REFLECTIONS ON THIRD LEVEL ACCREDITATION IN POST-CRISIS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THE CASE OF KOSOVA

Higher Education Institutions (HEI's) in new countries play an important role in the development of such countries for future stability. In post-conflict developing countries a stabilised higher education system is crucial for the creation of sustainable growth and social development. This creates tremendous and increasing demands upon state funded Higher Education. Also, governmental Universities are often, due to bureaucratic or other constraints, typically inflexible in management structure and often lack the dynamism to cope with these demands in a reasonable time. Therefore, in countries like Kosova, more flexible private HEI's attempt to fill this gap in cooperation with governmental institutions. This preliminary working paper reports the recent developments and experiences of HEI accreditation for private universities in Kosovo. It reflects upon the implications for unstable and poorly managed accreditation review processes, and recommendations that relatively high performing private HEIs be better insulated and supported within state HEI systems.