Prishtina, 21 February, 2024
On February 21, which marks the International Mother Language Day, in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation and the University of Pristina, for the development and promotion of Albanology, with special emphasis on Albanian language and Albanian literature programs.
During his speech at the ceremony, Prime Minister Kurti announced that the purpose of this memorandum is the financial support of the academic staff of the University of Pristina for publications in the journals published by the Faculty of Philology and the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo.
“Especially, the Ministry will support the academic staff of the Faculty of Philology for scientific articles in the field of Albanology in magazines with an impact factor. It will also cover the expenses for participation in International Seminars. They will allocate annual scholarships in the amount of 1000 euros to students who study the Albanian language and literature”, he further added.
Among other things, annual support will be provided for three scientific projects carried out by the academic staff of the Faculty of Philology within the framework of Albanian studies. This memorandum also provides such support to the two most successful research projects of students at the master’s level, as well as competitions at the pre-university level for critical thinking, argumentation and spelling.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Kurti wished that the implementation of this Memorandum of Cooperation would bring benefits for the academic staff and students, and at the same time produce original and relevant results for Albanian studies.
Present at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Cooperation was Arbërie Nagavci, Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Qerim Qerimi, Rector of the University of Prishtina, UP Vice-Rectors, Lindita Rugova, and Dean of the Faculty of Philology and academic staff of students of the University of Pristina.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Dear Rector of the University of Pristina, Professor Qerim Qerimi,
Dear Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mrs. Arbërie Nagavci,
Honorable Deputy Minister, Taulant Kelementi,
Dear Vice Chancellors, Professor Faton Berisha, Professor Njomza Llullaku, Professor Pranvera Breznica Selmani, Professor Arta Basha Jakupi, Professor Sefer Avdiaj,
Dear Professor Lindita Rugova, Dean of the Faculty of Philology,
Dear students and professors,
Ladies and gentleman,
Dear attendees,
I am very glad that today, February 21, on International Mother Language Day, we have come together for this Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation on the one hand and the University of Pristina on the other, for the support of stable, but at the same time for the promotion and development of Albanology, especially the programs of the Albanian language and Albanian literature.
On the way to the rectory, the man had to pass by the Faculty of Arts. There are the Department of Dramatic and Musical Arts, and there you can’t help but see a plaque with the name Johan von Hahn among the street names. So the road that leads to the Faculty of Arts bears the same name as the one known as the “Father of Albanology”, the German jurist and diplomat Johan Georg von Hahn. And at the time when the researcher Johan von Hahn had arrived in Pristina, on October 30, 1858, the term “Albanist” was generally used for him and for the type of people like him who studied the language, culture and history of the Albanians.
Only after Johan von Hahn began to publish his capital work in four volumes, “Albanesische Studien”, the term “Albanology” and “Albanologist” began to be consolidated. Now I don’t know if professors and researchers have fully clarified when the term “Albanology” should be used and when “Albanian Studies”. But, I believe that this can be exactly one of the topics that deserves a study or a scientific paper by the academic staff. All the more so that the end, even the history of Albanology, is also Albanology!
The Albanian language is wider and deeper than any of our contemporaries who speak it, but I would say even wider and deeper than all of us together. The language is not just a means of communication or conversational knowledge, it is much more than that, therefore even those who claim to know it should learn and study the Albanian language the most. And in this way we contribute to ourselves perhaps even more than to the language.
Through this memorandum that will be signed today, the academic staff of the University of Prishtina will be financially supported for publications in the journals published by the Faculty of Philology and the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo.
In particular, the Ministry will support the academic staff of the Faculty of Philology for scientific articles in the field of Albanology in journals with an impact factor. It will also cover the expenses for participation in International Seminars. Annual scholarships worth 1,000 euros will be awarded to students studying Albanian language and literature. Also, annual support will be given to three scientific projects carried out by the academic staff of the Faculty of Philology, the two most successful research projects of students at the master’s level, as well as competitions at the pre-university level for critical thinking, argumentation and spelling.
Dear attendees,
We started the last century, as the Rector of the University mentioned, with the Alphabet Congress in Bitola, while in the second half of the 20th century there was a 50-year period where we had the life and work of, let’s say, Eqrem Çabej and Idriz Ajeti. In the 21st century, we must rise even higher, move forward quickly, never fall behind or fall down.
Therefore, I very much wish that during the next five years, which is the duration of this memorandum, by the academic staff and the students who benefit from it, as many new and valid results for Albanian studies will be produced.
Thank you and good work to you all.
Last modified: February 23, 2024