PROBLEMS FOR ETHNIC ALBANIANS

FROM MACEDONIA PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION

A Report Submitted by

Prof. Dr. habil. Marek Kwiek Center for Public Policy, Adam Mickiewicz University,

Poznan, Poland kwiekm@amu.edu.pl

March 10, 2002

This report was prepared for E&E/EEST, US Agency for International Development by Aguirre International under Global Evaluation and Monitoring

(GEM) Indefinite Quantity Contract FAO-I-99-00-00010-00; Task Order #3

The findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of its author and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or policies of USAID

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK

A. SCOPE OF WORK B. METHODOLOGY

II. BACKGROUND III. GENERAL ISSUES

A. TETOVO UNIVERSITY IN 2001/2002: POLITICS, DEMOGRAPHICS, EDUCATION

B. SCENARIOS: THE FUTURE OF TETOVO UNIVERSITY C. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE NEW LAW ON HIGHER

EDUCATION (2000) FOR THE TETOVO UNIVERSITY IV. DETAILED ISSUES

A. THE TRANSFER OF STUDENTS FROM TU TO SEEU (2001) B. THE TRANSFER OF STUDENTS FROM TU TO SEEU IN

THE CONTEXT OF THE SEEU EXPANSION PROJECT C. TU STUDENTS AND FACULTY

V. ADDITIONAL NOTES

A. NOTE #1: ARTICLE 198 OF THE LAW ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE TRANSFER OF TU STUDENTS

B. NOTE #2: SCHOLARSHIPS AND FEES AT SEEU C. NOTE #3: SEEU’S „EXPANSION PROJECT”

VI. RECOMMENDATIONS APPENDICES APPENDIX #1: APPOINTMENT SCHEDULE APPENDIX #2: SELECTED DOCUMENTS

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The consultant worked first in the Hague (February 14-15, 2002) and then stayed in Skopje between February 15, 2002 and February 28, 2002. His interviewees included representatives of the OSCE/Hague, OSCE/Skopje, EU Mission/Skopje, Dutch Embassy, SEEU community, Open Society Institute/Skopje, Macedonian Ministry of Education, as well as journalists, former TU students and faculty, in addition to USAID Mission/Skopje staff.

LESSONS LEARNED LESSON #1: TETOVO UNIVERSITY By any standards, the institution is perceived, even by ethnic Albanians, as providing low quality education, being driven by political and nationalistic motivation, having no substantial infrastructure or well-qualified academic staff and consequently being unable to provide higher education on an appropriate level. It is evident that there is basically place for only one higher education institution in Tetovo – due to political, demographic, economic and purely academic reasons. The best option is that TU merges with SEEU – which may require different TU leadership and management and depends also on the attractiveness of some remedial project (“Transition Project” hereafter) to be implemented at SEEU to help to graduate current TU students within 1-4 years. Dealing with the issue of higher education for Albanians would be more constructive if TU had different leadership and management. Currently TU may continue to be a source of ethnic tensions, instability and, finally, students’ frustration. LESSON #2: NEW DEADLINE NEEDED FOR TRANSFERRING STUDENTS The article 198 of the law on higher education (2000) is restrictive in time: currently no students from TU have legal rights to transfer to any Macedonian higher education institution. What is needed is the extension of the deadline by an amendment, although one of legal interpretations is that it has now expired, which would be the best option. LESSON #3: THE LOW NUMBER OF TU TRANSFERRING STUDENTS - REASONS The number of students who transferred from TU to SEEU (159 persons) was below expectations, as was the number of Albanians generally interested in studying at SEEU (current enrollment: 927). The two main general factors were the crisis in Macedonia in mid-2001 and continuous speculations that a solution might be found for the unrecognized status of TU. What mattered to TU students was not so much political pressures or intimidation but such factors as relatively high tution fees, English as the main language of instruction, the perception of SEEU as a new institution of uncertain future, SEEU recruitment in war times (2001), and a small number of faculties at SEEU.

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LESSON #4: THE SEEU “LIFE SCIENCES FACULTY” PROJECT NEEDED The project to add a new faculty to SEEU is a political, financial, and academic challenge to the SEEU community. Its contribution to diffusing inter-ethnic tensions and solving the problem of TU students is crucial. The expansion would contribute to political stability and make SEEU by far the most advanced international educational institution in the Region. LESSON #5: TU STUDENTS AND FACULTY TODAY The number of students is estimated at 2.500 (officially – over 13.000); those who would ultimately, although not immediately, like to transfer to SEEU - 60-70 per cent, those who wish to continue to study at TU despite its lack of recognition - 20 per cent, those who still do not know what to do - 20 per cent. Both language problems, financial concerns, and academic abilities are preventing them from transferring to other educational institutions, including SEEU. The faculty at TU is estimated at about 200 (half of them with at least MA degree). For TU students transferring to SEEU the difference in fees is about 650 EUR annually. As a part of a possible “Transition Project”, the gap would need to be covered for at least the most needy students: the implementation of the project would cost 2.5 million EUR (estimated for ca. 1.800 students) but would solve major problems with TU students. RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation #1 To encourage the idea of a “Transition Project” suggested by SEEU and organized for TU students by SEEU (and for some faculties: with Skopje University and/or Prishtina University). It would last up to 4 years, be evening/weekends program and could solve the problem of TU students for good. When all former TU students have graduated, SEEU could merge with TU. A single contribution of 2.5 million euros would diffuse tensions around TU (no source of funding has yet been identified, though). SEEU knows exactly how to run it: it simply needs additional funding. Recommendation #2 To encourage internationally and locally the idea of SEEU expansion for “modern life sciences faculty” (about to be requested for funding by the European Community) so that it could attract more students and accommodate TU transferred students during the possible “Transition Project” period. Recommendation #3 To encourage SEEU to find ways to offer reduced fees and/or introduce more scholarship programs (a mixture of merit- and need-based “free places”) so that it could accept more students from poorer Albanian families.

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Recommendation #4 To encourage the discussion about TU management and leadership within the Albanian community Recommendation #5 Through political meetings, to make the SEEU community and/or political parties supporting it aware that the proposal for an amendment to Art. 198 of the law on higher education (with a new deadline for TU transferring students) is to be submitted to Parliament in the coming weeks to be debated in a package of changes (rather than separately later on). Recommendation #6 To encourage the Macedonian Ministry of Higher Education and Science to offer additional courses for ethnic Albanians in Albanian at Skopje University (especially in the fields not represented at SEEU but taught at TU). Recommendation #7 To encourage SEEU to make repeated public statements to counteract rumors that it has funding for four years only. This would dispel fears among the Albanian community that SEEU is an academic institution with an uncertain future. Recommendation #8 To encourage SEEU to be more open to the public both to avoid numerous current misperceptions about it and to help ethnic Albanians and Macedonians become more familiar with the current state of implementation of the SEEU project (with its campus, academic programs, facilities etc - via e.g. wider media coverage or repeated Open House Days).

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REPORT

I. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY A. SCOPE OF WORK The consultant was asked to undertake the following tasks:

1. To summarize the current problems confronted by ethnic Albanian students seeking higher education at Tetovo University (TU) and arrive at reasonable reliable estimates how many students are affected by these problems.

2. To estimate how many students currently attending TU are prevented from

transferring to South Eastern Europe University (SEEU) or other higher education institutions in Macedonia by language problems, financial constraints, academic abilities, political pressure, security constraints, or other factors. If appropriate, overall estimates should also include students who may not wish to transfer to other schools but continue to study at TU in spite of its lack of recognition.

3. To provide recommendations on how major constraints identified can be

overcome, including the key institutions and parties who would have to be involved in implementing these solutions.

4. To look at the issue of how qualified faculty from TU might be engaged at

other institutions, and to look at what types of transition or “remedial” programs might be necessary to facilitate the transfer of TU students to SEEU or other institutions of higher education in Macedonia.

5. To attempt to identify, as part of the analysis of the current situation of

ethnic Albanian students, how most of these students are currently financing their education (particularly at TU), and how these financial sources might potentially cover educational expenses at other institutions.

6. To identify low cost, short term and politically feasible measures to deal

with each problem identified, whenever possible. Problems which appear to require longer term solutions should also be identified, and recommendations on solutions provided.

