Private Sector Partnerships to Strengthen Higher Education

Private Sector Partnerships to Strengthen Higher Education is a five-year activity that aims to improve the ability of higher education institutions to provide meaningful education opportunities that are more relevant to the needs of a growing economy. The activity improves the quality of teaching methodologies and curricula; strengthens applied research; encourages community service; strengthens university collaboration with the public and private sectors; and builds the capacity of Kosovo’s higher education faculties with the goal of producing a stronger and more employment ready Kosovo workforce. The activity focuses on two sectors: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Agriculture. This activity contributes to USAID’s overall goal of increasing opportunities for inclusive democratic and economic participation.

Activities 

• Increase the target universities’ analytic capabilities and access to labor market data to inform academic study program effectiveness and outcomes.
• Strengthen partnerships between target universities and the private sector to enable the universities to align their curricula with market demand and teach the competencies needed for career success in selected industries.
• Improve universities’ implementation of student experiential learning by strengthening the recruitment, placement and administration of student field placements in desired industries, and providing opportunities to youth for career exploration, professional growth, and mentoring.
• Strengthen partnerships between universities and the private sector to enable demand-driven applied research by improving academic staff members’ capacities for pursuing industry-focused research.

Expected Results 

• Increase faculties’ analytic capabilities and access to labor market data in partnership with the private and public sectors.
• Strengthen partnerships with the private sector to enable universities to develop/revise curricula according to market demand.
• Support applied research opportunities that serve academic and private sector needs in Kosovo.
• Expand experiential learning opportunities (internships, mentoring, project based learning) in Kosovo’s ICT and Agriculture sectors to improve students’ work competencies and capabilities.

Additional Information

PROJECT FUNDING 
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Kosovo) 

PROJECT DURATION 
January 2023 - January 2028

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER
University of Iowa

TOTAL FUNDING 
$3,999,896

KEY COUNTERPARTS
University of Peja “Haxhi Zeka”, University of Prizren “Ukshin Hoti”, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, ICT and agricultural companies, the University of Iowa (UI), Iowa State University (ISU) and the Kosova Education Center (KEC)

WHERE WE WORK 
Pristina, Peja, Prizren

CONTACT 
Melita Teliqi Devaja, Project Management Specialist