Integration and Hope through Education

One of the challenges in a country recovering from a war driven by ethnic tensions is how to persuade people from different ethnic groups to integrate, trust one another and work together for the common good. That is why the USAID-supported Minority Scholarship Program has made a valuable contribution to Kosovo, where people vividly remember the 1999 war that destroyed churches, mosques, public buildings, homes, the economy and many lives.

Through this program, USAID supports undergraduate studies at the American University in Kosovo (AUK) through the World Learning/FORECAST program. Members of non-majority ethnic groups, including Serbs, Roma, Turks, and Bosniaks were entitled to apply. The program provides full scholarships and living expenses for 12 beneficiaries in areas of study such as Economics, Management, Public Policy, Media and Communications, and International Relations.

Attending classes at an internationally recognized university in Kosovo is an unusual opportunity for non-majority students to live and learn in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic environment. The presence of the scholarship students on campus is an enriching experience for the beneficiaries and the entire university community, majority and non-majority, in a country where ethnic tensions endure.

The first scholarship recipients started their studies in 2007. As they themselves tell it, they faced many challenges - a very different school environment, new classmates from different backgrounds, and initial family concerns about safety due to the tense political environment at the time. Perhaps the biggest challenging was adapting to a rigorous, US-based curriculum taught in English. Fortunately, with the help of professors, fellow students and the support of their families and program staff, the students overcame these hurdles and truly “came into their own.”

At a university event showcasing the scholarship program, beneficiaries told funny and poignant stories about their experiences. As Vladan Jacimovic, one of the third-year students remarked, “This program made me feel more confident and secure when thinking about the future.”

However, the audience was taken aback by the opening statement of 35-year-old graduate Muamer Niksic, a Kosovo Bosniak. He started off by saying, “I don’t agree with the name of this program.” The audience waited for his next words. “The Minority Scholarship Program is anything but minority,” Niksic continued, “because it made us, it made me, feel anything but a minority. Because of this program I have a job, I have colleagues and I feel like any other young man in Kosovo.” People in the audience applauded; the scholarship program was accomplishing its objective – to boost confidence among non-majority communities that they have a viable future in Kosovo.