For the fourth consecutive year, the Special Study Week has begun, with the topic: “Natural Diversity – Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity – Interculturality”. This special study week is organized by the Faculty of Pedagogy at the University of Tetova in collaboration with the Association “Education” from Switzerland.

At the official opening of this week’s activities, the Rector of UT, Prof. Dr. Jusuf Zejneli, emphasized that through the activities carried out during the Special Study Week, a unique opportunity will be offered to examine these two forms of diversity side by side, understanding how they intersect and influence each other. “As we face the accelerated impacts of climate change, habitat destruction, and species extinction, it becomes clearer every day that we must deepen our understanding of how to preserve this rich diversity of life. Similarly, cultural diversity is the lifeblood of human society. In our increasingly globalized world, the ability to embrace and appreciate differences, while fostering dialogue and understanding, is more vital than ever,” stated Rector, Prof. Dr. Jusuf Zejneli.

This year, the Special Study Week will take place in the mountainous villages surrounding the Municipality of Bogovinje. In his speech, the Mayor of Bogovinje, Besnik Emshiu, thanked the organizers for selecting the villages of the Municipality Bogovinje to study and explore the natural diversity, biodiversity, and cultural diversity of these mountain settlements. He also added that the Municipality of Bogovinje will assist in the implementation of this educational, academic, and scientific project.

The Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Dr. Lulzim Mehmedi, presented the agenda of the activities to be carried out during the Special Study Week: “This year’s topic, “Natural Diversity – Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity – Interculturality”, is a call to explore and reflect on the richness of our nature and cultures. The first two days of this week will focus on learning and studying, emphasizing the diversity of teaching and learning methods. The main goal is to learn how to learn and study how to study, by deeply and critically analyzing our attitudes, behaviors, and actions toward diversity on micro-, meso-, exo-, and macro-levels. The method ‘Diversity as a method of research and reflection’ will be used for this purpose. During these two days, more than 90 third- and fourth-year students from the Faculty of Education will participate in creative workshops. The outcomes of these workshops will be presented on the concluding day of the Special Study Week 2024,” said Prof. Dr. Lulzim Mehmedi.

The representative of the Association “Education” from Switzerland, Asst. Prof. Dr. Mahir Mustafi, said that together with the Faculty of Pedagogy at the University of Tetova, they began this journey several years ago, and this faculty aspires to be a leader in this direction. “It is enough for those who think and talk about reforms to come to the Faculty of Education, particularly to its classrooms or corridors, to see, learn, and understand how reform is done. Today’s students, the future teachers, will be the carriers of these initiatives for serious changes because they, together with preschool educators from Kumanovo to Ohrid and Struga, believe in the power of change and development, which leads to the happiness of both the individual and society as a whole. I believe that the only hope for the future is to embrace a new concept of human ecology. A concept in which we develop our ideas about the wealth of human abilities,” emphasized Asst. Prof. Dr. Mahir Mustafi.

This year, the Special Study Week will include visits to the villages of Dolno Palčište, Novake, Urviç, Jelovjane, Novo Selo, Rakovec, and Selce Keč, where discussions will be held with village and school representatives, along with activities with students. Additionally, a podium will be organized at the estaurant”Dardani” r to introduce the cultural characteristics of the village of Bogovinje and its surroundings.

The Special Study Week will conclude with the sociocultural and educational fair “Diversity.” The activities and presentations will take place in the courtyard of the Elementary School “Abdyl Frashëri” in Bogovinje, starting at 2:00 PM. Seven individuals, together with the students, will present seven biodiversity and cultural features of the settlements they come from