Curriculum and Academic Strategy Transformation in Higher Education: A Case Study of Socioeconomic Impac

Sažetak

Kosovo's higher education system faces complex structural and functional challenges, including a persistent decline in stu­dent enrollment, limited employability of graduates, and the need to align academic programs with the demands of a contemporary labor market. The focus of this study is to conduct a systematic assessment of the educational culture and curricular relevance of undergraduate programs at Haxhi Zeka University (HZU), uti­lizing an advanced automated comparative analysis model tool founded on public data from job advertisements. The analysis results indicate that programs, particularly in STEM fields, are often not entirely aligned with professional requirements and employers' needs because of the structural limitations inherent in program-level curricula and pedagogical practices. While speci­fic programs partially meet labor market demands, overall diver­sity and functional relevance of the educational offerings remain limited. The study emphasizes the importance of institutionali­zing practice-oriented educational approaches, revising curricula periodically every three to five years, and strengthening colla­boration between universities and the private sector. The imple­mentation of automated systems facilitates precise identification of discrepancies between taught and required skills, thereby po­tentially enhancing graduate employability, contributing to regi­onal socio-economic development, and significantly improving the adaptability of higher education institutions in responding to the dynamic demands of the labor market.