A New Chapter Begins for the 27 “LULËZOJNË” Scholarship Recipients!

We are very happy to announce the 27 recipients of the “LULËZOJNË” Scholarships for 2026/27!

See the full list of scholarship recipients HERE!

Once again this year, the “LULËZOJNË” journey began in July, with the support of our scholarship donors and partners, who helped us share the call for applications and took part in the different stages of the “LULËZOJNË” evaluation process. This edition would not have been possible without them, and we are deeply grateful to each and every one of them.

The 27 scholarships for this academic year have been awarded across the following categories:

14 scholarships with specific eligibility criteria:

• “LULËZOJNË with ISA Consulting Group” Scholarship – awarded to 10 third-year students in IT-related fields.
• “LULËZOJNË with Fatlinda Drejta-Karahoda” Scholarship – awarded to 3 female students studying pharmacy, medicine, chemistry, or natural sciences.
• “LULËZOJNË with Mehmet Gjevori” Scholarship – awarded to 1 female student from a rural area with a passion for education, the Albanian language, and volunteering.

13 open “LULËZOJNË” scholarships, with no specific eligibility criteria:

• LULËZOJNË x Richard Lukaj Scholarship – awarded to 4 students;
• LULËZOJNË x Cami Family Foundation Scholarship, supported by Ronald Cami – awarded to 2 students;
• LULËZOJNË x Avdi Kastrati Family Scholarship – awarded to 1 student;
• LULËZOJNË x AR Legacy Scholarship, supported by Egzona Bejtullahu – awarded to 2 students;
• LULËZOJNË x VLERA Scholarship, from the Albanian Students’ Association in Belgium – awarded to 1 student;
• LULËZOJNË x AEAUG Scholarship, from the Albanian Students’ Association in Geneva – awarded to 1 student;
• LULËZOJNË x Albanian Community in London Scholarship – awarded to 1 student;
• LULËZOJNË x Evidence Synthesis Group Scholarship – awarded to 1 student.

How did we get here?

Once again this year, there was strong interest in applying for the “LULËZOJNË” Scholarship:

• 508 applications received in total
• 493 valid applications reviewed in Phase 1 – Administrative Review
• 285 candidates advanced to Phase 2 – Qualitative Evaluation
• 208 candidates did not pass the administrative review
• 69 finalists were interviewed in Phase 3 – Interviews
• 27 scholarship recipients selected for this academic year

As in the first edition, the selection process consisted of three stages, designed to be transparent and inclusive:

1. Administrative Review – conducted by TOKA staff and scholarship recipients from the first edition.
2. Qualitative Evaluation – conducted by scholarship supporters, representatives of partner organizations, and Albanian Student Associations in the diaspora.
3. Interviews – conducted by scholarship supporters, representatives of partner organizations, professors from the University of Prishtina, and Albanian Student Associations in the diaspora. During the interviews, candidates were assessed based on their motivation, contribution to the community, and long-term vision.

The “LULËZOJNË” Scholarships have been made possible with the support of: ISA Consulting Group, Cami Family Foundation, Lukaj Foundation, Avdi Kastrati Family, Burim Karahoda and Kreshnik Hoxha, the Xharra Family, Egzona Bejtullahu, Evidence Synthesis Group, VLERA – Albanian Students’ Association in Belgium, AEAUG – Albanian Students’ Association at the University of Geneva, the Albanian Community in London, Virtyt Gacaferri, Liridon Latifi, Edi Islami, Lirak Krasniqi, Dajana Kullolli, Camërie Mazreku, Alban Rrustemi, Bajrush Halili, and Ylldrit Miftari.