University of Priština
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University of Priština (Serbian: Универзитет у Приштини, Albanian: Universiteti i Prishtinës, Latin: Universitas Studiorum Prishtiniensis) is public university in Kosovo. It was opened in the beginning of 1970. Currently, there are two separate institutions, both using the name "University of Priština": one, conducting education in Serbian language, backed by the Government of Serbia (recognised by UNMIK since 2002), which has legal continuity but is expelled from university facilities, and another, conducting education in Albanian language.
The first faculties of the University of Priština were opened in early 60s with full support in staff and finance from the University of Belgrade. In the beginning, most of the faculties have operated as external units of the University of Belgrade, but as their number grew, in the beginning of the 1970 the University of Priština was formed.
In the beginning, as nearly all members of the staff were Serbs, the education was performed in Serbian language. Since autumn of 1966, after Brioni session of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, education in Albanian language was forcibly introduced, if a class had even a single assistant who was Albanian.
In the 70s, the university was enlarged rapidly in regard to teaching in Albanian language, from 7,712 total students in 1969/70
to 43,321 in 1980/81, the highest number of students ever. Ideologically it acted upon strengthening of Albanian national conscience. 1981 Kosovo demonstrations which required that Kosovo becomes a republic, separates from Yugoslavia and join Albania, started from the university of Priština.
During the 80s, the university continued to back requests for change of Kosovo's status and spread ideology of Enver Hoxha and maoism, and propagate creation of Greater Albania, mostly due to Albanian professors from Tirana, while actual work of the university was practically impossible due to frequent Albanian demonstrations. Sometimes, entire dorms were shut down and years disrupted because of the demonstrations.
At the end of the 80s the constitution of Serbia was changed and autonomy of Kosovo reduced. Albanian language students have boycotted the education since. Their professors have continued to work for a while, however after year and a half of boycott, they were technological surplus. Those who were needed have been offered to work on education in Serbian language, however because of threats and pressure directed to them by other Albanians very few remained.
The Albanian language education then continued in private facilities, financed by Albanian diaspora and paralell tax system, without any connection to the academic system, whis led to worsening of the quality of education (for example, students of medicine had no access to clinics, laboratories or other necessary equipment). However, the university professors have reported about a large number of graduates, magisters and doctors.
In the second half of the 90s, Government of Serbia started negotiations with Albanian leaders about the university, which led to an agreement of splitting university facilities and resources in half between Serbian and Albanian universities. Right after the process was finished Kosovo War broke out.
After issuing of the Resolution 1244 and coming of KFOR most of the staff and students have fled from Kosovo in early June 1999. Those who stayed were subjected to violence and forced out of the university buildings, most drastic examples being massacre of professor and a staff member of the Faculty of Economy in the faculty's very building and of the husband of a professor of the Faculty of Physical Culture. After this, the buildings were usurped; university archives were destroyed, with books and other documents in Serbian thrown out of the buildings and burned (in contrast, pre-1989 archives were preserved).
The university abandoned Pristina in September 1999 and its faculties were then relocated to various cities in Kosovo and close to it and education organised in them. Faculties of Medicine, Agriculture and Natural Sciences and Mathematics were relocated to Kruševac; of Law and Philology to Vranje; of Teacher Training and Physical Culture to Leposavić; of Arts to Varvarin; of Economy and Philosophy to Blace; and of Civil Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Mechanic Engineering and Electrotechnics to Kosovska Mitrovica. The education proceeded in very harsh conditions, without adequate buildings, staff and students housing, funding or even literature. In 2001, they were returned to Kosovo, but not to Priština.
In the academic year 2004/2005, Albanian university counted 28,832 undergraduate students, 15,596 (54.1%) men and 13,236 (45.9%) women; 28,567 (99%) students were of Albanian ethnicity, 125 (0.4%) Bosniaks, 114 (0.4%) Turks, and 25 (0.1%) of other ethnic groups. Serbian university had around 18,000 students and 1,000 staff members in 1999. In the academic year 2005/2006, its enrollment quota was 1,253 students.
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Faculties and Higher Education Schools
Serbian university
Albanian university
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