UBT Rector Among the Five Top Global Higher Education Leaders Recognized by Triple E Awards

25/08/2025

Another international recognition for Kosova and higher education: The Founder and Rector of UBT, Prof. Dr. Edmond Hajrizi, has been selected among the five most distinguished global leaders for the prestigious Triple E Awards – University Leader of the Year (Global Category).

This selection places Rector Hajrizi alongside personalities who have transformed higher education and its role in society, making UBT a unique example of innovation, development, and vision at an international level.

In this highly competitive category, the other finalists alongside Rector Hajrizi are:

Nuno Fernandes – President, American Public University System (United States)

Marie-Josée Lamothe – Director, McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship (Canada)

Christina Ionescu – Mount Allison University (Canada)

Zaur Samadov – Trinity College Dublin & Open Incubator (Ireland)

Rector Hajrizi was recognized for his proven transformative leadership in higher education. As the visionary founder of UBT, he has built an ecosystem that positions the university as a driver of innovation, sustainability, and social renewal.

From the founding of UBT with only 29 students in 2004 to its development into a national leading institution with over 15,000 students today, he has integrated entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and sustainability at every level.

Under his leadership, UBT has generated over 100 spin-offs, more than 1,000 jobs annually, and launched initiatives such as the UBT Accelerator, Innovation Camp, and Digital Innovation Center. Internationally recognized for the development of a smart campus, renewable energy initiatives, and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), his work demonstrates how universities can serve as engines of economic growth and social progress.

Being among these distinguished global leaders is a testament to Rector Hajrizi’s visionary leadership, international recognition, and his sustained contribution to higher education and society.