Honoring a Legacy

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Photo from 2003 during President Bill Clinton’s visit to the American University in Kosovo (AUK). Pictured: Dr. Bujar Bukoshi, Louis Sell, Richard Lukaj, and AUK staff—commemorating a milestone moment in the university’s early history.

RIT Kosovo mourns the passing of Dr. Bujar Bukoshi - a visionary statesman and one of the university’s founding champions.

As Chair of the UFORK, Dr. Bukoshi played a pivotal role in establishing and securing the initial funding for the American University in Kosovo, transforming a bold vision into a lasting institution that continues to empower generations of students.

His legacy lives on in every graduate who contributes to a more prosperous and democratic Kosovo.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and to all who were touched by his leadership, compassion, and unwavering commitment to Kosovo’s future.

May his memory continue to inspire and guide generations to come.

A Word of Farewell
By Louis Sell, Executive Director, American University in Kosovo Foundation (2003–2007); currently serving as a Board Member

Farewell to Dr. Bujar Bukoshi

It is not too much to say that without Dr. Bujar Bukoshi there would probably never have been an American University in Kosovo. As soon as he heard about the idea—really then just a dream—of establishing the AUK, Dr. Bukoshi, then head of the Union Fund for the Reconstruction of Kosovo, took the initiative to make possible a substantial donation, in two tranches, to the foundation then engaged in turning the dream into reality.

Foreign assistance was coming to war-torn Kosovo from many sources and for many worthy purposes, but little was coming for education. Dr. Bukoshi had the wisdom to understand that providing a top-quality, English-language higher education for the young people of Kosovo was one of the best ways to assist the development of a still war-torn region into a prosperous, democratic, and independent state. His action also meant that most of the funds behind the start of the AUK came, in one fashion or another, from the people of Kosovo—a pattern which continues to this day.

Throughout those early years, Dr. Bukoshi was a quiet but inspirational presence behind the AUK. He sometimes had questions, but he never asked anything for himself. Watching the growth of the institution he had helped make possible, and the achievements of its students, was enough of a reward for this soft-spoken but determined man.

Bujar, we will miss you. Thank you for all you have done.
Louis