From 26–28 May 2025, Prishtina hosted Horizon Europe Week, a three-day event that brought together over 60 researchers, academics, and institutional representatives to advance Kosovo’s participation in Horizon Europe—the EU’s flagship programme for research and innovation.
Organized by the SHER Programme, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and the National Contact Points (NCPs), the event aimed to build proposal-writing capacity, improve understanding of funding mechanisms, and promote deeper international collaboration.
The week began with individual consultations on Day 1, where selected researchers received tailored support for their ongoing Horizon Europe project proposals. Facilitated by Mr. Gorazd Weiss, Head of Research Policy and Development at ZSI, together with MESTI representatives, these one-on-one sessions offered hands-on guidance to help applicants align their concepts with Horizon Europe’s requirements and enhance the competitiveness of their proposals.
Day 2 – Horizon Europe Information Day served as the central convening moment of the week. The day opened with official remarks by Mr. Arsim Ademi (Deputy Minister of MESTI), Ms. Rita Glavitza (Head of ADA Office in Kosovo), Ms. Lucia Parducci (EU Office in Kosovo), and Mr. Aqim Emurli (Team Leader, SHER Programme). A comprehensive overview of Horizon Europe was delivered by Mr. Weiss, followed by key presentations on COST networking opportunities by Ms. Qamile Sinanaj and the SHER Seed Funding Mechanism by Ms. Shqiponjë Kodraliu. Kosovo’s NCPs then led detailed sessions across all three Horizon Europe pillars—Excellence in Science, Global Challenges, and Innovative Europe—highlighting thematic clusters and call-specific guidance. The day also featured a testimonial from Prof. Avni Hajdari (Vice-Rector, University of Prishtina) and concluded with a dynamic Q&A session engaging participants and experts alike.
Day 3 focused on building practical skills during a hands-on proposal writing workshop. Facilitated by Mr. Weiss, the session covered how to interpret call texts, structure effective proposals, develop impact pathways, and set up detailed budgets. Participants engaged in interactive group work and discussions tailored to Horizon Europe’s evaluation criteria.
Horizon Europe Week not only deepened local capacity but also reaffirmed Kosovo’s commitment to excellence in research, cross-border collaboration, and full engagement with EU funding programmes.SHER is funded by Austrian Development Agency and co-financed by MESTI and implemented by WUS Austria, Zentrum für Soziale Innovation – ZSI and OeAD
