.
“There are many things that can be changed in our country,
and we can change them. As a result of this cooperation [between
Kosovo and the United States], we will be stronger.”
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