Development of an Environmental Law Curriculum for Kosovo Universities

This paper aims to improve environmental problem solving in Kosovo by introducing an environmental law course to the Kosovo university system. No school in Kosovo currently teaches environmental law and lawyers practicing environmental litigation are nonexistent. There are not many experts who can be consulted or who can help draft the environmental laws Kosovo must enact in order to harmonize its laws with those of the European Union. Lawyers having proper and formal training for doing the Environmental Impact Assessment are also extremely limited in number. The first part explains the rationale for proposing an environmental law course at law schools within Kosovo. The objective is to convince the Kosovo Ministry of Education, the highest university authorities, and potential donors, that Kosovo requires the introduction of a new environmental law course. To help teachers and curriculum authorities see environmental law education as a part of the bigger picture, this part includes an overview of environmental legislation, current state of the environment, summary of the major environmental problems in Kosovo, and a characterization of the educational system in Kosovo. The second part of the paper is mostly university oriented and explains how the course should be taught. The third part outlines what the course’s subject matter will be and, more specifically, how students will benefit from the new course. Harmonization of Kosovo laws with those of the European Union will impose substantial burdens on the Kosovo Government and local experts. An overall reform of environmental education in Kosovo is needed, especially in the field of environmental law, to provide the experts who can satisfy both the international community requirements and Kosovo citizens’ expectation for the economic development which will respect their rights to a clean and healthful environment.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Montana

Year

2008

Author dc:creator

• Vlajic, Nebojsa

• curriculum
• educational reform
• environment
• environmental education
• environmental law
• Kosovo
• Kosovo universities
• new environmental law course
• pollution

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/313

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-1332