The final report was due within one week after the consultant's departure from Macedonia (and accordingly is the present document). B. METHODOLOGY While in Poland, the consultant collected data about higher education in Macedonia, the international community’s involvement in solutions to problems ethnic Albanians

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seeking higher education face, the SEEU project and its current state of implementation, international reports on ethnic relations in Macedonia available, new law on higher education (2000), draft strategy on education in Macedonia (2000), OECD higher education reports and OECD statistics about Macedonian higher education as well as other relevant documents. The consultant went to the Hague prior to his mission in Macedonia where he had a meeting with OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities. Mr. Max van der Stoel, and had another meeting with him again while staying in Macedonia. The consultant worked in the Hague (February 14-15, 2002) and in Macedonia between February 15, 2002 and February 28, 2002 and interviewed the following key players in the SEEU/TU scope of problems: OSCE/Hague (Mr. Max van der Stoel, Mr. Marcin Czaplinski, Senior Advisor), OSCE/Skopje (Mr. Harald Schenker), the EU Mission/Skopje (Mr. Alain Le Roy, Representative of the EU; Ms. Clarisse Pasztory, Political Advisor), Dutch Embassy (Mr. Jan Plantinga, First Secretary), SEEU community (Prof. Alajdin Abazi, Rector; Paul Foster, Chief Academic Planning Officer; Dr. Dennis Farrington, Secretary General; Prof. Teuta Arifi, SEEU Board Member; Mr. Xhevair Memedi, Chief HR Officer, and others), Open Society Institute/Skopje (Mr. Vladimir Milcin, Executive Director; Ms. Suzana Pecakovska, Higher Education Program Coordinator), Ministry of Education (Ms. Vera Kolevska, Undersecretary for Legal Activities; Ms. Marija Taseva, Undersecretary for Higher Education), as well as journalists (Mr. Ljupco Palevski, Global and Global) and former TU students and faculty who transferred to SEEU, in addition to the USAID Mission/Skopje staff (Dr. Diane Ponasik) and United States Embassy staff. The consultant was charged with providing with initial, mid-consultancy and final briefings in the USAID Mission/Skopje and the United States Embassy (with Dr. Diane Ponasik, Mr. William Douglass USAID/Washington, Mr. Stephen L. Haynes, Mission Director, and Ms. Eleanor Nagy, charge d’affaires). The consultant interviewed some key players several times and visited Tetovo twice during his stay in Macedonia. So the activities the consultant undertook consisted of the following: (1) reviewing all available country reports, documents, laws and other relevant materials related to the issue of ethnic Albanians seeking higher education in Macedonia; (2) identifying key Macedonia-based players in the issue and interviewing most of them; (3) reviewing accumulated materials, data, and interview notes to prepare a final report with recommendations for USAID/Macedonia, USAID/Washington, and the United States Embassy in Skopje. All activities were undertaken in the given time frame. II. BACKGROUND Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (hereafter referred to as „Macedonia”) gained independence in 1991, following the disintegration of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Macedonia was the poorest of the six SFRY republics (Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina), with current GDP (at Purchasing Power Parity) estimated at 4.880 USD per capita. Its population is 2.012.705 (1999), with urban/rural distribution of population 61%/39%, and ethnic composition of 66,6% Macedonian and 22,7% Albanian (as well as 4,0% Turkish, 2,2% Roma, 2,1% Serbian, 0,4% Vlach and 2,0% other). The last census was in 1994 and more recent estimations locate the percentage of Albanians in Macedonia

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in the upper twenties/lower thirties. Macedonians belong predominantly to the „Macedonian Orthodox Church”, while ethnic Albanians are overwhelmingly Muslim (59% and 26% of the total population, respectively). As far as other most general data are concerned, population growth is 0.6 per 1.000 (much higher among ethnic Albanians), inflation in 1999 was 2.3% and official unemployment 32,4 %. Ethnic Albanians are by far the largest national minority in Macedonia. They live either in the capital of Skopje (100.000 according to official data, up to 40% unofficially) or in the north-western and western parts of Macedonia bordering with Kosovo and Albania. They are the majority in Tetovo and Gostivar regions, in the town of Kumanovo as well as in six more municipalities in the west, and in villages linking Kumanovo and Skopje (that is to say, in the area where both TU and SEEU operate). It is important to remind that in the last decade Macedonia was able to maintain a high level of stability and in comparison with all other post-Yugoslav republics except Montenegro it has been a relative success story (the events of 2001 were very significant and brought Macedonia almost on the brink of an inter-ethnic war but it ended successfully with the signing of the so-called Framework Agreement on August 13, 2001). Although it survived the Yugoslavia wars with little or material damage, it encountered tremendous economic problems and had to find its new national/multiethnic identity. Macedonia is a multiethnic society in which political parties are organized along ethnic lines, the media and civil society are segmented, the mixed proportional electoral system encourages voting along ethnic lines and in which, generally, political system revolves around ethnicity, which is highlighted in various international reports. As in all multiethnic societies, demographic changes play crucial role in inter-ethnic relations and the access of minorities to education, with higher education at the forefront, is on the top of the agenda. Higher education in Macedonia is conducted at two state universities: the University of Skopje (established in 1949) and the University of Bitola (1979), as well as in one non-university institution, in private South East European University (2001) and in non-recognized Tetovo University (1994). The number of students in 1998/1999 was 36.922 in total and rose from 29.583 in 1995/1996. The participation of Macedonians and ethnic Albanians in basic, secondary and tertiary education is as follows: primary - Macedonians 59%, Albanians 30,2%, secondary – Macedonians 79%, Albanians 15,6%, tertiary – Macedonians 89,2%, Albanians 5,5%. Thus Macedonians make up 66,6% of the population but 79,2% of secondary school and 89,2% of tertiary school enrolments, while Albanians (22,7% of the population) account for 15,6% of secondary and 5,5% of tertiary enrollment, as highlighted by OECD Task Force on Higher Education Report (2001). It certainly raises serious concerns. The population of the 5-14 age bracket is one of the highest in Europe and ethnic Albanians account for at least 30% of it. Although transition countries have very dynamic demographics, and trends may be shifting, according to current estimates based on fertility rates in Macedonia (higher, maybe even much higher for Albanian women), by 2025 ethnic Albanians and Macedonians will account for equal shares in

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the above age group (which is of considerable concern to the Macedonian community and which has far-reaching consequences for future strategies for education at all levels in general). It needs to be added that of the total number of secondary school graduates, 94,2% of the Macedonian students and 56,4% of the Albanian students applied for studies in higher education institutions. The universities accepted 51% of applicants. Although the number of minority students is low, it is growing each year owing also to the system of national quotas (the specific percentage of places, based on ethnic composition of the Macedonian society and confirmed by census, is allocated to ethnic minorities; it is now 23% for Albanians). In the academic year 1998/1999 the enrollment of minority students in the first year of studies was 1.063 which is 17,2% of the total first-year enrollment. The percentage for ethnic Albanians was 9%. Approximately 27% of secondary school graduates continue into higher education (12% of the original high school grade 1 cohort). And the number of students who completed tertiary education in 1999 was 3.735. So generally the probability of a young ethnic Albanian to graduate from a university is considerably smaller than the probability of the same for a young Macedonian. At the same time, though, once at a given level of education, including higher education, ethnic Albanians are doing well (on average, though, members of other minorities are doing even better than either Macedonians or ethnic Albanians). The trend in enrolments in higher education over the past ten years had no dramatic shifts: total enrollments in both university and non-university sector, both full-time and part-time, changed from 26.413 in 1990/1991 to 29.583 in 1995/1996 to reach the level of 36.922 in 1990/2000 i.e. rose by merely 40% within a decade (compared with dramatic changes in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe in general, the shift is very low indeed). All state higher education institutions in Macedonia (31 faculties and 2 higher schools) are united in two universities: the St. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (often referred to, also in the present report, as „Skopje University”) and the St. Clement of Ohrid University in Bitola. The former consists of 27 faculties, and the latter of 4 faculties and 2 higher schools. Each of these faculties considers itself a separate, relatively autonomous, higher education institution (let us refer to the new law on higher education, art. 2, section of definitions: „’a higher education institution’ shall mean a university, a faculty, an art academy and a higher vocational school”) and that is one of the reasons why it is difficult to implement strategic reforms in Macedonian higher education generally. Universities are much more free associations of faculties than centralized institutions in a Western European sense of the term. The Macedonian constitution of 1991 (Art. 6) grants autonomy to universities and institutions of higher education. It is the government that determines the number of places available and funded by the state; institutions may also accept additional (paying) students according to their capacity and license, though. Studies may be full- or part-time, or by distance learning. Undergraduate studies last from 4-7 years, graduate studies another 3 semesters (minimum). Until 2000, higher education in Macedonia was regulated by the former Yugoslav Law on Vocational Education dating from 1985. The state expenditure on education is low in absolute terms, but in relative terms it does not differ considerably from the average in other countries in transition (4% GDP in 1999, of which 19% went for higher education) and remains in accordance with e.g. recent World Bank recommendations. Even though the public

