The Interest of Young People in Higher Education

Abstract

Higher education in Kosovo started as early as the late 50’s with the establishment of some two-year professional high schools which merged into the University of Prishtina which was founded in 1970 and served for a long time as the only higher education institution in the country. Our case study is Haxhi Zeka University in Peja, which was founded as a University in 2011 and which offers Bachelor and Master studies and consists of six academic units. Our goal is to present the interest of young people to pursue studies in this institution of higher education, the comparison in the last five years, the decline in interest and the main factors that have influenced this decline. Data will also be presented showing the percentage of graduates as well as their penetration in the labour market.

The universities of Kosovo throughout the time have made efforts to reform and develop programs that adapt to the needs of the market and as such affect immediate employment, but also to make them as competitive as possible in foreign labour markets alongside internal ones. However, there are still shortages and the trend of those interested is always in a visible decline despite the stimulation by the government to offer free education for all those who wish to pursue studies at Bachelor and Master degrees. Higher Education Institutions are based on the Law on Higher Education that was approved in May 2003 and was drafted in accordance with the latest developments in European higher education systems. The law determines the obligation for the higher education system of Kosovo to develop in the direction of the goals established by the Bologna process.