Government Leaders from Kosova’s New Republic to Learn about Technology and Telemedicine at the UA, Jan. 20-24
January 16, 2009
As Kosova reaches its one-year anniversary of independence, government leaders begin the process of bringing its technology into the digital age, including developing e-government, e-health and e-education programs. A delegation of government leaders from Kosova, led by Professor Arsim Bajrami, minister of Civil Services of the Republic of Kosova, is coming to Arizona Jan. 20-24 to gain insight into the process of digitalization and how to overcome practical and logistical issues.
High-ranking officials of the Ministry of Civil Services of Kosova, as well as their colleagues and experts in information technology, will meet with telecommunications experts at The University of Arizona and the Arizona Telemedicine Program, the city of Tucson, and Arizona State University. In particular, the government of Kosova wants to learn more about advancing its current telemedicine initiatives in the Balkans and other developing countries.
“Without a doubt, this visit will have a great significance for the new Kosova government and its goals on modernizing the country,” said Rifat Latifi, MD, professor of surgery and vice-chairman for international relations at the Department of Surgery. “They are coming to see and learn from the most advanced telemedicine program in the world, the Arizona Telemedicine Program.”
In addition to the UA, University Medical Center, the Arizona Telemedicine Program and the UA College of Medicine Information Technologies Services, the delegates will visit with representatives from the City of Tucson, the Tucson Transportation Department, and the Tucson Fire Department. They also will travel to Phoenix to visit ASU, the Tempe engineering department, Gateway Community College, and participate in the quarterly meeting of the Arizona Telemedicine Council on January 21 on the Arizona State Capital campus.
The Kosova delegation also will consist of:
- Dr. Rifat Blaku, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Public Services
- Brikena Mulliqi, Political Advisor, Ministry of Public Services
- Isa Krasniqi, Director of Department of Information Technology, MPS
- Selim Azemi, Administrative Assistant, Ministry of Public Services.