Drake is honored to welcome the President of the Republic of Kosovo, H.E. Dr. Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, to campus on Wednesday, Oct. 25. President Osmani will participate in a moderated discussion in Sheslow Auditorium from 10–11 a.m. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend this special event. Professor Deb DeLaet will lead the discussion, followed by an audience Q&A. Registration is required.
If you would like to ask a question of President Osmani, please submit your question in advance by Oct. 23 to global@drake.edu. Questions will be pre-selected for the Q&A portion of the discussion.
This event is part of the Iowa-Kosovo relationship that first started when the Iowa National Guard and the Kosovo Security Force partnered in 2011. Soon after, in 2013, the State of Iowa and the Republic of Kosovo became sister states. Kosovo opened a consulate in Des Moines in 2016, located on Court Avenue. This consulate remains Iowa’s only foreign diplomatic office.
Drake has a strong history of engagement with Kosovo since 2017, starting with an official partnership agreement with the Ministry of Education. Since then, Drake has partnered with the Ministry and other entities in Kosovo in several ways, including:
- Faculty from the School of Education have led several teaching workshops at multiple universities in Kosovo and have partnered with Kosovar professors on joint research.
- Students and faculty participated in a J-Term travel seminar in 2019: Kosovo: Repairing and Rebuilding.
- Recent Drake graduates have worked at non-profit organizations and corporations in Kosovo as part of Drake’s Working Worldwide program.
- Three students attended the University of Prishtina’s international summer program in 2023.
- Current education students can complete an international student teaching placement at the International Learning Group (ILG) school in Prishtina.
- In addition, the Law School is currently hosting Zahir Çerkini, Professor at the University of Mitrovica Faculty of Law in Kosovo, as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar for the fall semester. Drake previously hosted two Kosovar Fulbright Scholars in Fall 2019.
President Osmani’s visit to campus is one of many ways Drake is weaving global thinking and intercultural learning into the Drake experience.
About Dr. Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu – President of the Republic of Kosovo
Dr. Vjosa Osmani Sadriu is the sixth President of the Republic of Kosovo. President Osmani was elected on April 4, 2021, having previously served as the Speaker of Parliament and after being elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) of the Republic of Kosovo in five consecutive mandates. She graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Prishtina and received her master’s and doctorate degrees in international law from the University of Pittsburgh.
The President of the Republic of Kosovo is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Kosovo Security Force and leads the country’s foreign policy, as per Kosovo’s constitution. As a staunch advocate for an impartial and professional justice system, President Osmani has strongly supported extensive rule of law reforms in Kosovo.
As President, Vjosa Osmani has relentlessly championed women’s rights, with regards to participation of women in processes of peace and security as well as their economic and political empowerment. The President is devoted to raising awareness for and supporting children with special needs. She is also committed to the empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalized groups in Kosovo. The President’s work has also focused on ensuring that action on climate change starts from the individual and gains further support at the highest political levels. In addition, empowerment of youth in different areas, from information technology to political decision making, has been an important part of the work of the President.
Read more about President Osmani
