By Gëzim Kasapolli

Slug: For a University “somehow different.”

Atmosphere - “students whistling before the Prishtina University Rectorate”

On Wednesday, February 18^th approximately 150 students gathered along Mother Theresa Boulevard in front of Pristina University calling for effective reforms to end corruption inside the university system.

Hello and welcome to UNMIK ON AIR:

Aggravated by current corruption plaguing Prishtina University, students organized a 10-minute protest which culminated outside of the University rector’s office demanding the leadership of the school to enact reforms. Blowing whistles and throwing paper airplanes carrying the message “a University somehow different,” students chanted in unison: “somehow different” and “5 minutes to 12,” meaning, time has almost run out.

Students at the protest say the demonstration is a result of four years of failed attempts at reforms within the university system-- adding that the school’s leadership can no longer ignore the student’s demand for change.

Students are angered by what they say are professors and administrators who are not willing to abandon outdated teaching models and ineffective bureaucracy.

Glauk Konjufca, helped to organize the student protest:

Cut 1 The protest is in line with expressing the dissatisfaction of students to the intolerable situation in Prishtina University. So far we have not had similar demonstrations and this will give a clear message to the public about what is going on in Prishtina University. We think that through these forms of protests we could make pressure on the leading structures and urge positive changes within the University.

One of the most common problems students face at Pristina University, ironically happen before a student begins their studies… students complain that there are routine bureaucratic irregularities during the registration and admission period. Again, Konjufca:

Cut 2 To expect that these people will change is hard because we have given them many chances up until the last month to undertake some positive steps towards the improvement of the situation. When we expected for something positive to happen something totally opposite happened.

The newest scandal in the Faculty of Political Sciences where only 50 students were supposed to get admitted while now we have 70 students studying there. The only institution to blame for these irregularities is the Rector of Prishtina University.

To expect that these people will change is hard because we have given them many chances up until the last month to undertake some positive steps towards the improvement of the situation. When we expected for something positive to happen something totally opposite happened.

Lack of competent professors is one of the factors that makes this situation even more difficult, says Shkelzen Gashi who also helped to organize the protest. Gashi and other students are calling for the resignation of professors and top administrators of the school who they say fail to meet the educational needs of their students:

Cut 3. The purpose of this protest is to raise the awareness of students of Prishtina University and to tell the rector that the situation here is worse than ever before. The best solution for the university is for the people who are in charge and the rector of the University to resign from their posts. This is the only thing that they can do for this University because they can’t make changes, not because they do not want to, but because they do not know how.

Students say the vast majority of classes require students to buy the text written by the professor teaching the class. Students complain that as professors profit from the royalties generated by the sale of their books, the material taught in the books is not the best information available for the field of study-- Often the books contain outdated information, rarely improved with re-printing.

Students are also demanding a dramatic improvement in their relationship with their professors relationships. According to Gashi professors to do not give their students enough time or attention:

Cut 4. With this protest we are going to achieve one thing. We are going to show the Rector of Prishtina University that students are not who they think they are, students are not cattle and they should not receive such treatment. The University of Prishtina is not an agricultural cooperative, although they are treating it as such.

Students also accused a number of faculty members and administrators at Pristina University of taking bribes before exams and giving lower marks to students who did not pay kick-backs.

The professors of Prishtina University did not comment for this story, nor did they respond to the accusations levied by the students. Konjufca says he is not surprised at the silence from the teaching community saying it indicates a serious lack of cooperation between students and professors. Konjufca adds that higher authorities should be called in to mediate and enforce long-overdue changes.

Cut 5. So far there was no cooperation with the leading structures of the University. We think that so far they had many opportunities to show their abilities to run the University and after four years they have failed to do so. We believe that we cannot have changes exclusively within the University. We support the idea that in order to improve the situation in Prishtina University we need an emergency intervention from higher institutions in Kosovo.

The protest ended with the students passing out leaflets to students and passersby with the words:

“Do not consider the University as somebody else’s property – it is yours. Do not wait for a miracle to happen: the University will not change if you are silent. Therefore, raise your voice for a University without professors who steal ideas; for a University without corruption and without leaders who treat it as if they own it. For a University above any political party. For a University somehow different.”

and that is all for today’s program of UNMIK on air. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for more…