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spending (in terms of percentage) for higher education is among the highest in Europe, the number of graduates is very low indeed. Finally, it needs to be mentioned that the unemployment levels in Macedonia have been the highest in Europe in recent 25 years: even before the dissolution of Yugoslavia the unemployment rate was over 23% (with the long-term unemployment rate in 2001 over 50%). The largest number of the unemployed had completed primary education or have no education (45.6%), the rate for those with university education being 4% and those with higher education generally – 2.7%. III. GENERAL ISSUES

A. TETOVO UNIVERSITY IN 2001/2002: POLITICS, DEMOGRAPHICS, EDUCATION

The Albanian language university education has been one of the most important political issues for ethnic Albanians in independent Macedonia since 1992. For a mixture of political, economic and national reasons, including the inability and/or unwillingness of the Macedonian government to respond to ethnic Albanian needs in the initial period of 1992-1994, the idea of an Albanian language university apparently very quickly became a national idea and a main point of reference for Albanian political parties. The issue of higher education for ethnic Albanians was immediately strongly politicized. Currently there could be at least five key players involved in gradual depoliticization of the problem of Albanian higher education: SEEU, students at Tetovo University (but not its current management), Skopje University, Ministry of Education, and the international community. The depoliticization of the issue would be one of the most effective ways to diffuse inter-ethnic tensions and help to bring stability to this part of Macedonia in which education raises very strong emotions. There is a general agreement, shared also by OSCE’s High Commission on National Minorities, that the solution to educational issues (as well as to unemployment, frustration, and political radicalism resulting from them) is one of the best ways to achieve social and political stability here. It has to be remembered that Tetovo University is rightly perceived as a hotbed for radicalism (to say the least) by all sides of the conflict. Tetovo University (TU) was established in December 1994 in Tetovo, the unofficial „capital” of the Albanian-speaking region of Macedonia, for ethnic Albanians seeking education in Albanian. The creation of TU came as a culmination of discussions, political statements and events dating back as far as 1992 and focused at first at the reactivation of a pedagogical faculty for primary and secondary school teachers (in Albanian) at Skopje University. The issue of the reactivation of a pedagogical faculty teaching in Albanian issue was politically ignored until 1997, though, when a new law on the pedagogical faculty at Skopje University was passed by the Macedonian Parliament. The issue of higher education in Albanian for ethnic Albanians responded to the strongly perceived need and right on the part of the Albanian community and became immensely politicized following Macedonia gaining independence in 1991 and the closure of the University

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in Prishtina in 1991 which until then had been a higher education opportunity open to ethnic Albanians from Macedonia. Apparently the passive role of the Macedonian government following the 1992 Albanian proposals to reactivate the pedagogical faculty at Skopje University gave rise to the idea of an Albanian private university in Tetovo among Albanian intellectuals. Tetovo University was established as a „citizens’ initiative” on the 14th of December 1994 and immediately changed the focus of the tense issue of Albanians seeking higher education in their native language. Since then both international organizations and national and international media focused their attention on the problematic status of the unrecognized (and illegal according to the Macedonian law on higher education) university. TU was illegal as, first, it was teaching in Albanian and, second, it was private – both were not allowed by the law on higher education that was in force at that time. And it was never accredited. Since the police intervention at TU in February 1995 (when one person was killed, several wounded and directors of a new institution were arrested) no further incidents were reported, while successive Macedonian governments were choosing the policy of non-interference, non-recognition, and indifference. It is still ignored by the government, even though the problem of the recognition of TU diplomas and the non-recognized status of the institution was a subject of hot debates prior to the adoption of the new law on higher education (2000) and in connection with subsequent attempts to solve the problem of Albanian higher education in general made by High Commissioner on National Minorities, Mr. Max van der Stoel since 1994 (Mr. van der Stoel became deeply involved in finding solutions for Albanian higher education already in 1993, before TU was established). The consultant was struck by the virtual inability to verify the number of students and faculty at TU. The numbers provided by the university itself cannot be confirmed although they can be compared with other statistical data and with numbers obtained from former TU students and faculty. That is the way the consultant arrived at current estimations. Although the official number of students enrolled in the academic year 2001/2002 (provided by TU to the European Union Mission in Skopje) is 13.042, and the first year enrollment is 2.447, according to many sources the total enrollment in all four academic years is between 2.000 and 3.000, and certainly does not exceed 4.000 (the enrollment mentioned by many interviewees was 2.500). The data provided by TU are unreliable and contradictory: according to TU administration, in the 1999/2000 academic year it had an enrollment of 8.208 (and 1.915 students were registered for the first year) while two years later the figures supposedly were those provided above. Such a raise in enrolments would mean that all ethnic Albanian secondary school students (and apparently even more) attended TU immediately after graduation, with no drop-out rate, no transition-rate from upper secondary education to tertiary education applied (normally reaching 27,1% in Macedonia). According to recent OECD statistics for secondary education in Albanian as well as estimations of OSCE’s „Transition Year Program” (to be clearly differentiated form the possible remedial program offered in the future to current TU students) run in Albanian secondary schools to teach the Macedonian language those wishing to apply for university studies, the numbers have to be divided by 3 to 4, depending on the year.

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The OSCE program has been run for three years and it enrolls between 1.000 and 1.500 students in the final year of 7 Albanian-speaking high schools in the region. The number of all ethnic Albanians attending the final year of high school is estimated at 2.500-3.000 in total which can be regarded as a maximum potential input of ethnic Albanians to all higher education institutions in Macedonia, including SEEU, TU and Skopje University (last year 70% of attendees of this extremely successful remedial program went to Skopje University, and 20% to SEEU). The total number of ethnic Albanians attending secondary education in 1998/1999 was 13.648 (15,6% of the student body) according to recent OECD statistical data. The official total number of graduates of TU (in eight years of its operation) is 93 for 2000 and 400 for 2001, and the number estimated based on Albanian sources does not exceed 200 in total for all these years, though (some students apparently were leaving TU to have diplomas from Tirana or Prishtina, but the number is difficult to estimate). The number of TU academic staff officially ranges from 360 (1999/2000) to 394 (2001-2002), but according to the staff who left TU for SEEU, the number of qualified staff (with at least MA degrees) is approximately 100. TU is divided into 15 faculties (SEEU has five faculties), 31 departments and 3 „sections”, the faculties being as diverse as law, economy, philology, philosophy, pedagogy, natural sciences and mathematics, computer sciences, agriculture, arts, music, drama, pharmacy, medicine, physical education and technical faculty. The biggest number of students is enrolled in the faculties of law, economy, and philology, while the lowest in the faculties of agriculture, music, drama and pharmacy. Too large number of faculties, authoritarian governance, bad management and lack of a structural vision for the future are the reasons of the TU failure most often mentioned by interviewees. By any standards, international or Macedonian, the institution is perceived, even by ethnic Albanians, as providing low quality education, being driven by political and nationalistic motivation, having no substantial infrastructure or well-qualified academic staff and consequently being unable to provide good higher education on a mass scale; it also currently has limited support among the Albanian community at large. The common view expressed by ethnic Albanians in conversations the consultant held (as well as found in Albanian press) is that its management is very poor, intellectual capacities small and it is run in an authoritarian,„hire and fire” manner (apparently at least some students are intimidated to leave TU, although generally there is no strong feeling of political pressure to stay; some faculty from Skopje University feel forced to continue teaching there, despite their awareness of lowering academic standards and no chance for the state recognition of its status as a higher education institution). Even though TU was apparently established as an educational undertaking, responding to long-felt need for higher education in a native language, it became increasingly politicized by both main Albanian political parties (PDP and DPA). The opening of the SEEU in November 2001 added another dimension to the TU issue but that is dealt with in a separate section.

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The future of TU is hard to predict even though there were wide hopes among the international community that it will be simply “replaced” by the new university, SEEU. It is a very complex issue in which main role is played by such factors as national aspirations of ethnic Albanian young generation, personal aspirations of TU leadership, finally pride, politics, demography, and possibly money. For many years the state recognition of TU has been the “flagship” issue for the Albanian community and it is not easily replaceable by a new university with a campus, new buildings and even high level of teaching. It has been an idea around which national aspirations focused in a recent decade. The belief that there are easy solutions to the issue of Albanian higher education in general is short-sighted; but there are certainly short-term solutions for TU students and graduates. The Albanian community’s attitude towards TU is also a function of subsequent initiatives undertaken by OSCE HCNM Mr. Max van der Stoel since 1993. It is worth remembering that the idea of establishing a multilingual private university under the auspices of the international community was put forward for the first time in 1995. In 1993-1995 HCNM supported the idea of a pedagogical faculty open to ethnic Albanians at Skopje University, from the first recommendation issued to the Macedonian government, following the demands addressed by the Albanian minority since 1992. As TU was established in 1994 the stakes went much higher and in 1995-1998 there appeared an issue of a separate institution for ethnic Albanians, called in OSCE statements provisionally The Higher Education Center for Public Administration and Business as well as The Albanian Language State University College, in 1995 and 1998 respectively. Both TU, leading Albanian political parties and the Albanian community reacted strongly to the idea of “van der Stoel university”, as it is commonly referred to in Macedonia. Statements and counter-statements were being issued, and the political parties treated the problem of TU vs. SEEU as a good way to become politically distinctive. The political support given to the idea of SEEU, as well as a politicized composition of its previous national Board, is still seen as a political error making it still more difficult for SEEU to be fully integrated in the academic community of Skopje University, the consultant was told on two occasions. So finally, in March 2000, HCNM put forward a proposal for a new, trilingual institution, which eighteen months later with strong political support came into being as SEEU.

