Gazmend Qorraj

Kosovo

EGEI 2003 – 2004

During the EGEI studies, we learned about positive and negative spillover effects, economic shocks of EU integration and globalization. We also learned how to absorb its effects. But the biggest positive shock for us was to learn how to deal with the different personal, cultural and professional views of our classmates. These different cultural backgrounds provided a good opportunity for debates and constructive interaction throughout our studies. It helped me to understand other cultures, embrace them and made me grow as a person.

EGEI boosted my professional career: I became a National Representative for my country of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, the voice of Kosovo in Brussels. I was adviser to two Prime Ministers on EU integration issues and continued at different positions in politics and education. Internationally, the impact of EGEI was of a tremendous importance to me, as in 2011 I got a Jean Monnet Chair, as an example of excellence on EU studies.

The EGEI master is still very useful for me, as I continued to cooperate with the EGEI partner universities: mainly with the University of Antwerp and Staffordshire University but also with staff from other partner universities. These professional links are the biggest asset for a person who intends to be up-to-date with the latest scientific, professional and human developments and as such need to be continuously strengthened.