Within the Entrepreneurship Project supported by the US Embassy in Prishtina, a ceremony was held at the UBT for the selection of the best business plans
20/01/2015On the campus of the UBT a ceremony was held today for the selection of business plans, carried out within the Entrepreneurship Project supported by the US Embassy in Prishtina.
From nearly 40 business plans, carried out by around 200 students, with the support of their professors, today the best conducted business-plans were selected and their drafters were awarded with diplomas.
Also present at the ceremony was the Project Leader for Entrepreneur of the US Embassy, Mr. Kanishka Gangopadhyay, other guests, teachers, students and media representatives.
The Rector of the UBT, Dr. Edmond Hajrizi, in a speech at the opening ceremony, stressed the continuing commitment of the UBT to support students in the realization of projects in the field of entrepreneurship and in other fields, and thanked the Embassy of the United States in Prishtina for the support of the Entrepreneurship Project and other projects of the UBT.
“We have received support from the US Embassy to promote entrepreneurship in the UBT and Kosovo. The aim of the project is the as big as possible promotion of entrepreneurship, which is considered as one of the greatest potentials which can have influence in development and employment. To increase employment there are two ways: first, to develop our existing enterprises, to generate development and higher employment and, second, to create new enterprises”, said Mr. Hajrizi.
From the aspect of market analysis, entrepreneurship in Kosovo has very big opportunities and options of development, given the fact that the Kosovars have a spirit of entrepreneurship, he said.
“We want that our students, before having completed their studies, gain knowledge and competency for entrepreneurship. You know that entrepreneurship and innovation are the terms which are used mostly in schools and in all developments which are considered successful. Entrepreneurship does not only mean to open new businesses, but to have entrepreneurship competency both within the organization and to create a proactive approach, new ideas, new models, to meet the needs and demands of the market and the customer, in the best and most fast way”, said Hajrizi.
The Entrepreneurship Project includes a range of activities, starting from debate, from the idea up to the business-plans. The idea is that the debate on this field to go even outside the UBT and to include the whole society. Also part of the project will be a publication, a professional scientific magazine in the field of entrepreneurship, which will include analyzes and cases of success in entrepreneurship, so that others will also have access and see the developments in this field, explained Hajrizi.
Also, within the project, the Library for entrepreneurship will be created, where all interested parties will have access to information from this field.
Also part of the project will be a virtual incubator. The idea is that the citizens and students do not always need to stand at a table, but to also be able to get services, to communicate and to lead the incubation phase in virtual forms. A very modern platform will be created, which will be a powerful support for young entrepreneurs, said Hajrizi.
Thanking once more the US Embassy, Mr. Hajrizi stressed that the whole project will be finalized by the end of March.
Mr. Hajrizi stressed that the UBT is finalizing the new building of the Innovative Campus of the UBT, which will be a great support for new ideas up to their realization. This campus is part of the International Scientific Technology Organization, which enables the networking with all technology parks in the world and the exchange of experiences and knowledge.
“2015 will be the year of the creation of a more supportive environment for young entrepreneurs, with a greater volume than what we are used to in Kosovo. For this, I thank all those who helped us, especially the US Embassy, not only for the financial support, but also for the promotion of entrepreneurship in the region of the Western Balkans and Kosovo. You know that the culture of entrepreneurship comes from the USA and we are interested to learn from this experience”, said the Rector of the UBT, Mr. Edmond Hajrizi.
The leader of the Entrepreneurship Project of the US Embassy, Mr. Kanishka Gangopadhyay said that the main purpose of the US Embassy in Kosovo is the development of the private economy and entrepreneurship is the main way to developing the economy of Kosovo and the economy of the Balkans.
“We are very pleased with the cooperation between the UBT and the US Embassy and I hope that we will cooperate at other times. I want to thank the students for the interest shown in the field of entrepreneurship, the Rector and the project team. I have been in Kosovo for more than a year and a half and I have seen that the Kosovars are very talented in the business field. I think that we can cooperate to develop the concept. You need to modernize the approach for entrepreneurship and we can help in this direction”, stressed Mr. Gangopadhyay.
In the continuation of the ceremony the selected business plans which have been realized in the best manner were presented from more than 40 realized projects.
The first place, for the realized project, belonged to the project called “Glass Recycling”, an idea for a glass recycling company. Authors of this project were students: Florian Piraj, Perparim Salihu, Mimoza Braha, Njazi Shehu and Uran Cabra.
Two business plans were awarded with the second place: “Fish’n’Chips”, a project for a fish and French fries shop, an idea realized by students Pajtim Shala, Shpend Zhuja, Leutrim Sopjani, Daut Ibrahimi and Faton Latifi, and the business plan called “ProBike”, an idea to create a company which provides and promotes the use of bicycles by the citizens of Prishtina, carried out by students Teuta Dervishi, Armira Fetoshi, Palush Doda, Kaltrina Mehmeti and Erza Mehmeti.
The business plan “BioShop” was awarded with the third place, an idea for a shop of bio organic products, carried out by students Marigona Xhemajli, Dina Demiri, Fatbardha Pacolli, Donika Ismaili and Anesa Hoxha.