A Vision Shared: Kosovo's Acting Prime Minister Albulena Haxhiu Visits StarLabs and Digital School
In a visit that underscored the growing importance of technology in Kosovo’s economic future, Acting Prime Minister Albulena Haxhiu paid an official visit to StarLabs and Digital School. Two institutions that have become symbols of Kosovo’s digital transformation and ambition on the global stage.
The meeting brought together government leadership and one of Kosovo’s most dynamic tech ecosystems for a wide-ranging conversation about innovation, international competitiveness, and the future of tech education for the next generation.
StarLabs: Kosovo’s Tech Engine With a Global Reach
At the heart of the discussions was StarLabs’ remarkable journey. A story brought to life by its founders, Hana Qerimi and Darsej Rizaj, who built the company from a two-person startup in Prishtina into the largest software development company in Kosovo. Today, StarLabs operates internationally, delivering full-cycle software development across a wide range of industries supported by services spanning Software Engineering, Quality Assurance, and Customer & Tech Support, with clients stretching across Europe and beyond.
According to data by Data Forex, StarLabs contributes approximately 7% of Kosovo’s total tech service exports, a figure that speaks to the company’s outsized impact on the national economy. In a country where the information and communications technology sector is one of the most promising growth engines, StarLabs has proven that world-class software development is not just possible from Kosovo, it is already happening.
Acting Prime Minister Albulena Haxhiu engaged directly with the leadership of StarLabs on how the company’s international operating model functions, how it nurtures local talent, and how government and industry can collaborate to position Kosovo even more competitively in the global tech market.
Digital School: Learning Through Play, Building Through Code
One of the highlights of the visit was a deep dive into Digital School dedicated to empowering children and young adults with the skills of the future.
What makes Digital School stand out is integration of gamification into its learning methodology. Rather than teaching programming languages and coding through traditional instruction alone, Digital School has built an immersive system where students learn by doing, and by playing.
Central to this experience is the Houses System, a gamified framework that organizes students into four distinct teams, each with its own identity, strengths, and spirit:
🏗 Engineer — The builders and architects of logic
⚡ Speedster — The fast-thinkers and agile problem-solvers
🎨 Hipster — The creatives who merge design with technology
🌑 Shadow — The strategic minds who work with precision and depth
Through this system, students don’t just learn to code — they develop teamwork, critical thinking, and a competitive spirit that mirrors the real dynamics of the tech industry. It is education reimagined for a generation that has grown up in a digital world.
Acting Prime Minister Haxhiu expressed enthusiasm for this approach, recognizing gamification as a forward-thinking model capable of shaping today’s students into the digital professionals of tomorrow, thereby investing in the development of the generation that will lead a digital Kosovo for decades to come.
Government Support: A Partnership for the Future
The visit concluded on a note of commitment and optimism. The government, represented by Acting Prime Minister Haxhiu, expressed its full support for the continued cooperation between public institutions and tech-driven organizations like StarLabs and Digital School.
For StarLabs and Digital School, the visit was a reaffirmation that the work that they build carries national significance. And for Kosovo, it was a reminder that the future is being written, one line of code at a time.
