The Public International Business College Mitrovica (IBCM), at the end of last week, hosted a highly engaging and constructive meeting with an Austrian delegation led by Ambassador Georg Schnetzer. Joining him were Deputy Ambassador Clarissa Castek and Rita Glavitza, the newly appointed Head of Office for the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) in Pristina and the ADA representative for Kosovo.

Representing IBCM were Vice-Rectors Prof. Dr. Ekrem Gjokaj and Prof. Asst. Bujar Gallopeni, who presented the institution’s vision and outlined its current initiatives.

The meeting focused on strengthening the partnership between IBCM and Austrian academic and development institutions. Discussions highlighted:

• Expanding academic partnerships: Opportunities for student and staff mobility, research collaboration, and joint academic programs.
• Enhancing cooperation on development projects: A focus on environmental sustainability, rural development, capacity-building, and IBCM infrastructure improvements through Austrian support.
• Exploring new collaboration opportunities: Under frameworks such as Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe, as well as potential dual-degree programs and internships.

Both parties underscored the mutual benefits of closer collaboration and expressed their enthusiasm for pursuing shared goals in education, research, and development. The meeting concluded with a commitment to fostering ongoing dialogue and taking concrete steps toward deepening this fruitful partnership.