The Steering Committee held its regular meeting

Vushtrri, March 17, 2017 – Today at Kosovo Academy for Public Safety (KAPS), was held the fourth meeting of the Steering Committee of the Twinning Project "Support to further education in public security in Kosovo", where the participants during presentation of report assessed that progress has been made in the realization of this project.

Present at this meeting besides the Director General of the Academy, Mr. Ismail Smakiqi, took part Mr. Rafael Nievergelt the representative of the European Union Office in Kosovo, director of the Department for Public Order and Security in the OSCE z.Ake Roghe, the Head of Twinning Project Mrs. Krista Haak, Mr. Laur Tabur the project experts,  Mrs. Ritva Vahakoski, Shpresa Muharremi and Shpresa Mulliqi from the OSCE, Agron Rukiqi from Kosovo Police, Adem Shala of Kosovo Probation Service, Xhavit Fetahaj from Police Inspectorate of Kosovo, Tefta Bytyqi from Kosovo Correctional Service.

The Director Smakiqi greeted the participants in the meeting and expressed his satisfaction to the work of all stakeholders involved in the Twinning Project "Support to further education in public security in Kosovo", funded by the European Union.

The Director Smakiqi thanked the Director of the Department for Public Security in the OSCE Akhe Roghe for his presence saying that all these successes the Academy has achieved since its establishment until today have had continuous support from international partners.

Mr. Smakiqi at this meeting spoke about the Academy Board meeting held this week emphasizing the approval of curricula, professional syllabuses for six public safety agencies.
 
“An extraordinary work is done in the phase that the Academy is going through, we are in front of very important processes which are in the interest of all security agencies. We have done a great job in drafting and revising the curricula in cooperation with the experts of the twinning project, representatives of security agencies, professors, etc", said Smakiqi.

Meanwhile, the representative from the European Union Office Mr. Rafael Nievergelt, expressed his satisfaction with the work of the Academy, assessed that Twinning Project is being successfully implemented.

"I know that every phase of the project has its own challenges, although you have not yet the Master’s program, you already have the experience of a Master facing with the challenges in this project", said Nievergelt,  promising that the EU Office of Kosovo will continue to support the twinning project even further.

“I am very satisfied that the progress of development and research is ongoing, study visits were conducted and it is a strong basis for the Academy. This is an important thing for you if you want to have partners in the future in the field of research at the international level and helps the institution to continue further”, said Nievergelt by being estimated that the re-accreditation process is very important.”

“The most important thing is that we have re-accreditation phase and I believe that everything will go okay, I am positive that we will continue on, and I am convinced that the accreditation will successfully pass on. The EU is here to support Kosovo and Kosovo Academy for Public Safety", said Nievergelt.

By greeting Director Smakiqi he estimated that the Academy is doing a great job every day and becoming more independent institution and this is the goal we have.

The director of the Department for Public Order and Security in the OSCE Mr. Ake Roghe assessed that the Academy is doing a great and important job for the country such as training for members of public safety.

“We expect a lot of things in order that we can face with all the challenges in terms of security and certainly but at the end all depends on training. It's easy to establish some kind of academy, but not everybody can keep at a good level and to meet the new challenges arising every day. I’m greeting the director Mr. Smakiqi and his team who are keeping the Academy on this level. I am really impressed and I am honored that the OSCE to work with Academy, with EU and Public Safety agencies he", said Roghe saying that the development of curricula is a great step forward for the Academy, a crucial step.


While Krista Haak Twinning Project leader said that during her journey as in any project also in this one there are challenges, but I appreciate that half of the mission is completed.

“The curricula are completed and learning outcomes is achieved, the self-evaluation report for re-accreditation for bachelor program is finalized. 24 experts all together who came to support the KAPS in the beginning of the project brought a very good expertise here. I'm very happy for a successful work, but I am much happier for KAPS officials and the Academy as an institution if compared with 5 years ago is very big change. The Academy based in my opinion does not only depend on foreign assistance, the KAPS officials have more confidence and are more willing to do their job“. said Haak.

She said the success of the project stands on three pillars as Mrs. Haak said firstly the experts have been devoted, the second is motivation and a clear vision of the Academy staff and the third is the contribution of agencies.


Avni Gashi acting / director in the National Qualification Authority commend the Academy for the work done so far. "The Authority will be ready collaborating for processes that are ahead us. I hope that in cooperation with stakeholders within the Academy may succeed to solve problems", said Gashi

While Mr. Lauri Tabur the Twinning project Expert, expressed satisfaction that the Public Safety Agencies have contributed to the development of vocational training, because the development of such things as Mr. Tabur said is not the sole responsibility of the Director Smakiqi, but this is a common responsibility.



“The Academy is one of the most important institutions in terms of training because it provides training for the greatest number of employees of public security, since the public security institutions are the biggest employers in security service, and after two years KAPS will be the largest provider of training for the largest number of employees", said Tabur.

During this Project Steering Committee meeting Mrs. Ritva Vahakoski presented a temporary report to the fourth quarter of twinning, report which was assessed a successful one by the audience.

While the representatives of the Public Security Agencies who have presented separately their attitudes about curricula expressed willingness for more cooperation with the Academy in the future by appreciated highly the approval of these curricula from the Academy Board
They highly appreciated the compiling and reviewing the vocational curricula which are made in collaboration with all stakeholders involved in the project.