Methods from Lund inspire cultural strategy for Kosovo

In October 2024, Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth attended, Lund University and Future by Lund, in the panel “Creative Economy in Perspective — Creative potential as a driving force for sustainable social and economic development in Kosovo” together with four ministers from the Government of Kosovo and UNDP expert Dr. Gökçe Dervişoğlu. In addition, Birgitta Persson from Future by Lund participated in a coordination meeting on the Kosovo Strategy for Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (KKSN) with officials from responsible ministries. In this context, it was decided that work on Kosovo's KKSN strategy to create a vision that both promotes sustainable growth, empowers creative people and ensures that knowledge and talent develop together is now started. In this work, the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Education of Kosovo will work under the guidance of policy expert Kushtrim Canolli.

Lund University and Future by Lund have been running the project during the year Tu pa, Tu live in Kosovo together with UN Habitat and the cultural organization Anibar. The project explores and tests the conditions for innovation and development of KKSNs in Kosovo and is funded by The Swedish Embassy in Kosovo. As the aim of Kosovo's new KKSN-strategy is to be in line with EU policy, a large part of Charlottes Lorentz Hjorth's presentation dealt with the development of innovation policies for the cultural and creative sectors in Europe, which Future by Lund and Lund University are involved in through ekip project. In this EU project, stakeholders from many parts of Europe are involved in working on policies for the industry in the EU. The role of Future by Lund and Lund University in the work on Kosovo strategy is to contribute with methods for innovation, portfolios, ecosystems and with connectivity to the EU via team.

- The creative economy represents the intersection of culture, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, with the potential to drive sustainable economic growth, create employment and strengthen our cultural identity, writes Kushtrim Canolli on his LinkedIn page. Our task force's mission is to develop a comprehensive strategy that not only supports the expansion of creative businesses but also inspires the next generation of artists, designers and entrepreneurs.

Work in Kosovo, in turn, can also leave an imprint in the work of portfolios in Lund Innovation District.

- We have already been impressed by the way we work in the field of animation in Kosovo and this inspires, for example, in our portfolio”Archeology, Cultural Heritage and Immersive Technology”, says Birgitta Persson

Lund University and Future by Lund are linked to the work until the summer of 2025.

The big picture: Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth on the right pictured during the panel discussion, among others, together with Minister of Culture Hajrulla Çeku (centre).

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