Name of Centre: Centre of Expertise for Hospitality and Tourism (CoE H&T) at UBT

Established by: UBT (University for Business and Technology)

Year Established: [Insert Year of Establishment]

Location: Innovation Campus, Lipjan, Kosovo

Mission: The Centre of Expertise for Hospitality and Tourism (CoE H&T) was established by UBT with the aim of building capacity and increasing employment within the private sector, with a special focus on youth and gender. The initiative addresses the need for qualified staff in the Hospitality and Tourism sector in Kosovo.

Background: The ambition to establish CoE H&T dates back to UBT’s engagement with PUM Netherlands Senior Experts in February 2013. The feasibility study conducted identified a gap in the lack of qualified professionals in the Hospitality and Tourism sector in Kosovo, leading to the establishment of the Centre.

Facilities: CoE H&T is housed at the Innovation Campus in Lipjan, featuring state-of-the-art facilities:

• Hotel rooms for accommodation.
• Restaurants for guests and staff.
• Two student restaurants.
• Front office and back office reception areas.
• Wellness area with an indoor pool.

Hotel School: UBT is establishing and hosting the CoE H&T Hotel School, providing a complete hotel setup for practical, on-the-job training of participants enrolled in hospitality programs.

Training Programs: The service portfolio includes a broad range of capacity-building programs, ranging from specific and practical short courses for kitchen staff (e.g., HACCP) to apprenticeship-based training.

Focus Areas:

• Capacity building for the private sector.
• Employment generation, especially for youth and gender inclusivity.
• Filling the gap in the lack of qualified staff in Hospitality and Tourism.