Honorable Mrs. Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, President of the Republic of Kosovo,
Honorable Professor Arben Hajrullahu, Rector of the University of Prishtina,
Honorable Mrs. Arbërie Nagavci, Acting Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation,
Honorable Rectors, Deans, Vice Deans, and Professors of our Universities,
Dear Students,
Dear Alumni of the University of Prishtina,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have gathered here among professors and students in the first week of this academic year. It is no coincidence that October 1, the day you begin your studies, is designated as Students’ Day — a date that carries both historical weight and the name of the student, the key bearer and subject of knowledge.
Distinguished guests, allow me to address you not only as Prime Minister but also as a former student of this university. I see myself as someone close to, and deeply connected with, both the past and the future of this institution.
Since its founding, there has been no event in the life of this country that has not had the student at its origin or at its heart. The University was founded to produce professional cadres and bearers of courage. It served as the highest form of protest against occupation and domination, showing that when knowledge becomes conscience, it is always an act of freedom. The University divides our history into two eras: Prishtina before and after its university. Similarly, the fate of Kosovo is inseparable from that of the University of Prishtina.
Therefore, I address the rector and professors with the imperative that the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” must be Kosovo’s most significant international meaning. It is our duty to make this university the leading one in the region, for no other regional university has carried such a political and public purpose of existence as this one — aligned with the public being of our Republic.
A fundamental element in defining a university — and the second reason why we must make this university so successful — is the student, as the meeting point between the intellectual and the citizen. In Kosovo’s history, the student has always been a subject. Within each student lie not only all possible disciplines and fields but also the potential futures of humanity.
Thirdly, we must look at the horizon in which universities everywhere operate. Philosopher Jean-François Lyotard warned nearly five decades ago about the fading of the university’s political role, turning it into a mere higher school, institute, or polytechnic. The reduction of politics to technique and of democracy to procedures has also reduced the student to a cold provider of expertise, in a way, exporting knowledge stripped of authenticity.
Let us remember the distinction between knowledge and consciousness: while professional knowledge focuses on building various forms of capital, the intellectual (as defined by Jean-Paul Sartre) is the one who reveals the endless conflict between human thought and the human condition under capital. There is no better place fitting for raising awareness about this role than in a place like this one, called: the university.
Fourth, it is thinking that gives meaning to knowledge. We may gather vast amounts of knowledge, but since it is infinite, knowledge alone naturally lacks direction. None of us possesses all knowledge, but each of us bears the responsibility to think. Expert knowledge without public awareness makes a person indifferent — a phenomenon we could call cold knowledge.
The history of Kosovo, with its students and professors, is the path that gave warmth and at times, even the heat of thought as it uncovered the terrible, inhumane laws of its time. On that path, the student was no longer merely a professional learner, but also a political thinker. Therefore, my call is that we preserve both: professional knowledge and political thought — not one without the other.
Fifth, in today’s technological context, alongside increasing specialization to meet market and consumer demands, we see the massive rise of artificial intelligence. Yet, we must remain aware that knowledge used without reflection on the public good becomes artificial knowledge — even more artificial than the virtual knowledge generated from human intelligence.
As we use artificial intelligence — and I hope we use it wisely — it must not drive us toward a hasty and unreflective use of artificial knowledge. In a way, artificial means to know without thinking. For humans, the principle must remain that all knowledge is a processor of thought, even the most technical one. In the face of artificial intelligence, which—if for nothing else—has become necessary because it is inevitable, it is essential that our knowledge not be artificial. Let us use AI, and hopefully, use it well, — but always with the awareness that knowledge must not must not become artificial.
Everything I say, I say here among students and professors of the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, with the sincere conviction that no knowledge is without a public character. Knowledge, at its core, is not private — it is a service to society and to the shared human good. Any attempt to reduce it to narrow interests is, in fact, a betrayal of thought itself and of the mission of knowledge.
Therefore, as state institutions — from the Government to the Ministry to the University — we share a joint responsibility to ensure that knowledge is disseminated fairly and purposefully.
As a government, we have focused on three main directions:
- Clear budgetary allocations — not only to guarantee university and pedagogical autonomy but especially to enable the progress of scientific research and publications. From the start of our mandate, we have supported small projects and publications in academic journals. The quality of the university is linked to the sovereignty of the state, which is why we launched the National Science Program.
- State support for strengthening human resources needed for a fully developed university — beginning with the return of the Accreditation Agency to ENQA and EQAR, and through scholarships for master’s and doctoral studies in prestigious universities. This is not only support for individual students, but for our university’s students as a whole. We will progressively support student and faculty mobility. In fact, I came here straight from the Government meeting where we just approved the Bachelor-level Student Mobility Scholarship — additional support for students in need, with amounts based on the distance between home and the university. We now have solid foundations through programs such as Horizon Europe (with €600,000 funding), CEEPUS mobility program, as well as the Erasmus program.
- Tuition fee exemptions, support for students in shortage fields, and scholarships for girls studying in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), as well as for students from minority communities — all these strengthen the public character and mission of our University.
Dear Professors and Students,
You can give to our city and our country the figures of the future and of faith. Let us view this occasion as one that embodies the power of the student. The University of Prishtina is one of the most defining events in Kosovo’s history. Therefore, it must be preserved — both as an event and as a message, as intellectual development and creation, and as infrastructure for professionals and academics. The Government of Kosovo will respond to all needs arising from the University.
Honorable Professors, Students, and Participants,
Honorable Rector,
Receiving this “Distinguished Alumnus” Award is not merely a personal honor for me, but also a great responsibility. It binds me deeply with this university — with its history, its present, and with the students and professors who have shaped and continue to shape it. It began with Rector Dervish Rozhaja, continued with Rector Ejup Statovci, and now continues with Rector Arben Hajrullahu. The university, like the universe and the universal, is totality without totalitarianism.
I thank the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” for the trust and the opportunity to be part of its history. We will continue to work so that this university remains a source of inspiration, sovereignty, and knowledge — for all students, for our Kosovo, and for our shared future.
Thank you!
