Reacting to a call for support from the University of Prishtina (the Albanian Parallel System), WUS Austria established its Prishtina Office in October 1998. Activities consisted of language and computer courses for staff and students, academic travel grants and counseling services. Support was offered to both the Albanian Shadow University and the Serbian State University, The latter, however, showed little interest in cooperation. Consequently, material support was planned but could not be implemented.

The end of the March 1999 NATO air strikes put an early end to activities in Kosova. During the refugee crisis, WUS Austria opened a temporary office in Tetova, Macedonia and continued to support the academic community in exile. In July 1999 the office was relocated to Prishtina and activities were resumed in Kosova. During the summer, WUS continued computer and language courses as well as micro-projects of students and staff that had started in Macedonia. First equipment was provided to the faculties. The University was supported in their preparations for the academic year 1999/2000 and in re-establishing international links (CRE, Academic Task Force).


The beginning of the academic year 1999/2000 was still marked by emergency measures. Since the university staff was left without income, WUS Austria paid stipends provided by the Austrian Ministry of Science to all staff in the summer and autumn 1999. For teaching and administrative purposes, each faculty and college received a technical start-up package consisting of computers, printers, a copy-machine, a fax-machine, and an overhead projector. Additional and more specific equipment, as well as scientific literature, is being provided through WUS Austria's regular programmes, which put applying university institutions in direct competition with each other.


WUS Austria is highly involved in the reforms and in the coordination of international initiatives dedicated to higher education in Kosova and it has become more or less a key pillar for the prosperous development of the University of Prishtina in its near future.