Kosovo’s young people are more than ready to take on the challenges of the future.
Last week I joined the KosICT Festival in Prishtina, organised by STIKK, the Kosovan ICT association. I talked about the talent in Europe’s youngest country—in the 2024 edition of the Future of IT in Emerging Europe report, Kosovo was ranked first in the region in the ‘education’ subcategory for second year in the row.
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Beyond the rankings and numbers, however, what truly matters are the young people behind them.
I was stunned when a seven-year-old passionately presented a lift made of paper that moved coins up and down. He spoke excellent English, only occasionally asking his teacher for language support. And I was equally moved by an eight-year-old who showed me a stick for blind people (who—as he explained—might not have a guide dog to can help them walk on the street). Together with his ten-year-old friend, the boy had come up with a solution that used sensors.
And then there was the slightly older ones innovators, who demonstrated excellent soft skills. An 18-year-old came up to me at the opening reception and explained that he is a graphic designer and that together with his friends they had created a digital marketing start-up. And that he was learning to speak with prospective clients.
Another was very eager to expand his network and spoke with all almost all of the speakers, despite the fact that—be his own admission—he was not very confident about grabbing a mic and making a comment in public. And when he posed a question to the mayor of Prishtina, he came back and said, ‘It felt really good.”
In the business lounge, I had a chance to speak with a young woman who was very proud of her country—a country in which roughly half of the population is below 30, and wanted to make sure everyone knows its story.
And finally, speaking with a young man in his early twenties about personal reinvention and hearing his reflections just after the reinvention workshop that I ran was a real eye opener. His cyber security and dancing passions, and the transitions he has made, were really inspiring.
I must admit I felt proud that all these people are the future of emerging Europe.
Making a difference
These young leaders embody the best of what Kosovo has to offer: a hunger for learning, an openness to collaboration, and a deep understanding of how empathy and communication are as crucial to their success as any technical ability. They weren’t just there to absorb knowledge; they were there to connect, network, and make a difference.
Their excitement about the future wasn’t just about tech, new gadgets or programming languages; it was about building a global community, with Prishtina as a hub for collaboration. This outlook is what makes Kosovo such a compelling player on the international stage.
Despite its size, the country’s youth have a global mindset, recognising that their work can have an impact far beyond their borders.
As I left Prishtina, one thing became clear: Kosovo’s youth are more than ready to take on the challenges of the future. Their confidence, energy, and sense of purpose were palpable at every turn.
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