B. SCENARIOS: THE FUTURE OF TETOVO UNIVERSITY

First of all, it is probably naive to assume that the ethnic Albanian community is going to ignore 7 years of existence of TU, despite its lack of recognition by the Macedonian government, as the issue has been strongly politicized and was the focus of long-lasting controversies. The basic scenarios largely depend on the question whether TU leadership and management will be willing to cooperate with SEEU or not; whether TU is going to still claim for its university status or become merely a group of faculties; finally,

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whether the Albanian community accepts the existence of SEEU as merely an alternative to TU, or as its substitute. The list of scenarios is far from complete, nevertheless it may be useful for future reference. Even though it is evident to the consultant that there is basically place for only one higher education institution in Tetovo – due to political, demographic, economic and purely academic reasons – some scenarios assume the existence, in the short-term or medium-term range, of the two of them.

(01) TU merges with SEEE

The consultant sees it as the best option, as reflected in recommendations. With a possible change of its leadership, TU could be willing to merge with SEEU after some transition period (of 3-4 years) to solve the problem of its unrecognized status and its inability to provide ethnic Albanians with state-wide recognized diplomas. The first step would be to stop enrolling students in the first year. Remedial programs would be needed for students, helping them to graduate with recognized diplomas from SEEU or Skopje University (now Albanian language courses are available only from a pedagogical faculty; one of EU Mission’s recommendations, as well as one of recommendations of the present report, is to establish Albanian language courses within Skopje University). The option is apparently most welcome by the majority of SEEU faculty community, although perceived by some of them as a potential threat to its dedication to high quality in teaching. It is still more probable if the SEEU expansion project is implemented (there will be more faculties to accommodate students transferring from TU), much less probable with current SEEU capacity.

(02) TU “withers away” TU will slowly „wither away” under unchanged leadership (as in original hopes cherished by the international community): it will become marginalized, isolated and finally without academic credibility for the Albanian community. TU will be unable to compete for students with SEEU (especially if its current capacity is increased by the implementation of its new expansion project). A rather improbable option. Apparently this was the initial position taken by the international community when the idea of the trilingual university was born: the very attractiveness of SEEU was to contribute to the gradual collapse of TU, which was to be the „students vote with their feet” solution. Now it can be seen that the „withering away” would be a rather long-term process unless something unexpected happened.

(03) TU coexists alongside SEEU TU will coexist for a long time alongside SEEU. Not even trying to compete directly with SEEU with its international standards of teaching, it will have the lowest quality

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students plus political hard-liners who would never want to study at SEEU for academic and/or political reasons. A rather improbable option in the long run. In the medium run (4-5 years) is one of possibilities. One aspect of the problem is that it is improbable, on academic grounds as well as taking the capacity of SEEU into consideration, to accommodate TU students at SEEU even if they really wanted to transfer. Additional external funding would be needed to make the transition possible.

(04) TU is closed down TU will be closed down by the Macedonian authorities as a „people’s initiative” that never tried to get state accreditation, a condition for the functioning of registered higher education institutions. Politically improbable option, leading to violence and with potentially devastating effects to the diffusion of inter-ethnic tensions. But it has to be added that Tetovo University in its current form is perceived by Macedonians as a locus of separatism, secessionism, extremism, and radicalism. An option which is out of the question under present TU leadership; it is probable, though, if a potential new leader is inclined to cooperate with SEEU and the international community. Remedial programs would be funded mainly by international organizations. The moment the idea is accepted at TU, there should be an immediate effort to evaluate TU thoroughly: its faculty, curriculum and all departments, followed by a joint remedial program for 3-4 years (perhaps with the help of Skopje University as well) and a final merger between the two universities.

(05) TU becomes accredited TU might be finally able to use its right to apply for a state accreditation, following upgrading of its faculty, academic credentials, premises and will be accredited as a private (or state-funded) registered higher education institution. According to the current law on higher education, TU has no definite deadline for self-evaluation, evaluation and accreditation (as opposed to the two existing state universities, in Skopje and Bitola, with a deadline set for August 2002). A hypothetical option, highly improbable. It would require tremendous efforts on the part of the Albanian community to evaluate current level of teaching, focus on quality and, mainly, to use new professional cadre of teachers (whom in their best part already left for Prishtina or Tirana; if the American University in Kosovo is open, the problems with qualified Albanian teaching staff will be even greater).

(06) TU stops competing directly with SEEU TU would not be willing to merge, would not stop new enrollments but would be willing at least not to compete with SEEU in the areas of study represented at SEEU (be it expanded or not).

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A possible option, but in the long run TU will not be able to act single-handedly: it will have to consider a merger with SEEU or Skopje University or with both.

(07) TU merges with SEEU and Skopje University TU would be willing to merge with SEEU and Skopje University, ceasing to claim to be a university and becoming merely Albanian-speaking state-supported faculties of Skopje University based in Tetovo. A probable option, although politically very difficult. Requires medium-term preparation among both Macedonians and Albanians. But it is also revolutionary as requires both sides of the ethnic conflict to make a step back. It is obviously not acceptable for SEEU in its current private form sponsored by international donors. SEEU was not founded to disappear unless in the medium-term (4-5 years) there are increasing financial problems with its sustainability, following the unwillingness of international donors to continue to support the institution, with the view that after an initial 4-years period SEEU will be funded in some part by the Macedonian state anyway.

(08) TU merges with Skopje University only TU would be willing to merge only with Skopje University and not with SEEU, ceasing to claim to be a university and becoming merely Albanian-speaking state-supported faculties of Skopje University based in Tetovo and having no relations whatsoever with SEEU. An improbable option as TU is not a public higher education institution but a "citizen's initiative". This is the option that leaves no room for international support (which is rightly focused on SEEU) and relies heavily on improved ethnic Macedonian/ethnic Albanian relations. Requires a step back from both sides: to reject the idea of distinctive Albanian university in Tetovo and to accept the idea of new faculties (after detailed screening) of Skopje University being opened there. The option would include state funding for Tetovo faculties (reduced in number). SEEU in this case would be a private accredited elite higher education institution, no matter if the project of its expansion would be implemented or not. In all probability it would become first-class high quality and mainly English speaking university attractive more to the Region than to local Albanian communities. In this case, without the „burden” of remedial programs for TU students as they would not be moving to SEEU en masse, SEEU would have a chance to retain its high quality and high-tuition fees status in Tetovo. SEEU could then become an institution for future Albanian community elites.

(09) TU “takes over” SEEU It is an improbable option, although it has to be stressed that TU leader has officially mentioned “taking over” and occupation of SEEU classrooms for the needs of his students on at least two occasions. Such a scenario could lead to violence, even though it is hard to imagine the use of police forces on exterritorial academic grounds, so any

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prolonged occupation of SEEU would certainly lead to more tensions in Tetovo generally. It would also have devastating effects on any future large international support for educational purposes and would contribute to political instability in the region.

C. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE NEW LAW ON HIGHER EDUCATION (2000) FOR THE TETOVO UNIVERSITY

First of all, the new law on higher education (which was adopted on July 25, 2000 and entered into force on August 11, 2000) changed the intellectual, social, political and economic landscape in which TU was operating by, indirectly, providing a legal framework in which SEEU was allowed to operate in the same region. The law was prepared by ethnically diverse consultants from the Ministry of Education and was based on a proposal of the OSCE HCNM, Mr. Max van der Stoel. More than 100 amendments were proposed in Parliament but finally rejected. The new law introduced recognition procedures for private higher education institutions and qualifications as well as explicitly permitted the use of the Albanian language (and other minority and “world” languages) for higher education instruction. The new law provided the legal grounds for establishing SEEU and legal possibilities for TU students to transfer to other educational institutions, including SEEU, still non-existent at that point. Prior to the adoption of the law there was no legal possibility to run a state registered, private and Albanian-speaking university. The law is over 100 pages in its English translation and consists of 200 articles. From the perspective of the problem of TU vs. SEEU, there are at least four important points to be mentioned briefly: the status of the “civic initiative” (i.e. TU, never mentioned in the law by name: transfer of TU students, recognition of their diplomas etc); the accreditation system introduced for all higher education institutions in Macedonia; provisions for the private sector in higher education (specifically for SEEU at this point); and university teaching in languages other than Macedonian. The most hotly debated (in the parliament) article of the new law was art. 198, comprising the section “The right to continue education”, as it concerned the status of (unnamed) TU students who either graduated or wanted to transfer to another institution. Article 198 reads the following: Persons who had fulfilled statutory conditions for enrollment to graduate studies and had attended education, till the entry into force of this Law, outside of public higher education institutions within various forms of civil initiatives in the Republic of Macedonia, may, in accordance with the provisions of this Law and the bylaws of the corresponding higher education institution:

- continue their studies on the first year of respective studies at the appropriate higher education institution;

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- request an assessment of the knowledge acquired and on the basis of the results so demonstrated request enrollment at the appropriate study year; or

- on the basis of the results achieved during knowledge assessment to realize

other rights. The rights referred to in paragraph 1 are realized at appropriate higher education institutions according to provisions of this Law and their acts for internal evaluation. These rights may be realized upon personal request, submitted to the appropriate higher education institution until December 31, 2001, at the latest. The problem with article 198 is that it is very restrictive in time: currently no students from TU have legal rights to transfer to any Macedonian higher education institution, be it public or private. Therefore what is needed is either the extension of the deadline or the removal of the last sentence of it. Unfortunately, as the deadline is in the law itself rather than in any bylaws, it needs to be changed by Parliament in the form of an amendment. The consultant was informed in the Ministry of Education that there is a whole package of changes to current law on higher education to be submitted to Parliament in March 2002 so that the best way to introduce such an amendment would be to propose one more amendment about a new deadline. Apparently no MP or any legal body proposed to change article 198 and such a proposal needs to be made in the coming weeks so that it is not debated separately. See also Note #1: Article 198 of the Law on Higher Education The other article of the new law of interest to us here is Article 95 about “The languages of instruction” which states, inter alia, that “teaching at higher education institutions is carried out in the Macedonian language” and „education at private higher education institutions may also be performed in the languages of national minority members or in the world's languages. In cases where education is provided also in the languages of national minority members or in the world's languages, the Macedonian language shall be studied as a separate education subject and education shall be provided in the Macedonian language for at least two additional education subjects”.

Thus with the help of these two crucial articles of the new law (plus article 4 which states that „higher education institutions may be public, established by the State, and private ones, founded by domestic and foreign individuals and legal entities”), the road was open to establish SEEU in the same town as unrecognized Tetovo University. There appeared the possibility, envisaged several years before by Mr. Max van der Stoel, of an international response to the problem of ethnic Albanians seeking higher education in Albanian in Macedonia. Consequently, in the academic year 2001/2002 159 former TU students transferred to SEEU, which made the number of all students enrolled at SEEU for the first academic year total 923. V. DETAILED ISSUES

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A. THE TRANSFER OF STUDENTS FROM TU TO SEEU (2001)

By any means, the number of students from TU to SEEU in the academic year 2001/2002 (159 persons) was below expectations, though, as was the number of ethnic Albanians generally interested in studying at SEEU in its first year of operation. As of November 24, 2001 the SEEU had enrolled 920 students. Current participation is as follows: women 40%, non-native Albanian speakers 10%; and as the fields of study are concerned, the numbers are as follows: business education 36%, law 26%, teachers’ training 15%, communication sciences 15% and public administration 8%. The two main factors that influenced both the general level of enrollments at SEEU in 2001 and the number of students transferring from TU in particular were the following:

(1) The crisis in Macedonia in mid-2001, which led to doubts whether the university would be open at all.

(2) Continuous speculations that a solution might be found for Tetovo

University and its unrecognized status. The consultant found a number of less important explanations as well. The main conclusion is that the explanation is to be found not so much in politics and political pressures or intimidation (as might well be the case) but rather in details described as follows:

(01) The tuition fee. The tuition fee at SEEU is relatively high (800 EUR compared with 150 EUR at TU annually), even though is not high in real terms considering the level of services provided. Although there were some voices (mainly Western) that the tuition fee is not an issue, the consultant must admit that for the vast majority of Albanians and Macedonians he interviewed, any tuition higher than 500 EUR p.a. is regarded as high (80 per cent of students in Macedonia study for free in the state-supported system). They generally suggested to cut the tuition fee by half. Also students interviewed admitted that the money paid for tuition at SEEU is an issue for the Albanian community in general, even though it may not be an issue to them personally. (Additionally the consultant heard about the possibility of TU students getting money to stay at TU e.g. in the form of covering the already low tuition fees but he was not able to confirm this). The consultant is aware that for those already enrolled at SEEU tuition fee may not be an issue (according to SEEU administration, 80 per cent of students paid for one year in advance and did not want to use the payment plan of 8 equal installment). Interviewees asked for an explanation of the fact said that these were just people who could afford to study at SEEU: representatives of the ethnic Albanian urban middle class rather than the Albanian rural population. The insistence on lowering tuition fees was strongly voiced, though.

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There is a possibility for SEEU students to participate in the so-called work-study program to partially cover tuition fees (up to fifteen hours of on-campus work like shelving books in the library, office work in administrative and academic offices, computer center services, faculty interns and the like). Importantly, about 300 students were already interested in the program but obviously in these activities there may be involved no more than 5 per cent of the student body (which is currently 50, finally 150 when total capacity is reached). The total cost of studies at SEEU for the year 2001-2002 is estimated at Denar 128,225 (or 1.885 USD), of which tuition is approx. 730 USD, room and board 570 USD, books and supplies 190 USD plus other fees, parking, transportation and students body fees. SEEU, apart from work-study opportunity, offers also three other opportunities to assist the student in meeting the costs of education: prepayment plan, monthly installment plan and different loan plans. The prepayment plan allows a discount of 10% per annum for payment in advance of annual tuition, while monthly installment plan allows for payment in eight installment. Loan plans offer financial assistance consisting of short, medium, and long-term loans for tuition and living expenses. Short-term loans are for 2-4 months, and annual and long-term loans will be introduced successively in the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 years. Loan plans are available only to full-time students and long-term loans are due at graduation (students will be required not only to provide suitable guarantees but also “to consent to their records and diplomas being retained by the University until full repayment of their loans”, as the SEEU Catalogue explains). The lowering of tuition fees is also recommended in a recent (February 2002) six-point memo prepared by the European Union Mission in Skopje. See also Note #2: Scholarships and fees

(02) English as the language of instruction. Even though the English language should not be an issue, it certainly is. According to SEEU students interviewed informally, the insistence on English (during the first year English classes are provided between 10 and 20 hours per week) is widely used as a propaganda tool against SEEU by TU. SEEU is being described as merely an “English-teaching institution”, with little academic devotion. Although this is certainly not the case, it needs to be more widely explained that English (and computer skills) are basic skills being taught extensively in the first year of studies. The consultant found that the resistance to English as the main mode of instruction may be widespread in the Albanian community: let us remind that between 1992 and 2001 the main idea on which ethnic Albanians focused their national aspirations was independent and recognized higher education institution for Albanians in Albanian. Although there is a catalogue of reasonable explanations why teaching in English is better than teaching in Albanian (quality of textbooks, high academic standards, international academic faculty, professional future in the West or at home with international firms after graduation etc), the issue of English is not to be described in terms of reason only, but also in terms of national emotions, expectations or aspirations. SEEU was built to (somehow, finally) replace TU with the idea of

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providing Albanians with high level higher education, preferably in a trilingual manner. The consultant was also made aware of the fact that although many people are qualified enough to study in Albanian at TU, they may not feel confident enough to think of studying in a foreign language at SEEU. This may be preventing them from transferring from TU to SEEU as well. The best solution to this problem (mentioned by many interviewees) was presented by SEEU Rector, Professor Alajdin Abazi: “flexible use of languages”. The idea is that different faculties will have different priorities of languages so that students know in advance that e.g. in the faculty of business the first language will be definitely English, the second Albanian, and the third Macedonian, but in teacher’s faculty the first language will be Albanian, with English and Macedonian at a decidedly lower level. That should help students to choose their discipline also according to their talent for foreign languages. The consultant is aware of the insistence on the part of some SEEU faculty to use much more Albanian for courses, perhaps even to make the Albanian language a pre-requisite for future enrolments, but in his view this trend is against the initial idea of a trilingual, integration-oriented institution.

(03) The Macedonian aspect of SEEU The consultant was made aware that what some TU students find hardly acceptable are the two subjects in Macedonian taught at SEEU, required by the new law on higher education. Obviously TU does not see any need to comply to this rule. At the same time, though, for Macedonians, the Macedonian component of SEEU is reduced much too far, if the initial idea of a trilingual university is taken into consideration. Currently 7 Macedonian students are enrolled (less than 1%) at SEEU and according to some conversations the consultant had, Macedonians see SEEU as a purely “Albanian” institution rather than as a lively international environment contributing to inter-ethnic integration based on common educational trilingual experience. To put it bluntly, current perception is that SEEU is “too Albanian” to Macedonians and “too Macedonian” (and “too English”) to ethnic Albanians, perhaps an unavoidable perception under tense inter-ethnic circumstances, though.

