On December 2, 2025, the "Haxhi Zeka" University in Peja successfully organized the third conference of the Regional Economic Forum - Dukagjini (FER-D) "Partnership of institutions in the function of building the triple helix at the "Haxhi Zeka" University” a grand event that brought together important figures from academia, government, business, and international organizations.
The event took place in a dynamic and professional atmosphere, where visions and strategic ideas were presented by prominent local and international experts. At the opening of the forum, welcoming remarks were delivered by the Rector of UHZ, Prof. dr. Armand Krasniqi, Minister of MASHTI, Ms. Arbërie Nagavci, Deputy Minister of RDR, Mr. Ali Tafarshiku, and Mr. Aqim Emurli, Team Leader of SHER.
Rector Prof. Dr. Armand Krasniqi emphasized the leading role that universities must take in the innovation ecosystem, recalling the need for sustainable education policies, investments in research and science, and the creation of sustainable partnerships with the private sector and public institutions. He pointed out that FER-D has become a concrete platform where transformative ideas take shape and turn into development projects.
Ms. Arbërie Nagavci, Minister of MASHTI, praised the contribution of UHZ to the development of higher education and the importance that such forums have for the advancement of educational policies and innovation, emphasizing the role of UHZ as an excellent example of these policies. She emphasized MASHTI's commitment to supporting universities in terms of modernization, digitalization and promotion of scientific research as the foundation of sustainable development.
Mr. Ali Tafarshiku, Deputy Minister of MDR, spoke about the development priorities of the Government of Kosovo for the Dukagjini region, underlining the importance of integrating economic policies with academic and research contributions. He emphasized that such collaborations between universities and development institutions are key to increasing investments and creating sustainable models of regional development.
While Mr. Aqim Emurli, Team Leader of SHER, raised the importance of co-financed projects and the importance of an evidence-based approach to the design of economic and innovation policies. He emphasized that SHER supports the strengthening of institutional capacities and the increase of intersectoral cooperation, describing FER-D as a model of effective cooperation at the regional level.
The forum continued with a series of high-level presentations that addressed the most current topics of the modern economy and higher education. Rector Krasniqi spoke on the role of universities in the innovation ecosystem and the triple helix model, emphasizing the need for synchronization of academia, industry and government as a basis for economic transformation. After 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 the restructuring of development models from economic growth to social well-being in Albania and the region.
In the second session of the conference, Prof. dr. Adrian Civici presented analytical approaches on economic competitiveness and the role of knowledge in sustainable development, highlighting the need for change in universities. Meanwhile, Prof. dr. Xhavit Rexhaj addressed the challenges and opportunities for increasing the performance of the triple helix through partnership, knowledge and science.s
The afternoon session brought an innovative dimension to the forum. Prof. Florina Asani, engineer and researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, presented the AI agenda in economic sectors, presenting global practices and local opportunities for the integration of advanced technologies. Ms. Arlinda Shoshi from ONIX SPA brought the private sector perspective on partnerships between business and academia, while Prof. Ass.Dr. Anton Gojani, expert in vocational education, discussed skills intelligence and contemporary methods for identifying labor market needs.
The event concluded with a synthesis and conclusions speech by Prof. Dr. Avdulla Alija, SHER Expert, who emphasized the importance of institutional coordination and building a shared vision for sustainable regional development, based on knowledge, innovation and partnership.
FER-D 2025 confirmed once again that the University “Haxhi Zeka” is becoming an important center of strategic dialogue, knowledge production and innovative policy-making. Through this conference, UHZ proves its role as a leading institution in creating platforms where decision-makers, the academic community, the private sector and international partners come together to build together a sustainable and more competitive future for the Dukagjini region and all of Kosovo.
The third FERD conference was supported by SHER which is funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), co-financed by MESTI and implemented by WUS Austria, ZSI and OeAD.
