At the University of Tetova, the graduation ceremony was held today for students who completed their studies in the academic year 2024/2025. Around one thousand of them graduated from the academic programs of the university’s 13 academic units.At this event, which was attended by this year’s graduates and their parents, the opening remarks were delivered by the Vice-Rector for Finance of the University of Tetova, Prof. Dr. Aida Baftjari–Yzeiri. She described today’s event as one of the most beautiful and meaningful moments in the lives of our students, marking the conclusion of a very important chapter—one that, for many, was challenging but exceptionally rewarding. According to her, this academic journey, which students began with dreams and uncertainties, has now concluded successfully, with smiles and pride.
“Their hearts have beaten strongly with every one of your exams, they have been with you in silence, during the long nights of preparation, in the moments when you felt tired, but never defeated. For this, today, let us thank them from the heart for their unconditional support and for the education they gave you and for honoring us by having you as our students. We have spent fruitful years together in classrooms, seminars, projects, and real-life challenges. From the most technical fields to the human sciences, each one of you has given your best to embrace knowledge and to form yourselves as professionals of tomorrow. Today is the moment when your hard work is crowned with dignity, and our work as the University of Tetova takes on meaning. The future is not always easy. There will be challenges, competition, and sometimes even doubt. But remember: you already possess the most powerful weapons—knowledge, courage, and willpower”, – said Prof. Dr. Aida Baftjari – Yzeiri.
She reminded the students that together they have worked for a better future, where the knowledge gained will be transformed into action, responsibility, and contribution to our society. This significant event for the University of Tetova was honored by the presence of Joseph J. DioGuardi and Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, who, the day before, were awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Tetova.
In their speeches in front of the thousands of participants at the Rectorate Square of the University of Tetova, they conveyed a clear message about the historical and current importance of the University of Tetova as a symbol of Albanian identity, and the role of the diaspora and international friends in supporting the rights of Albanians in the Balkans. They spoke about the importance of education in the advancement of peoples, the progress of processes, and the strengthening of democracy. Their presence at this event of the University of Tetova not only reminded everyone of past sacrifices but also delivered a powerful message for the future—that the right to education in one’s mother tongue, equality, and inclusion are not demands of the past, but enduring values that must be protected and strengthened every day.
On behalf of the graduates, specifically the Class of 2024/2025, the opening speech was delivered by Anila Ajro, an outstanding student at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Tetova. Reflecting on the past, she brought to attention the stories written with sacrifice, which, according to her, are the stories of the first generations of this university. These stories embody the sacrifices of ordinary people who did extraordinary things—turning their homes into schools, their dining tables into desks, and their rooms into classrooms.
“Today, we are not only celebrating the closing of a chapter, but we are celebrating resilience, effort, and the belief that never faded. We celebrate the challenges we overcame and the fulfillment of our dreams, staying more inspired than ever for even bigger dreams. But today belongs to each of us, to everyone who is here today. You were the inspiration for this wonderful journey. To our parents and loved ones, who were the voice of faith when we doubted, and our light after every moment of exhaustion. To the faculty staff who, with tireless work, made what we now call our dream come true. Especially to our professors, who challenged us and inspired us by their example, not only to learn but also to be useful people in society, showing us that: education is not just learning, it is formation. To our fellow travelers, who with every help, collaboration, and laugh, were our right hand in challenges and the most beautiful memory of these years. Today, we hold in our hand’s knowledge, as the most precious legacy of those who believed in a future. Knowledge is what illuminates the future and leads a people. Ahead of us is a life that does not wait for us, but challenges us. Let us embrace it with honesty and courage. Let us become professionals who do not only seek personal success, but who create impact, serve, and change society”, – declared Anila Ajro.
The main speech at this solemn ceremony was delivered by the Rector of the University of Tetova, Prof. Dr. Jusuf Zejneli, who stated that this significant event highlighted the great successes of the over 30-year activity of the University of Tetova. He emphasized that this day is the culmination of a shared journey built with effort, dedication, and unwavering belief in knowledge and in the future.
“Today, around 1,000 graduates from various fields—medicine, engineering, history, pedagogy, psychology, law, economics, linguistics—successfully complete their university journey. Together with their families and professors, they celebrate an achievement that, for each of us, represents more than just a diploma—it represents a battle won for knowledge, for development, and for dignity. In the radiance of your eyes, a special emotion is clearly read—joy, pride, but also a mixed feeling of nostalgia for the years you are leaving behind. As Albert Einstein once said: “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think”. You have now learned to think, to analyze, to create, and this is the strongest weapon any young person can have in a world that changes every day. Today, the University of Tetova resonates beyond its walls, beyond our city, extending its influence to all Albanian territories. Today, it is a symbol of our identity, resilience, and national progress”, – declared the Rector of the University of Tetova.
Continuing his speech, he expressed that at a time when technology, information, and globalization open new doors every day, students are now prepared to be active participants in this reality. An opportunity that, according to him, was once not possible for many of their parents. Rector Prof. Dr. Jusuf Zejneli also thanked the professors for every lecture hour, for every piece of advice, and for every challenge they turned into an opportunity to make the University of Tetova a place of education, science, and culture—a model university not only in our country but also beyond.
Meanwhile, in his message to the parents of the graduates, he stated that on this special day, all sacrifices are rewarded with the diploma of their children, the day when everyone feels proud.
The program of the graduation ceremony for this academic year’s graduates concluded with musical performances by the Professor of the Faculty of Arts, Bajramali Idrizi, and Arianit Ramadani—a student of the same faculty. The graduation of the graduates is a significant event, a testimony to the substantial progress made at the University of Tetova, and proof that this institution has approached education and scientific research with seriousness.
After the graduation ceremony, friends of our University, Joseph J. DioGuardi and Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, paid a visit to the Historical Museum of the University of Tetova. In this museum, where the first lectures were held in the academic year 1994/1995, documents, photographs and other evidence are preserved that reflect the difficult journey of this educational institution. But, thanks to the support of the United States, this journey was crowned with success, transforming the University of Tetova into a well-known institution within the country and in the international arena.