(04) SEEU perceived as a new institution SEEU is following Western standards and sometimes people may need more time to accommodate to them (SEEU students do not even have so-called “indexes” – little books with all grades, subjects taken and signatures of professors, covering the whole period of studies of each student – can be heard, while all data are stored electronically there). This is just an example of different concepts of an institution: at TU students could miss all lectures and come straight to exams; at SEEU participation is obligatory. It is important to advertise SEEU as a new institution oriented towards European standards, with ECTS system, individual e-mail accounts, Internet access etc. But it is also hard to recognize quality if one does not know in advance what quality is. So the new institution, the consultant heard, may look weird rather than high quality to some who do not recognize the concept of quality and had no prior experience with it.

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(05) SEEU perceived as an institution of uncertain future (2001)

Another explanation of the fact of the below-expectations interest in SEEU among ethnic Albanians is that on several instances, for propaganda reasons, it was described in the Albanian community as an institution with funding guaranteed for merely four years. Then it might be closed down if the Macedonian authorities would not be going to support it. And four years might not be enough time to graduate, it was calculated. The rumors were caused by statements of politicians (who excluded the possibility of state funding of SEEU for at least 4 years – Prime Minister L. Georgievski), some unfortunate formulations of OSCE statements and, finally, in January 2002, by a shocking official statement of an Austrian Ambassador, prior to leaving his post and returning home. It must be stressed that such public announcements contribute to the uncertainty about the future functioning of SEEU. The consultant see a clear need for repeated public statements by SEEU management and/or the donors community that this is groundless and untrue, dispelling fears that the Albanian community has at the moment.

(06) SEEU recruitment in war times (2001) The advertising campaign and recruitment processes followed immediately the 2001 war campaign in the region. Nobody knew what was going to happen with this part of the country and politically the circumstances were very unfavorable. In February 2001 Macedonia entered a deep political and military crisis, for the first time since it had gained independence, caused by the uprising of EAAG – Ethnic Albanian Armed Groups. The hostilities lasted five months and a Framework Agreement was signed by all major parties of the country on August 13, 2001 (the total cost of its implementation is approx. 70 million USD).

(07) Small number of faculties at SEEU (compared with TU) The number of faculties that potential transfer students from TU had at their disposal was (and still is) small (5 as opposed to 15 at TU). What is meant here is their nominal number in both institutions, not their academic quality. So it can be assumed that TU students from the majority of faculties (philosophy, natural sciences and mathematics, agriculture, arts, music, drama, pharmacy, medicine, physical education and engineering) were not able to transfer to SEEU anyway as there was no place for them to go. That problem can be changed dramatically if the SEEU expansion project is implemented (which discussed separately in Note #3).

(08) Political pressure Interestingly enough, the consultant was assured on several occasions and by different parties that the political factor was significantly less important than the factors 01-07

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enumerated above. It seems that in this case politics played and will play much smaller role that was generally expected, especially among the international community. Let us add on the margin that TU under current leadership is making it very difficult for its students to transfer to SEEU by not issuing release letters, original secondary school diplomas and transcripts; still more, students who want to transfer to faculties at Skopje University (it is possible also to study in Albanian in the faculty of pedagogics) – which has much more strict transfer regulations than SEEU – cannot do that on formal grounds, without documents needed. It is a good example of breaking the law and maintaining tensions among students in Tetovo in general.

B. THE TRANSFER OF STUDENTS FROM TU TO SEEU IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SEEU “EXPANSION PROJECT”

As Tetovo University is rather doomed to operate as an unrecognized higher education institution, the number of applicants for enrollment to SEEU is certain to grow, reaching 2.400 students enrolled in current programs by 2003. This means that SEEU will have to use its present capacity to the full, and will not be able to use part of this capacity for expansion. Unfortunately, as explained above, SEEU in its current program does not have studies in physics, chemistry and biology, all taught at TU and all found by recent surveys as being the most attractive to ethnic Albanian students. Even though TU students are studying these subjects, they will not acquire state-recognized diplomas. The solution to the problem of attracting by SEEU more ethnic Albanian students in general, and current TU students is particular, is the opening of a life sciences faculty of its own. (As it is highlighted by SEE University Foundation, one large faculty encompassing the various natural sciences is more efficient and cost effective than three small separate ones). The expansion project, taking into account the estimated number of natural science students at TU, sees it as realistic to create a capacity for ultimately around 800 new students, based on an annual intake of 200 students. The new faculty could start already in October 2002 with a year of academic skills training which is currently obligatory for all SEEU students. The specific facilities for the new faculty could be available by October 2003 so that students already enrolled in 2002 could continue their studies in selected life sciences in the second year. Setting up and running a life science faculty is comparatively considerably more expensive than setting up and running the faculties the SEEU has already created. The total cost presented in the expansion project is estimated to be 16.9 million Euro. The consultant understands that the EU expresses some interest in funding the project. The conclusion of the draft of the project presented by SEEU Foundation reminds of the stability mission of SEEU, complementary to strictly educational tasks. If TU leadership continues to insist on the unconditional recognition of his University, the authorities will persist in refusing the recognition of its diplomas. This means a real

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danger of students at TU getting increasingly frustrated and radicalized, with all consequences for the fragile stability of the country. This is where SEEU with its expansion project could come as an alternative. The consultant discussed the expansion project in detail with main stakeholders: SEEU students, SEEU faculty and management, members of the office of the European Union in Skopje, as well as with other interested parties. The vital need to expand SEEU was very strongly voiced by Mr. Max van der Stoel and SEEU Rector Alajdin Abazi. They both see the project as the task for 2002-2003. Apparently there are chances to receive financial support for it directly from the European Commission in Brussels. The idea of expansion is a great political, financial, and finally academic challenge to SEEU community. At the same time its contribution to diffusing inter-ethnic tensions and solving the problem of TU students who wish to transfer to SEEU to acquire recognized diplomas and currently are unable to do so is of utmost importance. The expanded SEEU would certainly contribute to political stability and would make SEEU by far the most advanced, multi-faculty and top-quality international educational institution in the Region. The consultant needs to mention deep concerns about the impact of the expansion project upon the academic quality of the institution voiced sometimes by the SEEU community and elsewhere. The same concerns are voiced when a merger with TU is debated. They are understandable, but let us also remember that TU students will be transferring, hopefully, only in the coming 1-3 years, and then SEEU may be making proper use of quality-protecting instruments it has at its disposal, starting with rigid entrance requirements (which do not exist at the moment). Also in this context one has to remind that the whole SEEU as an institution was from its very beginning destined to solve political and educational problems of the region, educational as political problems because of the dominating Albanian idea of a national university. Let us also remember about the “Mission” of SEEU which states in its second paragraph that the University ensures at all times that its activities “be committed to the Albanian culture, language, and population, while defining itself in a broad international perspective and in a multilingual approach to teaching and research”. As Mr. van der Stoel stated in his first official public proposal for the institution in Albanian in Macedonia in March 2000: “the new institution should ensure complete ethnic integration and has to be part of the education system of the country”. Nothing was more important that long-term stability achieved by satisfying educational needs of the biggest national minority in the country, ethnic Albanians. Referring merely to the dedication to high quality of teaching in the absence of the above political provisions means wishful thinking, useless at best, dangerous at worst. See also Note #3: SEEU’s “Expansion Project” C. TU STUDENTS AND FACULTY The number of students currently attending TU (as opposed to those registered but not studying) is estimated at 2.500. Estimations varied, from 2.000-3.000, to the maximum of 4.000. It is difficult to say who would like (finally) to transfer to SEEU but the

