Honored men of science, President Hashim Thaci talks

It's time to focus on quality and investment in human capital, because investment in science means economic and social development. So said the opening of the “Science Week” in Kosovo, which will last from May 15th to May 18th.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said at the opening of Science Week, that research work is deemed the most important tool of advancing knowledge and economic and social development.

Therefore, according to him, human, scientific and cultural potential as a researcher constituted a powerful support for all processes the state and the society of Kosovo is undergoing.

Your scientific research and activity as anywhere in the world is aimed not only at advancing achievements in certain issues but also at economic and social development. Therefore, honored men of science, society expects you to determine not only today but also clearly determine where we should be after two or three decades in the future. I think we all agree here that it's not enough to bring out only graduate students, it's not enough to walk in regional trends, we need to move faster, better, and better than the others, said Thaci.

The head of state expressed confidence that there is a direct link between economic growth and increased quality and quantity in education.

During these 19 years of freedom and 10 years of independence, President Thaci indicated that their priority has been to compensate for decades of continued discrimination and depression from the past.

It is the fact that developed countries from developing countries, as in our case, that developed countries have very good educational systems and competitive frameworks in the global labour market. So in this context, no country can pretend to develop sustainablely, without seriously investing in human capital... We have had basic needs to build a modern educational infrastructure across the country, and without modesty I say educational infrastructure in Kosovo is the best in the region. We have already met these needs and it is time to focus more on quality, on investments in social capital, on human resources”, he stressed.

While the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Shyqiri Bytyci, stressed that “Week of Science” presents a profile of networking among young scientists from Kosovo and the region, and enables co-dividing existing potential and will result in generating new ideas to take science one step further.

For several years the conference has seen continued growth in the participation of the scientific workshop. In 2017 there were about 320 authors and co-authors. To achieve the quality of scientific texts in the country and to enhance the quality of the works presented at future conferences, we have organised all scientific advice in the field of STAT scientific advice. In the future the presentation of scientific works will be based on international standards and the accession system will do fully digitally. While the assessment systemisation and the upgrade of the review level will be made in the way of professional assessment”, Bytyci said.

Bytyci further added, that the political and economic changes listed according to the European integration processes address priorities and focus on an important job that will make the country's research-sensual activity continue to form continued links to become the function of economic and social development.

If we want to be a developed country we have to build capacities that will enable the advancement and internationalisation of science at the highest level. This is what we as minister have come to understand from the beginning, so we will do our best to face any challenge that comes before us and to design strategic approaches to the treatment of scientific activities in general”, he stressed.

“Week of Science”, this year is being organised for the 10th time and is a jubilee year with participants from Kosovo, the region and Europe./Periscopi/