CALL FOR APPLICATIONS ESSAY COMPETITION

Kosovo Health Policy Lab: Non-Communicable Diseases Leadership  

Part of the Prishtina International Summer University 2026

Towards the future of health policy in Kosovo.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) shape how people live, work, age, and access care across Kosovo. Diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic respiratory conditions, cancer and others are among the leading causes of illness and premature mortality. Many of these outcomes are preventable through stronger policies, better leadership, and smarter systems.

The Kosovo Health Policy Lab: NCD Leadership Summer School 2026 is an intensive, two-week, practice-based programme designed to equip a new generation of leaders with the skills to:

• analyse health policies
• translate evidence into action
• design realistic, context-sensitive solutions
• navigate complex institutional environments
• communicate effectively with decision-makers

This NCD Leadership Course is co-created by highly regarded professors from the University of Prishtina and international colleagues from within Europe.

The programme, which contributes towards international or European best practices/best byes, will take place under the auspices of the Prishtina International Summer University 2026, from 6 – 17 July 2026. There will be 10 half-day modules, with pre-course reading and post-course outputs, every week-day afternoon 14:00 – 17:00 hrs. Participants will work in multidisciplinary teams on real-world NCD policy challenges and produce practical outputs for institutions, including policy analyses and recommendations. The programme will run entirely in English.

The Essay Competition

The essay competition is the entry point to the programme, serving two purposes:

1. Identify motivated and capable candidates
2. Help participants reflect on real policy challenges before the course

Who Can Apply

We are looking for emerging thinkers and future leaders. Eligible applicants affiliated with the University of Prishtina include:

• Medical doctors
• Public health professionals
• Ministry and municipal staff
• Researchers
• Pharmacists / nurses
• NGO and civil society actors
• Graduate students
• Young policy professionals

Eligible candidates profile:

• Current Master’s or PhD students
• Recently graduated within the last 3 years

Fields of Study

As this is a multidisciplinary programme, applicants are encouraged from:

• Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Pharmacy and related
• Economics and Public Policy
• Law and Governance
• Sociology and Psychology
• Journalism and Communication
• Data, Technology, Innovation
• Environmental and Urban Studies

Essay Topic

Applicants are invited to submit a reflection essay addressing the topic:

“Discuss how Kosovo’s tobacco control policies can be strengthened by aligning with the global framework established by the World Health Organization, with particular reference to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

In your essay, analyze the extent to which current policies in Kosovo reflect WHO recommendations, identify key gaps in implementation or enforcement, and propose realistic policy measures that would bring Kosovo closer to international standards in tobacco control.”

Your essay should:

• Identify a concrete problem
• Explain why it is important now
• Propose a feasible policy solution
• Reflect awareness of Kosovo’s institutional context

Essay Requirements

• Length: 1,000–1,500 words
• Language: English (the summer school programme will be entirely in English)
• Format: PDF
• Original work (no plagiarism)
• You may use references, but this is not a purely academic paper.

Special note: You may use Large-Language Models (LLMs) for brainstorming and develop thinking, however the author must be human. Our assessment tools reward original thought and expression.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• Understanding of the NCD challenge
• Relevance and clarity of the problem definition
• Feasibility of the proposed solution
• Analytical thinking and originality
• Writing quality and structure

The jury’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

What Selected Participants Receive

We will select 20–25 candidates to be invited to join the Kosovo Health Policy Lab.

Participants will:

• Work in teams on real policy cases
• Develop a full policy analysis from problem to recommendation
• Engage with national and international experts
• Build leadership and communication skills
• Produce outputs relevant to Kosovo institutions

Programme Highlights

Participants will work on policy challenges related to:

• Tobacco control
• Nutrition and obesity
• Alcohol regulation
• Physical activity promotion

They will develop policy analyses, stakeholder maps, evidence reviews, economic assessments, implementation strategies, and policy briefs for decision-makers. By the end, each group will present their work to a panel of experts and institutional representatives.

Timeline

How to Apply

Please submit:

1. Essay (1,000 – 1,500 words)
2. CV (max 2 pages)
3. Proof of student status or diploma
4. Short bio (100–150 words)

Send to: [email protected]

Subject line: Kosovo Health Policy Lab Essay Competition – Your Full Name

The Kosovo Health Policy Lab: Non-Communicable Diseases Leadership course is offered as a partnership between the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and the University of Prishtina (UoP) through the Integrated Health Services (IHS) project, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Kosovo.