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number repeated from several sources is between 60 and 70 per cent. The estimation concerns those who want to transfer in the coming 1-2 years, after seeing how SEEU is operating. The number of people who finally do not wish to transfer to SEEU or to other schools but continue to study at TU despite its lack of recognition is estimated at 20 per cent. There is one fourth of students who still do not know what to do, sometimes still believing in the recognition of TU. Both language problems, financial concerns, and academic abilities are preventing them from transferring to other educational institutions, including SEEU. Other factors include small number of faculties at SEEU, the perception of SEEU as a new institution with uncertain future in terms of its financing, as well as, finally and to a minor degree, political pressure or security constrains. The faculty at TU is estimated at about 200, qualified faculty comprising half of them, while official data provided by TU speak of 360 (1999) and 394 (2001) faculty employed. (Generally, in Macedonian higher education in 1998/1999 there were 1.385 teachers, including 143 part-timers: 647 professors, 332 associate professors, 275 docents and 131 lecturers, so the data provided by TU are not only unverifiable, but also certainly unreliable). The general perception is that the most able faculty already left for Prishtina (also waiting for the potential opening of the American University in Kosovo) or Tirana, then in smaller number for SEEU. Some qualified faculty commute to TU from Skopje University apparently feeling strong pressure from the Albanian community. The non-qualified faculty (without at least MA degree) has no chance to find any other position in the academic system in Macedonia outside of TU. The best faculty can certainly be involved in various remedial or transition programs, should SEEU and TU under changed leadership decide to merge. At first at least for 3-4 years, possibly longer even after remedial programs for students are completed and after all former TU students graduate. Remedial programs should be organized as a joint TU/SEEU/Skopje University initiative to enable TU students work on their Skopje University or SEEU diplomas. It is probable that some well-qualified faculty from TU could be engaged in teaching activities at other institutions, including mainly Prishtina University, Tirana University and, less probably, at Skopje University. Should the private sector of higher education in Macedonia develop further than merely SEEU, they could certainly find academic posts there (considering current the economic situation in Macedonia it is rather improbable in the coming 2-3 years). The feasibility of ethnic Albanian students from Macedonia attending Albanian language higher education in Kosovo or Albania is limited. Although in the coming weeks a bilateral agreement between Macedonia and Albania will be signed, part of which is a declaration of mutual recognition of higher education diplomas, no similar agreement exists for Kosovo and is expected no sooner than within a year, at best. Apparently Prishtina and Tirana could be seen as viable alternatives to TU by ethnic Albanian students: there are some estimations that those at TU who wanted to study seriously (and wanted to have recognized diplomas at least in these two countries) were transferring in recent years from TU to these two universities. The students were moving after their third year at TU but the exact number of such cases could not be even approximately estimated. Generally the response from interviewees who knew TU was that it was probably no more than a hundred, maybe much less.

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Compared with TU, both universities mentioned might be an alternative (knowledge acquired there apparently is not on a much higher academic level than at TU but both Tirana and Prishtina Universities are apparently in a state of reforming at least some of their faculties – and at TU some textbooks are 30 years old and faculty still uses mainly the ex cathedra methods of teaching, with limited number of interactive classes, conversational classes etc). But it is not a feasible solution to TU students because of numbers involved: one cannot imagine either hundreds of students going abroad (to at least formally foreign countries) nor them being easily accepted by the two institutions, especially considering notoriously low academic standards at TU. It is also highly probable that these students would be treated as foreign nationals and forced to pay high tuition fees (although there is an option of a special agreement between SEEU and Tirana and/or Prishtina concerning 4 years of cooperation in the remedial program for TU students). There are simply too many of TU students involved and, importantly enough, they need to be integrated in Macedonian society. Prior to the conflict, ethnic Albanian high school graduates from Macedonia almost all attended the University of Prishtina in Kosovo (in 1991/1992 out of 22.994 registered students in Macedonian higher education only 386 were ethnic Albanians). Thus, to sum up, the massive relocation of TU students to Albania and Kosovo is impossible financially, politically and, finally, academically. It needs to be mentioned that the high enrollment of women at SEEU (currently 111 out of 262 in legal studies, 121 out of 372 in business administration and as many as 81 out of 154 in teachers’ training and 45 out of 84 in public administration, i.e. over 50 per cent in the last two cases and 40 per cent in total) and at TU (no reliable data available, though) is due to the fact that Albanian families are more inclined to send their female children to schools that are close by. The guess is they would never send them in great numbers to Tirana or Kosovo. And also that means that SEEU is a good example of a “gender-success story”. Current TU students do not have big problems with financing their studies: the tuition fee is low (150 EUR p.a.) and apparently those who cannot pay it, do not have to pay. There are also (unconfirmed) rumors that some students are paid to stay at TU (be it in the form of scholarships or other). TU is also financed by an unofficial “tax” for TU of 150 EUR annually paid by ethnic Albanians working abroad (a common pattern of work is 10 months abroad, 2 months at home, following the 40% official unemployment among Albanians, and 80-90% unemployment in many Albanian villages). These sources could not cover the costs of studying in Prishtina or Kosovo, or studying in Macedonia: at SEEU or Skopje University. It does not mean, though that current TU tuition costs could not be supplemented by other sources (the acceptable level of educational expenses in the region is generally estimated at 500 EUR p.a.). VI. ADDITIONAL NOTES

A. NOTE #1: ARTICLE 198 OF THE LAW ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE TRANSFER OF TU STUDENTS

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The consultant spent a considerable amount of time in the Ministry of Education trying to get to the point of the article about the transfer of students from TU to other institutions. It seems unclear, though, whether it finally concerns the transfer of TU students only to state universities or to all higher education institutions (i.e. to SEEU at this point). Article 198 is vague in its formulations and apparently it is hard to say to what extent SEEU would act against the law if it accepted transferred TU students now. According to article 4, “The provisions of this Law, except for ones explicitly relating to the public higher education institutions, shall apply also to the private higher education institutions”. In the formulation provided by “Official Gazette” no. 64/3.08.2000 it was “state universities” according to one commentator, in current formulation it seems like “appropriate higher education institution” which means something totally else. The paradox is that if this article is read according to its letter, TU students may not transfer after December 31, 2001 not only to SEEU, but also to Albanian-speaking University of Tirana and University of Prishtina (or to Harvard University or any other Western university, for that matter). The consultant sees it as a violation of the autonomy of other universities: apparently they may not enroll students on the basis of their own internal procedures of verification of knowledge. If the road to amend the law and to change the deadline for the transference of TU students to other places is politically long, there should be an option (at least for SEEU) to make use of the principle of autonomy guaranteed in Chapter Two of the law on higher education and of internal rules combined with some widely accepted European standards for the transfer of students between institutions (similar to the European Credit Transfer System already being introduced at SEEU). At the same time, the rules for the transfer of TU students to Skopje University and for the verification of their knowledge were laid down not by the Ministry of Education but by a special commission of that university, led by its Rector, just like in the case of the transfer commission at SEEU. Let us also bear in mind that the article in question was hotly debated in discussed in detail so it is hard to believe that its ambiguity was not recognized in the course of its parliamentary hearing.

The integration of TU students into a recognized Macedonian state university system has failed so far: according to the data from the Ministry of Education, the interest among TU students to transfer to two Macedonian state universities was very low indeed, possibly in the range of several dozens.

B. NOTE #2: SCHOLARSHIPS AND FEES AT SEEU Based on the vast majority of interviews the consultant had, the costs of studying at SEEU for ethnic Albanians is an issue. This problem needs to be put in a perspective, though. According to the original SEEU business plan from September 2000, the average salary in Macedonia is 209 USD per month and the average tuition at the public institution is 462 USD per student per annum. The rate of students studying for free to those paying tuition is 80/20. Thus over a study period of 6 years, average cost incurred is 2.772 USD (17.860 USD with foregone earnings) at the public institutions for fee-paying students. By comparison, with the average cost of tuition at SEEU estimated at 730 USD per annum, the average cost incurred over a study period of 4 years is 2.920 USD i.e. roughly the same.

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Apparently the costs of studies at SEEU are perceived as high, even though the total costs of studies incurred in public institutions (for fee-paying students) and at SEEU remains relatively at the same level. One also has to remember that in the case of SEEU students (and TU students potentially transferring there) we are talking about the ethnic Albanian community among which the level of education is lower than the average and the level of unemployment is much higher. Macedonians are predominantly urban population and Albanians are much more rural population which is a factor in determining their average family income. The crucial issue in this context is a scholarship scheme. Apparently the subject was neglected in the first SEEU business plan from September 29, 2000 and was developed only in its new version dated November 23, 2000, most probably following discussions with potential donors and/or ethnic Albanian community. Even though the issue of „free places” is discussed in this document, it is never mentioned in the official SEEU „Catalogue” for academic years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003, where the only option mentioned is three types of loans. Also the version of loans proposed to students is more restrictive in the catalogue than in both versions of the SEEU business plan: the former requires long-term loans to be „due at graduation”, while business plans make the provision more liberal stating that „students loans ... must not be repaid until a student has found an employment OR finished his/her studies” (the more strict version being probably much more financially secure considering the level of unemployment among young persons in Macedonia, and young ethnic Albanians in particular – estimated by European Training Foundation in 2001 as 76.6%for the population aged 15-19 and 68.8% for the population aged 20-24, with the general unemployment rate in the country at 32.4%). The SEEU (second) business plan in its financial evaluation of loans and scholarships was estimating the number of free places at 20%. Certainly the new higher education institution was from the beginning conceived of as depending on tuition fees, which in practice means that the income from tuition will have to finance at least in part also all subsidies to students, including possible scholarship scheme with „free places”. Let me quote here a relevant passage: „it appears advisable to align the system initially to local expectations rooted in current merit-based practice in Macedonia. Presently, about 20% of students study free of charge, while 80% pay [apparently it is the other way round]. In line with this practice, it [SEEU] is proposed to provide 20% ‘free’ places and loans to 50% of students”. According to this proposal, in the future „free places” should be accorded on the basis of entrance/placement exams, and the number of „free places” available should be reassessed each year, 20% „representing a ceiling”. It has to be remembered that even current level of tuition fees (800-1.000 EUR per annum) in all probability does not suffice to finance the institution (1.100 EUR is provided in the business plan as a reasonable level). To sum up, a scholarship scheme, introduced in the SEEU revised business plan, never found its way to its official catalogue, nor to its practice. Its future implementation, considering the economic, social (and ethnic) environment in which SEEU operates remains uncertain, though. It may be very difficult for financial reasons. Thus even though the consultant understands the appeals to lower tuition fees and to introduce „free places” voiced by almost all interviewed parties, he is aware of its

