PRISTINA, 28 October 2026 – 7 secondary schools from Kosovo, selected under the 5th Superschools Open Call, presented their regional partnerships and new project ideas during the “Meet the Superschools” event part of Superschools programme, an initiative co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GMbH together with the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).
The selected schools are partnering with schools from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Their joint projects use intercultural learning, non-formal education and cooperation between school communities to support dialogue, inclusion, peacebuilding and stronger connections among young people across the Western Balkans.
The 5th Open Call is part of Superschools 3.0, which aims to support 165 bilateral school partnerships involving 330 secondary schools and 660 teachers. These partnerships will implement 330 exchanges, engaging approximately 3,960 young people across four open calls. The current phase also introduces the selected schools to the project’s objectives, implementation approach, and opportunities, helping them prepare for the successful implementation of their exchanges.
Representatives of the selected schools were joined by the Acting Head of EU in Kosovo, Alexis Hupin, Ambassador Rainer Rudoph, German Embassy, Krenare Gashi – Krasniqi, Head of Local Branch Office, and other institutional partners.
A conversation focused on schools and partnership
Institutional representatives discussed why the work of schools is important for peacebuilding and regional cooperation, why long-term support for Superschools matters, and what message should be sent to schools beginning the new project cycle.
“Peace can begin in the classroom, but it cannot end there”, said Krenare Gashi-Krasniqi, Head of RYCO Local Branch Office in Kosovo. “Through five cycles of Superschools, we have seen how education and youth cooperation can challenge stereotypes and build trust across the Western Balkans.
With Kosovo’s Education Strategy 2035+ offering an important opportunity, now is the time to make Peace Education a more sustainable part of our education system. At RYCO, we stand ready to contribute our experience and expertise to turn this vision into action”.
“From my own experience youth exchanges have led to a profound understanding of the other country – in my case France – and shifted my perspective – oftentimes leading to a longstanding connection. The institutions facilitating exchanges are key – that’s why it’s great to see RYCO with the support of the EU and Germany starting the next round of the Superschools program” said Rudolph Rainer, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany.
“The foundations of peace and tolerance are laid in classrooms, where young people learn to respect differences, challenge stereotypes and build trust,” said Hupin, highlighting that the European integration itself began as a peace project.
Coffee with the Superschools
A central part of the programme was “Coffee with the Superschools,” an informal and facilitated session bringing school representatives into direct conversation with donor, ministry and RYCO representatives. The schools discussed the impact of earlier exchanges, what motivates them to continue, what they have gained through their partnerships and what they expect from the new cycle.
The selected schools presented concise overviews of their new projects and signed their Partnership Agreements during the event. The signing represented a shared commitment to the next cycle of cooperation and connected the schools’ previous experience with their plans for the new exchanges.
Projects involving schools from Kosovo include “Building Sustainable Bridges through Intercultural Dialogue, Youth Leadership, and Homestays”, “Beyond Borders, United Hearts”, “Ghosts of the Past, Present, and Future”, “Together We Can”, “Finding Talents – United for Arts”, “Sounds Unite Us”, and “Shared Homes, Shared Stories”.
FULL LIST OF SELECTED SCHOOLS CAN BE FOUND HERE
RYCO congratulates the selected schools and looks forward to supporting them as they transform their project ideas into meaningful learning experiences for students, teachers and school communities.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.