On March 7 – on Teacher’s Day, the University of Tetova organized a commemoration academy in honor of the life and work of Prof. Milaim Fejziu, the first president of the Senate of the University of Tetova. At this event were present a significant number of intellectuals, starting from the initiators of the foundation of the University of Tetova, prominent activists, veterans of education, professors, and students.
President of the Senate of the University of Tetova, Prof. Dr. Vullnet Ameti expressed that he feels honored to greet and welcome the participants in this memorial academy dedicated to Professor Milaim Fejziu, one of the founders of the University of Tetova and the first President of the Senate of this institution of higher education in Albanian language. “The organization of this academy in the premises of our university, we believe that will serve as a starting point for the repayment of our obligations to outstanding personalities of the level of Professor Milaim Fejziu and to many other figures who kept alive the spirit of large organizations in the service of fulfillment of our aspirations. His activity is very broad but allow me to single out the participation of Professor Fejzi in Ljubljana, in May 1990, dedicated to the Kosovo issue, where he met many personalities from Kosovo, Slovenia and the Albanian diaspora, where came up the idea to find a non-governmental organization for the protection of human rights and freedoms in Macedonia at that time. After returning from Slovenia, he contacted some well-known intellectuals from Tetovo and Gostivar, informed them of the idea and immediately formed the initiator group which prepared the necessary documentation for the foundation of the organization. In July 1990, they held the founding Assembly and formed the organization Democratic Forum for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in Macedonia, with headquarters in the city of Gostivar. In the founding assembly, professor Milaim Fejziu was elected as the President. After being elected to this position, he was strongly engaged, developed a busy agenda in defense and sensitizing the local and especially the international opinion about the denied rights and the systematic discrimination that was practiced against the Albanians in Macedonia”, – said the President of the Senate, Prof. Dr. Vullnet Ameti.
He further pointed out that the organization that Prof. Milaim Fjeziu, was leading it, had evidenced a multitude of rights violations against Albanians in these areas, but the forum team headed by Professor Fejziu estimated that only by gaining the right to higher education in the mother tongue, other issues would gradually be resolved. “In 1994, his contribution was vital in the foundation and functioning of the University of Tetova and together with the Rector Prof. Dr. Fadil Sulejmani lead and coordinated countless activities in the service of our cause, for higher education in the Albanian language and for the fulfillment of the aspirations of Albanians in these lands, but also beyond. The government of the time refused to recognize the University of Tetova and used the entire arsenal to suppress this university institution by taking even the most arbitrary steps, the arrest and imprisonment of Professor Milaim Fejziu together with the rector Prof. Dr. Fadil Sulejmani and their collaborators, such as: professor Musli Halimi, professor Nevzat Halili and the activist Arben Rusi. After serving the prison sentence, he returned to the University of Tetova and continued to lead the governing body – the Senate of the UT for two terms, until 2002. The role and importance of Professor Milaim Fejziu has been immortalized in the recent history of the Albanian people. For all these and many other values, the first President of the Senate of our University gain permanent respect from all our compatriots wherever they live, ranking him among outstanding personalities. His activity has been and will remain a guide for how an intellectual engages to serve the fulfillment of major objectives. Today, beyond the organization of this commemoration academy, we bow down with respect to the work of Professor Milaim Fejziu, to the suffering of Albanian prisoners, to all of them we express our eternal gratitude and deep thanks for the titanic determination and mission in the service of advancement of our national cause”, – said Prof. Dr. Vullnet Ameti.
The main report for the first president of the Senate of the University of Tetova, Prof. Milaim Fejziu was presented by Prof. Dr. Myqereme Rusi. She said that she and her esteemed friend, Milaim Fejziun, came up with the idea of founding this institution. According to her, they were forced to live out their right to education with many sacrifices, mistreatment, persecution, arrests, murders, and many unforgettable experiences that left deep traces in hundreds of Albanian families in the Republic of North Macedonia, but also those living in the diaspora. “In this ordeal experienced for the establishment and officialization of the University of Tetova for a period of eight years, the entire Albanian nation was involved, for the reason that there was a vital need for this institution. During this journey of time, there are some personalities who were the first to face the difficulties that were created by the side that wanted to continue with the hundreds of years of darkness, for the obstacles of educational development, for education, art, culture, science and the removal of taboos and the progress of the people. Professor Milaim Fejziu was among those personalities. Professor Milaim Fejziu was the President of the Forum for Human Rights and Freedoms and without a guess he joined the initiating group for the foundation of the University of Tetova, as well as being a signatory of the act of its foundation. From the institutional experience that he had made an extraordinary contribution to the implementation of this project. Professor Milaim Fejziu, together with other activists, started raising awareness and international affirmation of this project. He was elected the first President of the Senate of this institution. With the institutional experience he had to manage and balance all the actions to make this university work, against all the contradictions that were presented either by the government or within this institution. Professor Milaim Fejziu had the charisma of a courageous intellectual with a stable character. He was generous, wise, open to everyone, communicative, he listened carefully to everyone, whether a student or a professor, he made time for everyone, extremely dedicated to achieving his goals. He loved the Albanian people, but at the same time he also loved the University”- said the Prof. Dr. Myqereme Rusi.
Like many other Albanian intellectuals, who’s ideal was the progress of the nation, Professor Milaim Fejziu worked tirelessly until his last breath for the advancement of general processes throughout the Albanian territory.
