This paper explores the ongoing decisions and evaluations by stakeholders involved at a university in a stable multilingual context currently on the cusp of deciding for an additional, international language of education. The site in question is the University of Prizren, located in the young Republic of Kosovo. The region of Prizren is an established multilingual context, featuring Albanian, Bosnian and Turkish as official lingua-cultural groups, where the University of Prizren provides education in all three community languages, with some variation depending on subject and staff availability. Since the late 1990 s at the university and in wider society, lower levels of bi-or multilingualism in the community languages have led to decreased societal mixing across established cultural groups, a fact which becomes a factor in the university’s language policy decisions. Findings show different stakeholders’ perceptions regarding language choice in various domains within the university.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can support and strengthen responses to the environmental challenges faced today. However, the sustainability knowledge–action gap remains mostly unbridged. This article examines communication as a lever for learning and behavior change in sustainability education and compares the use of communication in conventional delivery and a narrative, dialogic and affective communication mode in secondary, university and community-based learning settings in a mixed-methods experimental study. Quantitative measures (pre-, post-, follow-up) included knowledge, systems thinking, emotional engagement, motivation and self-reported sustainable behaviors. Qualitative data, including interviews, observations and action research projects, were also collected to gain deeper insights into learner engagement with knowledge, systems thinking, emotional engagement and motivation. Results suggest that participants in the catalytic communication condition felt more cognitively and emotionally engaged than the control condition, and displayed more long-term pro-environmental behavior. Mediation analysis suggests that the increase in pro-environmental behavior may be driven by an increase in feelings of empathy and hope associated with the learning experience. This supports the understanding that tailored communication can help to reduce the knowledge–action gap in ESD and provides additional insights into the usefulness of cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of sustainability-oriented pedagogical approaches.

Background English language proficiency is increasingly vital for higher education institutions due to globalization and the internationalization of academic programs. In Kosovo, public universities are experiencing similar pressures to adopt English as a medium of communication and instruction. Methods This study investigates how academic staff perceive their English language proficiency and its influence on their academic responsibilities and institutional roles. A mixed-method case study was conducted involving 336 academic staff members from all public universities in Kosovo. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via email between October and December 2024. The survey included both closed- and open-ended questions assessing self-perceived language proficiency, usage in professional contexts, and attitudes toward English in higher education. Results Revealed that most lecturers rated their English proficiency as “good” or “very good,” and a majority acknowledged the importance of English for academic work, publication, and international collaboration. While English was not a formal job requirement for many, respondents agreed that it facilitates research, access to academic resources, and professional networking. Key challenges included lack of formal training and limited institutional support. Open-ended responses emphasized the role of English in improving academic quality, access to international literature, and communication with foreign colleagues. English language proficiency plays a crucial role in the academic and professional development of university staff in Kosovo. Despite institutional gaps in formal language policies, the increasing demand for English in research, teaching, and international engagement signals the need for strategic support in language development. Conclusion This study highlights the urgency of aligning institutional goals with language competence to ensure quality and competitiveness in the global academic arena.

Background As learning experiences are increasingly mediated through digital platforms, educational settings are increasingly vulnerable to being drawn into the logic of surveillance, personalization, and exploitation of data. These dynamics impose dominant ideologies on platform technologies, risking the restriction of pedagogical freedom and democratic engagement. Therefore, the need for emancipatory pedagogical practices and critical digital literacies is becoming increasingly urgent. Methods Grounded in sociocultural and ecological theoretical frameworks, this study draws on qualitative evidence from interviews with teachers. The analysis explores how educators navigate tensions between pedagogical goals and platform constraints, particularly in relation to resisting algorithmic determinism and reclaiming learner agency. Results Findings highlight a range of teacher-initiated interventions that promote transparency, ethical engagement with data, and collective critical examination of digital platforms. Special emphasis is given to how teachers engage students in investigating the socio-political implications of platform use e.g. algorithmic bias, datafication, and commercial exploitation. Conclusion This paper offers theoretical and practical insight into how educators can reclaim digital space as a domain of democratic engagement and critical inquiry. In doing so, this study contributes to broader calls for reimagining the role of education in a platform society from passive adoption to actively transforming technological platform use through critical pedagogical strategies and institutional support.

This study explores the intellectual and personal development of English Language students in study abroad programs, with an emphasis on the benefits of immersion in the target country. Thirty students from the University "Ukshin Hoti" Prizren, enrolled in graduate and undergraduate studies abroad, were interviewed and surveyed using questionnaires to show their attitudes and experiences. The findings show that immersion helped significantly in acquiring the language. This is consistent with the fact that most of these students, having begun learning English at primary level and self-assessed themselves as already being well-equipped before studying abroad, further built a solid foundation through immersion to excel in English. Studying abroad was regarded as a gateway to career success, and as making them more marketable in the global employment market by providing them with bilingual competence and intercultural awareness that is needed in workplaces that are ever more globalized. The case study informs an understanding of how study abroad provision can have an influence on students' future engagement with the language. Participants reported substantial improvement in their capacity to think in English more directly rather than translating from Albanian - a measure of the effect of study abroad on language learning and individual transformation.

Background As learning experiences are increasingly mediated through digital platforms, educational settings are increasingly vulnerable to being drawn into the logic of surveillance, personalization, and exploitation of data. These dynamics impose dominant ideologies on platform technologies, risking the restriction of pedagogical freedom and democratic engagement. Therefore, the need for emancipatory pedagogical practices and critical digital literacies is becoming increasingly urgent. Methods Grounded in sociocultural and ecological theoretical frameworks, this study draws on qualitative evidence from interviews with teachers. The analysis explores how educators navigate tensions between pedagogical goals and platform constraints, particularly in relation to resisting algorithmic determinism and reclaiming learner agency. Results Findings highlight a range of teacher-initiated interventions that promote transparency, ethical engagement with data, and collective critical examination of digital platforms. Special emphasis is given to how teachers engage students in investigating the socio-political implications of platform use e.g. algorithmic bias, datafication, and commercial exploitation. Conclusion This paper offers theoretical and practical insight into how educators can reclaim digital space as a domain of democratic engagement and critical inquiry. In doing so, this study contributes to broader calls for reimagining the role of education in a platform society from passive adoption to actively transforming technological platform use through critical pedagogical strategies and institutional support.