Faculty of Applied Sciences

After 5 years of the establishment of the Public University “Kadri Zeka”, after an analysis of the needs of school institutions for mathematics teachers, the analysis of the labor market in different institutions, the results of the students of Gjilan and the surrounding area in local and international competitions in mathematics and taking into account the staffing opportunities of our University, the Senate of “Kadri Zeka” University, at the XX meeting of the Senate held on 11.12.2017, approved the request for the establishment of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, starting with the bachelor’s program “Educational Mathematics”. Based on this decision, the working group was formed which will take care of proceeding the process until the accreditation by the Kosovo Agency for Accreditation.

Indeed, Gjilan has a tradition in the preparation of teachers since the second half of the fifties (1958), at the level of higher schools, such as the Pedagogical Academy (1973), then as the Center for Higher Education of Teachers (1978). , while from the 1978/79 academic year, regarding the program for the training of educators and the program for the training of elementary school teachers, the group of Mathematics-Physics and Albanian Language and Literature also started work. The Mathematics-Physics program functioned until the academic year 1983/84, when studies were interrupted due to the transformations of the time at the University of Pristina.

The establishment of the Faculty of Applied Sciences is not only a wish of the management of “Kadri Zeka” University, but an imperative need, based on many factors, which we will elaborate on below. The Educational Mathematics Program will fulfill one of the obligations of higher education in Kosovo, which is the preparation of mathematics teachers in a spirit of new developments in mathematics education as defined by ICME, ERME, ATEE, etc. In the coming years, we will continue with other application programs, which are based on mathematics and its application in the labor market, especially in the economy and business of the region and beyond.

The establishment of the Faculty of Applied Sciences is based on these documents:

– National Development Strategy 2016-2021 (Government of the Republic of Kosovo, Pristina, January 2016)

– Strategic Education Plan in Kosovo 2017-2021 (Government of the Republic of Kosovo, Prishtina, 7.12.2016)

– UKZ Development Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2022

– European Commission: From University to Employment: Higher Education Provision and Labor Market Needs in Kosovo, 23.12.2016.

– Labor market research for mathematics teachers in pre-university education in the region of Gjilan, Ferizaj and the Presheva Valley.

Likewise, the establishment of FSHA, respectively the Educational Mathematics program, is based on at least three important reasons:

The great need of the Kosovo school system for mathematics teachers.

The demand for at least one other new programmatic alternative to access mathematics education in Kosovo.

Promoting the results of European mathematics education research and raising the level of mathematics education in Kosovo.

Next, the vision and mission of the Faculty of Applied Sciences is defined within the vision and mission of UKZ:

The vision of the Faculty of Applied Sciences is: Preparing professionals ready for the labor market, and serving the needs of a developed and prosperous society.

The mission of ASF is: to promote to student’s continuous research of development and education, paying attention to human and civic values, universal values, as well as obtaining a broad academic culture in the way of judging and reacting to the situations of society contemporary and dynamic.

Public University “Kadri Zeka”, with the establishment of FSHA and the Educational Mathematics program, will use its capacities and will work with dedication and responsibility to successfully face the preparation of mathematics teachers as a key subject in pre-university education.

Studies in the Educational Mathematics program will consist of 180 ECTS, in accordance with the Framework for Qualifications in the European Field of Higher Education, and belong to the 1st Cycle: 180−240 ECTS credits ending with the Bachelor’s Degree of the 5th level of education defined according to the International Standard for Classification of Education (ISCA) by UNESCO.

The Faculty of Applied Sciences has the following study program:

Accredited for the 3-year period October 1, 2019-September 30, 2022:

Educational Mathematics, BSC, 180 ECTS.