Professors at a multiethnic college incorporate reconciliation skills into academic education for the next generation

The International Business College (IBCM) in Mitrovica is doing something different - and it’s working.  As the only multiethnic school in Kosovo’s northern city of Mitrovica, it provides both a college education and a gathering place for students from different backgrounds to get to know each other and learn together.  This is a different approach for students who grow up in a city divided by ethnic lines, where it can be difficult to escape exposure to prejudice toward other ethnic groups.

Jelena Đokić, an IBCM professor and academic director, teaches students how to reach mutual understanding, identify similar values, and create a shared vision for the future – alongside their academic education.  As a Kosovo Serb, when Jelena first began working at IBCM, she knew it was going to be challenging, but she was passionate about IBCM’s mission to recruit youth from all communities in Kosovo and invest in helping them overcome the burden of past narratives.  Even as Jelena personally experienced stigma and prejudice, her perseverance and patience set an example for her students.  Over time, they began to enjoy the full benefits of a multicultural education.  She said, “It was hard at first, but we kept working and working and now the students get along very well with each other despite what ethnicity they belong to.”

Mihone Kerolli Mustafa, also a professor and college director at IBCM, shares the same commitment and passion as Jelena: to bring youth together from every ethnic community in Kosovo.  Mihone, a Kosovo Albanian, also experienced the societal pressures Jelena faced and, like her, persevered.  Proud of the outcomes of her efforts, Mihone said, “...The students are satisfied and study together in order to finish their studies in the best possible way.” 

Beginning as colleagues who shared the same beliefs and hopes, Mihone and Jelena’s work relationship soon grew into a strong and trusting friendship.  They both say they are able to use their relationship as another tool for encouraging IBCM students to break free from entrenched patterns and build friendships with others regardless of historical divisions.  Mihone and Jelena spoke at a USAID supported story-telling event that aimed to showcase the many avenues available for cultivating multi-ethnic cooperation and peace-building in younger generations.