The role of managers in crafting and implementing a quality assurance strategy within the public universities of the Republic of Kosovo

Abstract

Abstract 
Public universities in our country, much like European universities, are 
seeking to create effective academic mechanisms in order to establish a "Kosovo of 
Knowledge" society. In this regard, they must take more responsibility to ensure 
quality, and in return, also demand from the government and civil society to 
assume their share of responsibility in order to enable universities to provide 
resources that will allow them to meet the mission in the best possible manner. 
This would allow academic institutions to be competitive not only in the area of 
higher education system but also in a broader spectrum. It is not only Europe, but 
the entire world is becoming a "knowledge society", and Kosovo, as a country in 
transition, has no alternative but to join this effort. To achieve this, MEST together 
with all stakeholders of higher education, have an obligation to continuously review 
and harmonize the legislative framework and strategic documents pertaining to 
quality assurance, and thus become active and creative participants in line with the 
terms and standards arising from the Treaty of Lisbon. The lack of a clear quality 
assurance strategy pushes the university away from the European Zone of Higher 
Education and Research. Among the most important stakeholders to design and 
implement this strategy are the managers of all university levels. For this delicate 
task to take root, lawmaking institutions and universities must change the 
mentality and the concept of university management. The chief stakeholder of this 
concept should be the Rector, assuming major managerial roles and 
responsibilities, unlike until now being mainly an academic Rector. Therefore, the 
mission of the "Kosovo of Knowledge" and the role of the public universities are 
warranted only through the transformation and harmonization of the domestic 
legal framework with the international one and the enhancing managerial 
competences for the university leadership.