Kosovo Forces engage national security students at university in Pristina

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo Force (KFOR) Regional Command-East and Area Support Group Balkans Soldiers met with undergraduate students studying national security at the University of Business and Technology in Pristina, Kosovo, May 12, 2026.

The engagement connected KFOR personnel with students pursuing careers in the security field and provided an opportunity to discuss how multinational military organizations contribute to regional stability and security cooperation in Kosovo. The event marked the fifth iteration of the partnership between KFOR personnel and students enrolled in the university’s national security program, one of the only such programs in Kosovo.

Presenters discussed national security career fields, including military police, cyber security, drone employment and legal services, providing students insight into professional fields that support NATO-led KFOR’s mission and regional security efforts.

Adrian Kadriu, Ph.D., head of security studies and professor at the UBT, said the continued partnership with KFOR has helped students better understand how security concepts learned in classrooms apply to real-world operational environments.

“These briefings, exchanges and academic events with the American KFOR personnel are not just regular lectures, but they add important layers of academic and professional value that national security students can hardly find only in literature,” Kadriu said.

Kadriu said the engagements help students connect academic theory with practical experience while exposing them to multinational cooperation, leadership and modern security challenges, including cyber security and hybrid warfare. He added that many students leave the events with a clearer understanding of future career opportunities in Kosovo’s growing security and cyber sectors.

Florida Army National Guard Maj. Song Hong, the Cyberspace and Electromagnetic Activities officer for RC-East, discussed the growing importance of cyber security in modern operational environments and the role multinational cooperation plays in addressing emerging threats.

“Cyber security is a critical component of mission assurance, we must employ cyber capabilities expertly at all levels, from basic users observing good cyber hygiene to utilization of non-kinetic effects to achieve mission success and protect critical national infrastructure,” Hong said.

“Also, the cyber domain is not bound by physical geography, national cyber strategies need to have a strong multinational cooperation component to effectively counter and prosecute threats that may exist beyond one’s borders,” Hong said.

Hong also encouraged students interested in cyber security careers to seek out low-cost training opportunities, certifications and practical experiences that can help build professional skills and strengthen local communities. “I would place high worth in an individual’s resume that said they created a neighborhood program to educate and assist victims of cyber scams,” Hong said.

The engagement highlighted KFOR’s continued efforts to build relationships with educational institutions and support the development of future security professionals in Kosovo.

KFOR continues to support a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people in Kosovo in accordance with its United Nations mandate.