The idea of establishing Mitrovica as an academic centre of excellence has been discusses in various fora at least since the first Wilton Park - ESI Mitrovica conference in January 2004. A dutch NGO under the name of SPARK then began working with the idea around 2007.
Political sensitivites were well to the fore in all early discussions - it was felt by all stakeholders, both North and South of the river Ibar, that any such institution should be self sustainable. Thus a feasability study was carried out by the Dutch NGO which indicated that a foundation for a institution of tertiary education existed in Mitorvica. It was a change of emphasis from designing a purely academic institution, which might be labelled a "university", to working on establishing a more "vocationally" based college that proved to be the key that unlocked the door of progress.
Since 2008, work has gathered pace to design both soft and hard assests for the burgeoning college as well as to fund its early years of operation.
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