On 4 December 2024, SHER Programme held the Information Session on the first phase of Joint or Double Degree (JDD) Programme.

Presenting the SHER’s goals, objectives, and implementation strategy, Mr. Aqim Emurli, the SHER Program Team Leader, officially opened the event. He focused on the intervention logic of SHER as well as the tailor-made approach for a sustainable impact in the higher education and research area. Mr. Adi Kovacevic, Executive Director of WUS Austria, gave a summary of the overarching objectives of the JDD Programme. He provided details on specific objectives of the programme such as aligning with european education standards; developing competitive and labor-market relevant curricula; fostering international mobility and collaboration; enhancing institutional capacity as well as promoting gender equality and inclusivity. Furthermore Mr. Kovacevic gave comprehensive information about the programme’s structure, primary focus areas and cross-cutting themes. Lastly, WUS Austria’s Finance and Project Manager, Mr. Marc Shwaerzli, concluded by outlining the application procedure and all the details that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should pay close attention to. He gave a summary of the financial guidelines, including general and financial requirements, as well as eligible and ineligible costs.

The event was concluded with a questions and answers session, where participants of HEIs had the opportunity to address comments and inquires with regard to the application process.

By emphasizing international collaboration, institutional capacity building, and inclusivity, the JDD Programme aims to ensure that Kosovo’s academic institutions are well-positioned to contribute to both local development and global educational networks as well as to enhance the internationalization of the higher education and research sector in line with Kosovo’s strategic approach. JDD Programme is part of Kosovo’s Education Strategy as well, designed to strengthen Kosovo’s higher education system through international collaboration and alignment with European standards.