The Public International Business College Mitrovica (IBCM) is a pioneering higher education institution in Kosovo, committed to providing high-quality, accessible education that fosters socio-economic development and cross-community collaboration. Established as the successor to the original IBCM College, which began operations in 2010, IBCM has undergone significant transformation, officially becoming Kosovo’s first public college in July 2023. The Government’s decision to establish IBCM College as a public HEI was formally ratified by the Kosovo Parliament, affirming IBCM’s role as a trailblazer in higher education for the region.
IBCM offers high-quality international education at an affordable rate, operating modern campuses in both Mitrovica South and North. Through its comprehensive educational and training programs, IBCM empowers youth and adults in the Mitrovica region and beyond, equipping them with the skills necessary for employment and career advancement. This, in turn, contributes to economic development in Mitrovica, across Kosovo, and beyond. Notably, over 80% of IBCM graduates secure employment within six months of graduation. As a result, many alumni, including those from non-majority communities, now hold senior positions within Kosovo’s public administration.
The idea to establish an international higher education institution in Mitrovica was in development since 2006 by key local governmental stakeholders in Kosovo. In 2008, the Government of Kosovo formally requested international donors to support what was labelled a priority project at the Brussels donor’s conference following Kosovo’s independence. IBCM was first registered in the Netherlands and Kosovo as an international non-profit foundation, but in March 2018 it was transformed to a local independent not for profit educational foundation in Kosovo, under the umbrella of the Law for free association, No. 03/L-134.
In March 2010, the International Business College in Mitrovica (IBCM) opened its doors to its first cohort of students. The college’s mission was to help improve economic prospects and alleviate ethnic tensions in the region, whilst helping Kosovo to prepare for EU Integration. Initially the establishment of the college was financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation from Kosovo, international development agencies, including the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission and the NGO SPARK Netherland. SPARK founded the IBCM as an international non for profit foundation and supported operations as interim manager till 2018. From 2018 to 2023, IBCM received financial support from the European Union Office in Kosovo, enabling the institution to build a foundation of financial sustainability, grow its student base, and further establish itself as a key educational institution.
The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), on 18.05.2022, took a decision No. 01B-126 to establish the working group that will analyze the modalities of sustainability and financial support of IBCM from 2023 onwards. The Working Group (GP), based on the law on higher education and other policy framework in place recommended to the government the option for transforming IBCM college into a public institution of higher education with the statute "College".
Based on the recommendation from the government, in July 2023, IBCM transitioned from a not-for-profit foundation to a public college, with the Kosovo Assembly’s Decision No. 08-V-578 formally establishing it as Kosovo’s first public college. This milestone marks IBCM’s dedication to long-term growth and its mission to provide inclusive, high-quality education for all ethnic groups in Kosovo. With the transformation process from a non-for-profit foundation to a public HEI institution, IBCM ensures the rights of receiving public funding as other public HEIs in Kosovo.
IBCM continued its operation with the aim to increase social and economic stability in Kosovo through cross-community business education and entrepreneurship development by providing practice-oriented business education for all ethnic groups in the region, building positive community relations and promoting sustainable multi-ethnic collaborations. Furthermore, the high quality and practice-oriented education has contributed to the employability of young graduates and enriched them with modern skills relevant to the local labour market. For over a decade, IBCM has addressed this need by offering a modern educational approach in a system still rooted in outdated methodologies. IBCM's "Theory to Practice" model caters to each student, aligning with labor market needs and flexible career paths. This approach fosters learning, innovation, and knowledge exchange between researchers and enterprises, supporting local development and employment. IBCM focuses on its main sectors: environment and agricultural management, technology, business management, public administration, psychology, applied IT and sustainability.
The IBCM core activities are based on EU values of equal opportunity and improve access to education and employment to a broad group of students, making it inclusive and society-relevant regardless of gender, ethnicity (and language), age and physical ability. Its inclusive character was also a significant feature in the context of the EU-Kosovo Brussels Agreement.
In addition to regular studies, IBCM offers a special innovative segment through short courses (including e-learning), developed as a direct answer to labour market needs that are also not dealt with in Northern part of Kosovo. This marked the first educational responses in Kosovo to the necessity of flexible, accessible and demand-driven lifelong learning offered to non-Albanian majority communities throughout Kosovo. The transfer of best practices of incorporated learning outcomes acquired through this type of learning, and irreversible change in teaching approach, curriculum design and learning methods, supported the graduates of IBCM to be critically thinking problem-solvers and decision-makers who are more able to understand and contribute to local economic development. Lastly, the IBCM continues to promote diversity and offer multiple choices for knowledge upgrades and flexible career pathways.