On 12 October 2026, the LEADALKO Final Symposium, entitled “Leadership Development in Higher Education: From Project Results to Sustainable Impact,” was held at Europe House in Tirana, Albania. The event was organised within the framework of the LEADALKO project – “Leadership Capacities Development in Higher Education across Albania and Kosovo,” co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme.

The symposium brought together representatives of partner institutions, higher education leaders, academic experts, and professionals to discuss leadership development, institutional governance, higher education policy reform, and the sustainability of project results in Albania and Kosovo.

The University “Isa Boletini” in Mitrovica (UIBM) was represented by an academic and administrative delegation comprising Prof. Assoc. Dr. Filloreta Kunoviku Demiri from the Faculty of Economics, the current LEADALKO project coordinator from UIBM; Prof. Assoc. Dr. Zahir Cerkini from the Faculty of Law; Prof. Dr. Zarife Bajraktari from the Faculty of Geosciences; and Burim Hasani, Director of Budget and Finance at UIBM. Prof. Assoc. Dr. Merita Shala, former LEADALKO Project Coordinator for UIBM, also participated in the symposium.

A particularly important role in the symposium was played by Prof. Assoc. Dr. Filloreta Kunoviku Demiri, who chaired the high-level panel discussion entitled “Leadership, Governance and Policy Reform in Higher Education.” The panel brought together experts and representatives of higher education institutions from partner countries to discuss current challenges and future perspectives in university leadership, the improvement of institutional governance, and the advancement of higher education reforms.

The symposium programme featured keynote addresses by international experts and higher education representatives, discussions on leadership and institutional reform, and presentations of institutional change projects developed within LEADALKO. Particular attention was also given to institutional commitments to sustainability, during which partner institutions presented their plans for continuing to implement and embed the project’s results into their institutional practices and strategies beyond the project’s completion.

The participation of the University Isa Boletini in Mitrovica in this symposium represents an important contribution to the exchange of experiences and good practices among partner institutions, the strengthening of regional cooperation, and the advancement of leadership capacities in higher education. Through the engagement of its academic and administrative staff, UIBM reaffirms its commitment to institutional development, improved university governance, and the promotion of effective, inclusive, and sustainable leadership.