The University of Michigan Department of Anthropology announced the completion of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the newly established Institute of Anthropology at the University of Prishtina (Republic of Kosova). The MOU, which outlines mutual research and educational interests, was signed by U-M Anthropology Department Chair Kelly Askew, the Niara Sudarkasa Collegiate Professor of Anthropology and Afroamerican & African Studies, and Dr. Arsim Canolli, professor of anthropology and the newly-elected head of the institute. 

Regarding the new MOU, Canolli said, "It’s a pleasure to mark the inauguration of the Institute of Anthropology by formalizing our first collaboration with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. As a young country, building connections with American and European institutions is essential. These partnerships not only provide valuable opportunities for our students and staff but also strengthen the bonds between our institutions and countries."

Professor Mike Galaty speaks at the inauguration of the Institute of Anthropology at the University of Prishtina (Kosova). Photo: University of Prishtina Institute of Anthropology.

Michael Galaty, U-M anthropology professor and director/curator of the Museum of Anthropological Archaeology (UMMAA), spoke at the institute’s inauguration event in Prishtina on Friday, Oct. 4. According to Galaty, who is advising the institute, the MOU is intended to encourage collaborative research and educational efforts between the two universities. Examples could include faculty, student, and research exchanges. 

"We have graduate students who are operating in the country, so the institute could support them and facilitate their work,” Galaty said. “I have undergraduates who've come with me to Kosova. Students from the University of Prishtina have come and worked with us in the field, so our undergraduates have gotten to know their undergraduates. The MOU could encourage more of that kind of educational interaction and exchange."

U-M Anthropology has developed several connections to the University of Prishtina over the years, beginning with their rare shared identity as four-field anthropology programs: both offer training in the diverse subfields of anthropological archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology. In addition, Professor Askew’s former Ph.D. student Nita Luci was a University of Prishtina faculty member, and Galaty and his students have conducted archaeological research in the region for the past six years. 

"Our department's ties to the University of Prishtina were initially forged in partnership with Dr. Luci, now the Kosova Ambassador to Norway, who received her Ph.D. from our department in 2013," explained Askew. "Dr. Luci went on to serve as a faculty member, then chair, of the Department of Anthropology at U. Prishtina before being tapped for her current position. Meanwhile, Mike Galaty's longstanding ties and ongoing archaeological research in Kosova further strengthened our collaboration, which we happily formalize with this MOU."

Professor Galaty and team excavate in Kosova as part of their RAPID-K research project. Photo: RAPID-K.

Galaty’s research project, titled "Regional Archaeology in the Peja and Istog Districts of Kosova" (RAPID-K), involves surveying for potential archaeological sites. He and his team are working on a book based on the results of their survey work and have begun excavations based on their findings. Anthro graduate students Erina Baci, Zhaneta Gjyshja, and Julian Schultz are all involved in excavation work in the region. 

Anthropology doctoral student Erina Baci conducts research in the Dukagjin region of Western Kosova. Photo: Erina Baci.

According to the University of Prishtina’s website, the new Institute of Anthropology was made possible through a university support grant from the United States Embassy in Prishtina. The institute’s inauguration was attended by the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Kosova, His Excellency Jeffrey M. Hovenier, himself an undergraduate anthropology major. Ambassador Hovenier provided the following comments regarding the MOU:

"The launch of the Institute of Anthropology at the University of Pristina is another step in a shared effort to protect and promote Kosovo’s rich and diverse cultural legacy. I am confident the institute will become an essential center for study and appreciation of Kosovo’s cultural diversity. I am proud that this institute has been made possible through U.S. Embassy Pristina’s University Support Program. I am also pleased to see the University of Michigan conclude an MOU with the University of Pristina to promote cooperation in anthropological education and scientific research. I am confident that this partnership between the University of Michigan and the University of Pristina will benefit both institutions. More broadly, we welcome increased U.S.-Kosovo educational exchange, collaboration, and cooperation as that will enhance the capacities and strengthen ties between our two countries. As I remarked at the launch of the Institute of Anthropology, 'The more we understand the past and more we understand the present and all of our diversity, the more we can understand ourselves.' This MOU will help achieve this goal."

Faculty and students who are interested in learning more about opportunities to work with the University of Prishtina (or in Kosova) are encouraged to contact Professor Galaty.