Using HEInnovate as a strategic learning process at AAB College
by Erëza Mehmeti
Abstract: AAB College in Kosovo used the HEInnovate self-assessment to strengthen its institutional approach to innovation and entrepreneurship. After an initial low-participation attempt in 2024, the process was reframed following the Train the Trainers programme in Helsinki in September 2025. A structured relaunch, supported by institutional leadership, generated strong participation and a clearer understanding of strengths and development needs. The results now inform strategic planning and future European cooperation initiatives.
Could you share some background about your role and responsibilities at AAB College?
I serve as a Project Development Officer at AAB College in Kosovo. In this role, I identify funding opportunities and coordinate the design and implementation of Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, and other EU-funded projects. I collaborate closely with academic and administrative units to ensure that project ideas align with AAB College’s strategic priorities and long-term development goals. This includes supporting concept development, partnership building, quality assurance alignment, and ensuring projects deliver measurable and sustainable impact.
AAB College is one of the largest private higher education institutions in Kosovo, with a strong academic portfolio spanning law, economics, computer science, social sciences, media, and creative industries. Over the past decade, the institution has strengthened its role in international cooperation, digitalisation, and applied innovation, with active participation in European initiatives, including European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
How did AAB College first engage with HEInnovate?
AAB College operates in a higher education system undergoing rapid transformation. Like many institutions in the Western Balkans, we face challenges such as aligning education more closely with labour-market needs, strengthening innovation capacity, and ensuring that internationalisation and digitalisation are integrated institution-wide rather than remaining confined to individual projects. Against this background, HEInnovate was identified as a valuable framework to support holistic institutional reflection.
Our initial engagement with HEInnovate in 2024 was characterised by limited institutional awareness and very low participation, with only five staff members completing the self-assessment. While this first attempt was not sufficient for institutional analysis, it made clear that HEInnovate cannot be used as a passive survey without context or strategic framing. To unlock the real value of the tool, I joined the HEInnovate Train the Trainers programme in Helsinki in September 2025, which helped us rethink HEInnovate as a structured institutional learning process rather than a one-off assessment exercise.
What changed after the HEInnovate Train the Trainers programme?
Participation in the HEInnovate Train the Trainers programme marked a turning point in how HEInnovate was understood and used at AAB College. The programme provided methodological clarity and helped reposition HEInnovate as a development-oriented learning process rather than an evaluation tool.
Following the training, HEInnovate was formally reintroduced through a structured, high-level institutional dialogue involving the Rectorate, faculty deans, senior administrative leadership, and the Quality Assurance Office. As a concrete outcome, we agreed to embed HEInnovate within our internal quality and strategic development processes rather than treating it as a standalone project activity.
We also decided to relaunch the self-assessment with clear institutional ownership and a commitment to use the findings directly to inform future institutional priorities and European project design, creating the conditions for broader engagement in the next phase.
How did you relaunch HEInnovate and ensure broader institutional engagement?
Following leadership endorsement, we launched a second, structured implementation phase designed to address the shortcomings of the initial attempt. Academic and administrative staff were invited to complete the HEInnovate self-assessment, supported by clear communication emphasising that responses were anonymous, results would be analysed only at group level, and findings would directly inform institutional development. This approach was complemented by targeted follow-up and direct engagement with departments, which helped clarify the purpose of the exercise and build confidence across the institution. Participation increased significantly, resulting in 67 completed self-assessments representing a broad cross-section of institutional roles. At this stage, HEInnovate shifted from an unfamiliar tool to a shared institutional process supporting dialogue and strategic reflection.
What did the HEInnovate results reveal, and how did benchmarking support your interpretation?
With 67 completed self-assessments, AAB College was able to develop a comprehensive group-level picture across all HEInnovate dimensions. The results indicated strong performance in areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurial teaching and learning, and internationalisation, where practices are perceived as well established.
At the same time, the findings highlighted areas where further work is needed, particularly in preparing and supporting entrepreneurs, strengthening ecosystem integration, and developing more systematic approaches to impact measurement.
Benchmarking these results against national-level averages provided an important external reference point. The comparison showed that AAB College performs at or above national averages across most dimensions, strengthening confidence in the findings and supporting their use as a credible input for strategic decision-making.
How are you translating HEInnovate evidence into future development actions?
At this stage, AAB College is focusing on structured reflection and analysis to ensure that future actions are grounded in shared understanding and institutional ownership. Rather than moving immediately from results to interventions, we are using this phase to identify development priorities and patterns across dimensions.
HEInnovate findings are being discussed within leadership structures and with the Quality Assurance Office to align insights with existing institutional strategies and internal quality processes. The next step will involve the co-development of targeted action plans in a limited number of high-impact areas, ensuring feasibility and long-term sustainability.
Looking ahead, HEInnovate will continue to serve as a reference framework for institutional learning, strategic planning, and the design of future European cooperation and innovation-oriented initiatives, including Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education proposals.