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improbability unless a suitable way to finance the scheme is found (e.g. the Soros Open Society Institute’s, or a different donor’s grant as an endowment to generate sufficient return to contribute to financing „free places” in the same way that another endowment contributes to the cost of student loans).

C. NOTE #3: SEEU’S “EXPANSION PROJECT” It needs to be emphasized that SEEU’s “Expansion Project” – the idea to broaden its current educational offer with a new faculty of “life sciences” – means more opportunities for students, also those from TU who so far could not find a proper faculty at SEEU to transfer to. The reasons to expand are both political (stability) and academic (better educational offer). What is crucial today, in a changed political situation caused by the events of 2001, and in a changed situation caused by the continued existence of TU despite its lack of recognized status, is the problem where SEEU will be able to accommodate TU students willing to transfer to SEEU. The consultant wants to highlight the real possibility of radicalization among TU students as their situation is becoming increasingly hopeless (e.g. no chance for the state recognition of diplomas). Two points will be discussed: the selection of disciplines within the expansion project and the issue of the potential inflow of ethnic Albanian students to expanded SEEU in the future, once the issue of “TU transfer” students has been solved. Even though it was impossible to open SEEU in the first year with more than five faculties, if now there is a chance to have substantial EU funding for the expansion, it is a splendid opportunity. The expansion may raise concerns about quality of teaching but the consultant sees the problem as solvable in the medium run, when finally all students who transferred from TU have graduated. As far as the selection of new disciplines is concerned, SEEU management explained that they mean “modern” natural sciences, providing convincing examples of their future orientation (towards biotechnology, ethics, ecology, computing or others). Finally, as to the future inflow of Albanian high school graduates to SEEU, it needs to be reminded that the number of all ethnic Albanians attending the last grade of high schools is estimated at 2.500-3.000 in total - a maximum potential input of ethnic Albanians to all higher education institutions in Macedonia, including SEEU. The number of all Albanian students in secondary education in 1998/1999 was 13.648 (15,6% of the student body in OECD statistics). Considering, generally, the lowering of the fertility rate for Albanian women (and all other ethnicities in Macedonia) and the low transition rate from secondary to higher education generally in Macedonia, as well as some (necessary) drop-out rate, the increased SEEU capacity of 4.000 after the expansion means either (almost) a monopoly in educating ethnic Albanians in the region or accepting almost all applicants without entrance exams or, finally, the need of accepting many more Macedonians in the medium- and long-run. Even though it might be regarded as a point of concern to some, the idea of finally bringing more Macedonians to SEEU (currently – 7) fits perfectly in the conception of a trilingual, inter-ethnic and integration-oriented institution.

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VI. RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation #1 To encourage the idea of a “Transition Project” suggested by SEEU and organized for TU students by SEEU (and for some faculties: with Skopje University and Prishtina University). The “Transition Project” would last up to 4 years, be evening/weekends/distance-learning program, cost approx. 2.5 million euros in total and solve the problem of the transfer of TU students for good. After the project, when all former TU students have graduated, SEEU could merge with TU. A single contribution of 2.5 million euros (needed over a period of 4 years) for the “Transition Project” would solve the whole problem and diffuse all tensions around TU (the funding could come from Soros foundations or from the European community). SEEU knows exactly how to run it: it simply needs additional funding. Recommendation #2 To encourage internationally and locally the idea of SEEU expansion for “modern life sciences faculty” (about to be requested for funding by the European Community) so that it could attract more students and accommodate TU transferred students during the “Transition Project” period. Recommendation #3 To encourage SEEU to find ways to offer reduced fees and/or introduce more scholarship programs (a mixture of merit- and need-based “free places”) so that it could accept more students from poorer Albanian families. Recommendation #4 To encourage the discussion about TU management and leadership within the Albanian community Recommendation #5 Through political meetings, to make the SEEU community and/or political parties supporting it aware that the proposal for an amendment to Art. 198 of the law on higher education (wit a new deadline for TU transferring students) is to be submitted to Parliament in the coming weeks to be debated in a package of changes (rather then separately later on). Recommendation #6 To encourage the Macedonian Ministry of Higher Education and Science to offer additional courses for ethnic Albanians in Albanian at Skopje University (especially in fields which are not represented at SEEU but are taught at TU, as part of the general “Transition Project” and in the spirit of the Framework Agreement).

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Recommendation #7 To encourage SEEU to make repeated public statements to counteract rumors that it has funding for four years only. This would dispel fears among the Albanian community that SEEU is an academic institution with an uncertain future. Recommendation #8 To encourage SEEU to become more open to the public both to avoid numerous current misperceptions about it and to help ethnic Albanians and Macedonians become more familiar with its current state of implementation (with its academic programs and facilities - via e.g. wider media coverage or repeated Open House Days).

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APPENDICES APPENDIX #1: SELECTED DOCUMENTS OECD, “Statistical data for background purposes of OECD review. Country: Republic of Macedonia”, Center for Educational Policy Studies, Ljubljana, January 2001 Statements of OSCE HCNM, 1994-2001 Arifi, Teuta, “The role of HCNM in the question of higher education in Albanian Language in Macedonia” (unpublished report) Open Society Institute/Macedonia, “The Other in Higher Education Curriculum Contents” (unpublished project description) Van Fleet, James A., Chernenkoff, Sidney et al, “Macedonia: Assistance to Higher, Minority and Bilingual Education. Site Visit Final Report” (USAID Report, 2000) “Macedonia: Prevention Can Work”, Special Report of the United States Institute of Peace, Washington DC, 2000 “Macedonia in Crisis”, British Helsinki Human Rights Group, London 2001 Debates of the European Parliament, “Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management”, 14 March 2001 Centre for Nonviolent Action, Sarajevo: “Exploratory Trip to Macedonia”, 2000 RFE/RL Balkan Reports, 1999-2001 SEE University Academic Years 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 Catalogue, Tetovo 2001 “Inventory Macedonia 1989-1999”, OSI/Macedonia, Skopje 2001 SEEU University Project (29/09/2000) SEEU University Project (modified, 23/11/2000) SEEU Consolidated Statement of Accounts (01/02/2002) Preliminary Costing: Enlargement Project – Life Sciences (04.02.2002) SEEU University Foundation Budget (2002) SEE University Project: Finalizing the Project Budget (2002) Carter, Lynn et al, “An Assessment of Ethnic Relations in Macedonia”, USAID/Macedonia 2000

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Van Fleet, James A, Chernenkoff, Sidney, “Stage Two Report on the Higher Education Project in Macedonia: Participation Recommendations”, USAID/Washington, 2000 “Education Development Strategy 2001-2010”, Ministry of Education and Science, Skopje “Thematic Review of National Policies for Education – FYROM”, Task Force for Education, 05/09/2001 “Report on the Costing of the Implementation of The Framework Agreement. Summary”, EU Mission/Skopje, 2002 “Law on Higher Education”, Skopje, July 2000 (unofficial translation) “Macedonia’s Ethnic Albanians: Bridging the Gap”, International Crisis Group Report for US Institute of Peace, Skopje/Washington, Brussels, August 2000 European Training Foundation, “Labour market – vocational education and training assessment. Former Republic of Yugoslavia”, Torino, January 2001 “Draft Strategy for Development of the Education in Republic of Macedonia”, Ministry of Education, Skopje, 2000 Department of State Human Rights Report/Commission on Human Rights, “Macedonia”, 2000 Fraenkel, Eran, and Broughton, Sally, “Macedonia: Extreme Challenges for the ‘Model’ of Multiculturalism Conflict”, Search for Common Ground, May 2001 “The Question of Albanian language higher education in FYROM”, OSCE/Hague note, January 24, 2000