Dear readers and colleagues,

The number 2/2009 of our International Research Review Thesis Kosova contains as in its earlier numbers, works of different fields. This edition we dedicated mainly to current problems of further development of our new independent state.

The sociologist, Ibrahim Berisha, is dealing in his analysis with the problem of Albanian identity namely Identity Convergence.

His thesis is that the national identity is a legal political category, while on the other hand it is closely linked to the existence of a cultural community. The thesis also treats some of the major scientific approaches, by using the identity of the American nation as a reference.

The historian, Ethem Çeku is dealing with the events in Kosova in the 60’s of the previous century from the viewpoint of Albanian government of the time. One of the central problems of that period has been the demands of Albanians living in Yugoslavia to get a status of Republic. The position of Albanian government related to the demonstrations of 1968 and to the demands for a Republic of Kosova is analyzed based on the archive documents of the time. Albania did not manage to create and clearly expressed a consistent position regarding the above mentioned problems, despite the huge propaganda in support of the rights of Albanians to the their own Republic in the framework of the former Yugoslavia.

The lawyer, Bedri Peci, is dealing with tax reforms in the Balkan countries with the special emphasis to Kosova. His main thesis is that the reforms of taxation system are the most important components of the social-economic transition of these countries in their way to the membership of European Union. The creation of taxation system in Kosova by UNMIK is per se a special case since it has been created without influence of internal factors in Kosova and without political dialogue. After the declaration of independence the Kosova government started to change the taxation system.

Three economists, Zoran Tomić and Dario Malnar from Croatia and Muhamet Sadiku from Kosova, produced comparative analysis of communication strategies for accession to the EU and the lessons for Kosova. Taking into consideration the great expectations of the Government and public, the authors analyzed the strategy of the government of the Republic of Croatia and its specific entirety and compare it with the strategies of Slovenia, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Latvia.

The author, Sabina Žnidaršič Žagar, analyzed the demographic trends in the Republic of Kosova and in the Republic of Slovenia over the last century. The main aim of this analysis is to point out important differences and causes of different evolution of demographic transition in the two environments. While the Republic of Slovenia is in a post transitional situation- the Republic of Kosova is still a transition society regarding demographic trends.

Higher education and the world of work through Bologna Process is the topic of the analysis of Klemen Miklavič, who currently works for OSCE mission in Kosova. His paper focuses on the redefinition of the relationship between employers and higher education, encouraged by the Bologna Process. The findings of the paper are compared with the actual stage of implementation of the Bologna Process at the University of Pristina. The last work focuses on reasons for violence in Kosova sport.

This paper produced by Shemsedin Vehapi, Hazir Salihu, Vullnet Ameti and Valbona Zeqa-Rexhepi emphasizes that one of the frightful phenomena that continues to be very present and at a very high level is violence in sport events, which appears in various forms and by different actors. The Center for Sport Research of our University has designed a special research project which includes 800 respondents from Kosova. The goal of this research is to find deeper elaboration of causes and composition of a strategy for prevention of this unpleasant phenomenon in sport.

Dear colleagues, by expressing once again my hope for our mutual cooperation for the benefit of our productive work, indeed, respective scientific research fields, in building as worthy as possible our journal “Thesis Kosova” and its purpose, as well as for the benefit of the cause of our citizenship, please accept dear colleagues, at the end of this editorial, my sincere loyal greetings.

Prishtina, 6 October 2009.

Prof. Dr. Masar Stavileci