On November 11 and 12, 2022, at the “Kadri Zeka” Public University in Gjilan, the proceedings of the 17th International Interdisciplinary Conference “The role of technology in shaping society” were held. The co-organizers of this conference are about 20 local and international institutions, while the co-organizer is the “Isa Boletini” University in Mitrovica, where the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Assoc. Dr. Besim Gollopeni. The conference is conducting proceedings in a plenary session, in separate sessions and joint sessions, where 162 papers with a total of 264 authors, co-authors and other scientific and professional contributors from 22 different countries of the region and the world have been presented for presentation.

The topics of the conference were: Culture, Arts, Public Sphere and Communication; Population, Migration and Diaspora; Education and Sports; Politics, Democracy, Integration and Law; Religion; Collective Behavior and Social Movements; Marriage, Family, Welfare, Social Policy and Community; Childhood, youth, leisure, aging and gender; Work, Professions, Organization, Urban and Rural Affairs; Comparative Studies, Public Health, Deviance and Social Control; Ethnic relations, nationalism, human rights; Digitization and Innovation.

The opening of the proceedings of the Conference was made by the Rector of UKZ, Prof. Dr. Bajram Kosumi, who congratulated everyone for organizing the conference, wishing you good work.

The works of the conference are greeted by the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr. Dukagjin PUPOVCI, Geron KABERI – Executive Director of the Center for School Leadership (CSHK), Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Assoc. Dr. Besim GOLLOPENI as well as representatives of the organizational institutions of the conference.

While the Rector of UKZ, Prof. Dr. Bajram Kosumi has donated the baton to Ismail Qemali University, from Vlora, Albania, for the organization of the next international conference (2023): “Social capital and the public sphere in contemporary society”.

The proceedings of the conference were directed and moderated by Prof. Assoc. Dr. Xhevdet THACI.