Prizren, 6 November 2022
Today, Kosovo is a champion in the region and comparable to the developed countries of the European Union for the extension and use of broadband Internet, while our goal is the highest possible use of this digital infrastructure in all spheres of life, with the aim of economic and social development, said the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, at the inauguration of the National Network for Research and Education – KREN.
In his speech, the prime minister said that in our governing program, improving the environment for research and innovation has been identified as one of the areas for intervention and development. Recalling that at the end of October, the Education Strategy 2022-2026 was officially launched, which has a budget 82% higher than the Strategic Education Plan 2017-2021, the Prime Minister emphasized that for the first time, digitalization is treated as one of the five pillars and the strategic objectives of education, with a dedicated budget of 52 million euros.
He thanked the Ministry of Economy and the World Bank for their unreserved support in the realization of this project, which will connect Kosovo to the largest pan-European academic network GÉANT. Also, he expressed his support for the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, and all other relevant actors, to work in cooperation with our international partners on the continuous improvement of the environment for research and innovation in our country.
The KREN network which was inaugurated today is a key contributor to the creation of digital infrastructure for the education system and will help implement policies for education, research and innovation. KREN offers all Higher Education Institutions in Kosovo access to modern infrastructure, platforms, software and modern literature, and opportunities for cooperation and knowledge exchange within and outside the borders of Kosovo.
“This network will also play an important role in supporting educational and research institutions, researchers and other interested parties from Kosovo; for application and easier access to the funds of the European Union programs, where Kosovo is a member, for example, in: Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, and soon also Digital Europe”, stated Prime Minister Kurti in his speech.
In this event, Prime Minister Kurti was accompanied by the Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli and the Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Arbërie Nagavci.
After the inauguration, Prime Minister Kurti saw closely the practical demonstration of the working rooms in which a total of 28 university units are connected and in the future the possibilities of connecting other units such as institutes and schools in the country.
A month and a half ago, the National System for Monitoring the Frequency Spectrum (SNMS) was inaugurated, and soon the last village in the country will be connected with fix broadband infrastructure. Together with the creation of the KREN network, these activities are in the framework of the Kosovo Digital Economy – KODE project, accomplished by the Ministry of Economy.
Complete speech of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti
Dear Minister Rizvanolli,
Dear Minister Nagavci,
Dear World Bank Manager for Kosovo, Mr. Massimiliano Paolucci,
Dear members of the Assembly of the Republic, Haxhi Avdyli, Artan Abrashi, Arbër Rexhaj,
Dear representatives of ITP and GIZ,
Dear GÉANT representatives,
Dear University representatives,
Ladies and gentleman,
Dear participants,
Today we are accomplishing another success – the creation of the National Research and Education Network – KREN.
A month and a half ago we inaugurated the National System for Monitoring the Frequency Spectrum (SNMS), and soon we will celebrate the connection of the last village in our country with fix broadband infrastructure. Together with the creation of the KREN network, there are activities within the Kosovo Digital Economy project – KODE, accomplished by the Ministry of Economy.
Today, Kosovo is a champion in the region and comparable to the developed countries of the European Union for the extension and use of broadband Internet. Our goal is the maximum use of this digital infrastructure in all spheres of life, with the aim of economic and social development. In particular, we are committed to using this infrastructure for the consumption of government electronic services by citizens, by our businesses, services which are being developed and added continuously. Thus, after the launch of electronic payments for government services, digitalized certificates of civil status and digitalization of the continuation of vehicle registration, 2 weeks ago we also launched the digitalized property certificate.
In our governing program, improving the environment for research and innovation has been identified as one of the areas for intervention and development. Quality education is a precondition for this, as well as for the all-round and sustainable development of our country. At the end of October, we officially launched the 2022-2026 Education Strategy, which has an 82% higher budget than the 2017-2021 Strategic Education Plan. For the first time, digitalization is treated as one of the five pillars and strategic objectives of education, with a dedicated budget of 52 million euros. This pillar comprehensively covers digitalization in education, starting from the digital infrastructure in schools, then the digitalization of educational processes and systems, the creation of digital learning materials, up to the development of digital skills for teachers and other parties involved in the education system.
The KREN network that we are inaugurating today is a key contributor to the creation of digital infrastructure for the education system and will help implement policies for education, research and innovation. KREN now offers all Higher Education Institutions in Kosovo access to modern infrastructure, platforms, software and modern literature, and opportunities for cooperation and knowledge exchange within and outside the borders of Kosovo.
With the realization of KREN, Kosovo has joined the largest pan-European academic network GÉANT. This enables our researchers to have access to various scientific resources and cooperation with other researchers, their colleagues from other countries who are also part of this network.
KREN will play an important role in supporting educational and research institutions, researchers and other interested parties from Kosovo; for application and easier access to the funds of the European Union programs, where Kosovo is a member, for example in Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, and soon also in Digital Europe.
It is important that the data center of the KREN network, which we are inaugurating today, is located right here, in the Innovation and Training Park, that is, in the ITP in Prizren. Our government, in cooperation with the German government, is investing in the development of ITP, with the commitment that it will become one of the main platforms of the innovation ecosystem in our country. Therefore, KREN’s presence in ITP contributes to the development of ITP’s mission and objectives.
I would like to especially thank the Ministry of Economy and our partner the World Bank, for their unreserved support in the realization of this important project of the development of the KREN network, within the overall project of the Digital Economy of Kosovo – KODE .
As the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, I assure you that I will support the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, and all other relevant actors, so that in cooperation with our international partners we work on continuous improvement of the environment for research and innovation in our country.
I thank you all for your work and dedication and I wish you continued success.
Last modified: November 7, 2022