At the Pedagogical Faculty of the University of Tetova, a special study week for 2023 has commenced, with the theme: “Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity – Diversity as a Method of Research and Reflection,” organized in collaboration with the “Education” Association from Switzerland. During the opening of this event, welcoming speeches were delivered by the Rector, Prof. Dr. Jusuf Zejneli, who stated that such organizations clearly demonstrate the commitment of the University of Tetova to implementing educational, scientific, social, and cultural initiatives. He emphasized, “As a project of particular importance for students and educators, this Special Study Week aims, among other things, to develop and expand the intercultural and transcultural competence of future educators, the new professionals who will graduate from our university. Its implementation aligns precisely with the start of the academic year 2023/24, the day when the doors of the university are open to welcome the professionals of the future. In our era, science has fulfilled its duty, it has achieved unimaginable successes, significantly influencing social developments, such as economic, cultural, technical, and technological progress. ” stated Rector Prof. Dr. Jusuf Zejneli, among other things.
The Dean of the Pedagogical Faculty, Prof. Dr. Lulzim Memeti, presented the concept of this project and the topics that will be explored during this week. Participants will investigate the biodiversity and interculturality, specifically the geographic, historical, psychosocial, linguistic, folkloric, religious, and socio-cultural characteristics of settlements and inhabitants in parts of the Sharr Mountain region.
“We will conduct research through study-oriented excursions, observations, discussions, dialogue, experiences, self-study, self-inquiry, self-determination, and comparisons, using the DIVERSITY method as a research and reflection method. Considering this, we will conduct study visits to the villages of Gjermo, Lavce, Seltse, Vejce, Gajre, Lisec, Shipkovitsa, Brodets, Veshala, and Bozovce. Today, after the solemn opening of the Special Study Week, we will get acquainted with diversity as a research and reflection method, focusing on the characteristics of diversity, privileges, disadvantages, and forms of discrimination,” highlighted Prof. Dr. Lulzim Memeti, the Dean of the Pedagogical Faculty.
The coordinator of the Special Study Week, representing the “Education” Association from Switzerland, Doc. Dr. Mahir Mustafa, stated that the main goal is for students and all other participants to become familiar with the diversity method as a research and reflection tool in various active ways. He mentioned, “It is not enough for a person to just see, hear, live, and enjoy; after all these experiences, one needs to reflect. To reflect in order to understand what one has seen, why they have seen it, how they have seen it, and how they have behaved, and what kind of relationship they had with something they have seen and enjoyed. The goal of the Special Study Week for future students and educators is to develop, enhance, expand, and deepen intercultural competence or, as we call it in professional expressions, transcultural competence. We will not conduct regular lectures within the university premises. Instead, with students in the role of researchers, we will venture outside the university’s premises to rural areas, getting to know the socio-cultural characteristics of the villages in the Sharr Mountain region, and then, on Friday, we will bring them to the university courtyard for a fair,” expressed Doc. Dr. Mahir Mustafa.
The Special Study Week will conclude its activities on October 6, 2023, when a fair will be organized in the university’s courtyard, where study groups will present the biodiversity of the 10 settlements that have been the subject of study.
