21st
July 2003
PRISTINA
SUMMER UNIVERSITY 2004
(Hysni
Recica)
During these sunny summer
days Prishtina has been hosting one of the Largest University Summer Courses in
Europe. It is the third year in a row that the University of Prishtina in
cooperation with the Academic Training Organization (ATA), a non-profit
academic foundation based at the University of Amsterdam, are organizing summer
courses in Prishtina.
The PSU brings together 60
regional & international professors and lecturers for three weeks and
provides 30 courses in a wide range of academic fields; Law, Economics, Social
and Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Medicine, to mention a few. It is also a good chance for students to meet
other students, and especially for foreign student, too see for themselves a
place they have probably heard so much about.
Marija Kukec: In
contrast to what I was told, and to what I was thinking, it is far better.
Marija Kukec is a student
of history from Croatia; there are presently 600 students attending summer
courses at Prishtina University out of which 150 are from the region and
elsewhere.
Hajredin Kuci, professor of
International Relations developed the idea of the Prishtina University Summer
courses while he was himself attending some summer courses at the University in
Turkey
Hajredin Kuci: I will
not be modest for a while, in 1998 I attended a Summer University in Bilked,
Ankara. And there I said to myself that if I am ever asked or if I ever can
influence we will do this in Pristina. Tr. 82 It is very fulfilling for me, not
only the activities, but is also great pleasure.
In the beginning it was difficult
to imagine the University of Pristina with this university, and now it is difficult
to imagine it without this summer university.
Viola Trebicka is an Albanian
student from Tirana, she studies political sciences in the US, she decided to
make her dream come true and came to Pristina to attend the summer courses at
the University.
Viola Trebicka: I
always wanted to come to Prishtina, and I did not have the chance before. And
when I did, when I saw Pristina after I got off the bus, it looked gorgeous. I
like Prishtina, and people are very polite, and very interested, especially when
they learn I am from Albania.
Natasha Popadic, comes
from Belgrade. She is a psychology graduate student working at a psychology
school in Serbia. This time she wanted to try something different, her interest
is turning to humanitarian issues.
Natasha Popadic: I like
it, it is a good atmosphere here at the university, lectures are interesting,
it is a quite serious course. I am thinking to change the profession, I have
work on humanitarian issues, I am familiar with these things, with refugees,
IDPs, and maybe I will work on this in the future.
Being a Serb in Prishtina isn’t
easy and made Natasha was bit afraid, but her fear is slowly fading away.
Natasha Popadic: Two three
days ago I went to buy something at the shop I go regularly, and they asked my
where I was from. I said I am from Belgrade. They just greeted me. Next day
when I went there with a friend of mine and they treated us with drinks.
Bulent Bilmez a professor from
Yeditepe University, in Istanbul, is here for the second time. Though he’s seen
improvements compared to the last time, he still finds translation quite
annoying.
Bulent Bilmez: Not
only that everything that I say needs to be translated, but also the
discussions. I like lessons with the participation and discussion of the
students, and it is almost impossible to have an effective discussion if
everything has to be translated, but I think that, despite this, it is a good
experience for us having this challenge, the challenge that you have to say
things in pieces.
Andy Dijkstra, a student from the
Netherlands, is a little bit disappointed with some local participants. He says
some students react only when Kosovo is discussed.
Andy Dijkstra: In my
country we are used to participate in the courses, we have to communicate, to
make questions, raise points. That is what is missing here. I make a
rationalistic point of view as I see it from my background, and they act in an
emotional way, they use emotional arguments, and it is difficult to have
communication, and I would like to exchange opinions, then it is difficult when
you have emotional arguments versus rationalistic views.
Besides strengthening
their professions and topics of interest, there is a chance for the students to
meet new people, to go out sightseeing and to exchange experiences. Arsim
Murati from Gjilani, says he has made new friends despite difficulties with the
language.
Arsim Murati: I have
made new friends, the language is a bit of a barrier when we talk to
international students, but we have no problems with lectures; they are in
Albanian and English.
Branka Cicak, comes from
Croatia, this is her second time attending the Summer courses:
Branka Cicak: Last time
I was in Mitrovica, in Pristina It’s quite different, Pristina is an open town,
everything is fine with people, if I speak in Croatian nobody cares. When I was
in Mitrovica I was asked not to speak because it sounded like Serbian.
Irina Nadia Ouatu, comes from
Romania, to attend a course on “Western 20th Century History”. Her
major, back home, is European studies, social politics, and political history.
When asked about the course she said:
Irina Nadia Ouatu:
Challenging and very interesting.
Hysni: You find
interesting the course, the place, or the people?
Irina: Everything. The people, the course, the culture, it
is what I expected it to be. It’s a Balkans’ spirit, which I belong to. I am a
Romanian.
Jahja Drancolli, professor
of history at the University of Prishtina, is happy to exchange experiences
with students from Turkey.
Jahja Drancolli: We are
trying to approach history in a new way, different from our historiographers
here in the Balkans heavy in nationalisms and ideology. We have a very new,
interesting and flexible approach to history, and this experience will have an
impact on local students, I think, since international students have had this
history in their curriculum for years now.
If you need any
information regarding the Summer Courses at Prishtina University you can send
an e-mail to psuni@ipko.net or call
038-24-39-90