Diaspora Professionals
Strengthening Diaspora Engagement: Networking Event at the Embassy of the Republic of Kosova in Vienna
Date: 27/10/2023
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On Saturday, October 21, a meeting with professionals from the diaspora took place at the Embassy of Kosovo in Vienna. The primary purpose of this meeting was to bring together Albanian diaspora professionals and present them with the many opportunities for engagement in their home countries through the “Engaging Diaspora Professionals” (EDP) program.

The EDP program is an initiative that is being actively implemented through two projects: “Municipal Action for Reintegration and Diaspora” (MARDI), with generous support from Caritas Switzerland in Kosovo, and “Citizen Engagement Activity (CEA)” a five-year initiative of led by the Kosovar Foundation for Civil Society (KCSF) in partnership with the USAID mission in Kosovo.

The meeting with professionals in Vienna was opened by Sihana Bejtullahu, the co-director of GERMIN, who thanked the attendees and offered insights into GERMIN’s projects related to the engagement of professionals in the home countries.

About 20 professionals from different profiles participated in this meeting, among them: lawyers, economists, experts in the ICT sector, gastronomes, professors, and entrepreneurs.

Kaltrina Durmishi, a diaspora professional engaged in Kosovo during the past year, shared her personal experience and engagement through the EDP platform. In particular, Kaltrina shared her experience with the organization Teach for Kosovo, where she was actively engaged in fundraising. Her experience highlighted the profound and positive impact that initiatives like the EDP can have on both individuals and their countries.

Currently, the program “Engaging Diaspora Professionals” (EDP) has 16 professionals actively engaged in civil society institutions and organizations in Kosovo. For those interested in learning more about the EDP program and exploring available positions, a wealth of detailed information can be found on the program’s official website: https://diasporaprofessionals.germin.org/index

This meeting was made possible thanks to the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Vienna and the Program for Citizen Engagement Activity, which is implemented by the Kosovar Foundation for Civil Society (KCSF) and supported by USAID.

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Success Story: Transforming Education Through Diaspora Mentorship
Empowering Educators with Cutting-Edge Technology In a small corner of Kosovo, a remarkable partnership between a diaspora expert and a high school has reshaped the way education integrates with technology. Shkëlqim Sina, a Senior Software Engineer based in Germany, brought his global expertise to the "Peer-to-Peer Diaspora Mentorship" program. Through Germin's matching efforts, he collaborated with the teachers of “Lutfi Musiqi” High School in Vushtrri, Sector Workforce Innovation Grantee of the PSWD, to drive impactful change. Together, they embarked on a mission focused on developing a joint project to develop an application for registering students’ absences at the School.   The Challenge Like many educational institutions in Kosovo, “Lutfi Musiqi” High School, faced challenges in adopting modern technological solutions to support their teaching and administrative tasks. Tracking student attendance was a cumbersome and time-consuming process, often prone to errors and inefficiencies. The school needed a practical, user-friendly digital solution that could be seamlessly integrated into their workflows.   The Solution Over 12 intensive mentoring sessions spanning May to July 2024, Mr. Sina introduced the high school teachers to .NET Core Web API, Entity Framework Core, and essential software development practices. The mentorship program focused on a collaborative project: developing an application to track student attendance.   Guided by Mr. Sina's expertise, the teachers:                Designed and built a robust application leveraging SQL Server for efficient data storage.                Learned advanced coding practices, including API documentation using Swagger and testing with Postman.                Implemented secure authentication and role-based authorization to ensure data privacy.   Key Outcomes The mentorship not only resulted in the successful development of the student attendance application but also equipped the teachers with the skills to sustain and expand their technological capabilities.   Teacher Fatime Azemi reflected on the experience: "We have successfully developed a student attendance application aimed at evidencing the number of students’ absences during the school year. The mentorship increased our knowledge of using .NET Core Web API, and we greatly benefited from Mr. Sina's professional expertise and cooperative approach. We are optimistic about the potential for future collaboration and will soon start using the developed application."   Teacher Adil Jusufi highlighted the broader impact: "This mentorship has provided us with technical and practical knowledge that will serve to advance our teaching methodology and improve communication with parents. This collaboration has been a big step towards improving education in our school."   The Impact The collaboration demonstrated the transformative power of diaspora engagement in education. By bridging global expertise with local needs, the program not only addressed immediate challenges but also laid the groundwork for long-term improvement.   The mentorship program equipped the teachers of “Lutfi Musiqi” High School with the knowledge and skills needed to develop a digital solution for tracking student absences. As a result, they are now prepared to adapt and implement the project, marking a significant step toward modernizing administrative processes and embracing digital tools in education.   This success story underscores the profound impact of connecting local educators with global expertise, proving that mentorship can truly transform ideas into lasting impact.   This activity is implemented within the framework of the USAID Private Sector-led Workforce Development Activity financed by USAID and implemented by IREX and GERMIN.  
Date: 17/01/2025
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