Kosovo: Riinvest Institute as pioneer of liberal economic thinking

Pristina-based Riinvest Institute is Kosovo’s oldest think tank and a pivotal force in the country’s economic evolution. Founded on a mission to promote sustainable economic development, Riinvest produces analyses, publications, and research reports, but its contribution extends beyond theoretical contributions to active involvement in market development, sector interventions, and value chain initiatives. 

Riinvest has been involved in the EFI project from the outset. Its economists were among the subject matter experts overseeing the translation of “Common Sense Economics”, published in early 2021. It was a natural evolution to invite Riinvest to be EFI’s country partner. Their EFI-related activities have evolved from running promotional workshops and essay contests for students, to TV appearances, economic reporting workshops for journalists and, from 2023, organizing the Economics Olympiad for high school students. This year, Riinvest is one of three EFI country partners participating in a teacher training pilot which will provide high school teachers with pedagogical training and teaching materials for introductory economics.

“EFI partners come from many different countries, so they bring diverse and complementary perspectives to our joint mission. It’s a really unusual and inspiring project environment. Partnering with EFI, we are bringing complementary economics literature to students, emphasizing that a basic understanding of economics is a core skill sought by so many employers,” says Visar Vokrri, Riinvest’s Program Director. “It’s a joy to work with the team at Riinvest who are as passionate as we are to be exciting interest in learning and teaching economics” says Eleanor Hammond, Executive Director of EFI. “Together, we have the opportunity to improve economic and financial literacy in Kosovo, contributing to the country’s economic resilience and growth”.