Zef Dedaj
Prishtinë
Summary
Holder of a PhD in Business Administration, with a specialized focus on innovation policy and practice within the innovation ecosystem. Brings extensive knowledge and expertise to leadership roles, demonstrating strong management, problem-solving, and communication skills, developed through experience in various professional and managerial positions.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
13
13
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Academic Staff/ Lecturer
University of Business and Technology UBT
Prishtinë
05.2023 - 04.2026
- Lecturing “Entrepreneurship” and “Strategic Management and Innovation,” covering a range of essential topics for understanding and applying business models by introducing their concepts and significance.
Board Member
Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund
Prishtinë
02.2023 - 04.2026
Acting General Director of KIESA
Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade
Prishtinë
01.2022 - 04.2026
- Executing the mandate of KIESA by promoting and supporting FDIs, strategic investments.
- Promoting exports, and tourism in various international activities.
- Supporting SMEs through different technological and non-technological grant schemes.
- Establishing and promoting industrial parks and business incubators, with a focus of strengthening the innovation ecosystem.
Acting Director of Trade Department
Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade
Prishtinë
05.2021 - 01.2022
- Addressed trade policy-related issues and internal/external laws and regulations that directly impact trade.
- Implemented antidumping and safeguard laws to protect internal market.
- Represented Kosovo at the CEFTA level as a Contact Point for Kosovo.
- As a head of the delegation, negotiated free trade agreements with EFTA states.
Head of Trade Policy Division
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Prishtinë
12.2015 - 05.2021
- Addressed trade policy-related issues, including drafting, coordinating, and implementing, assessing and fine-tuning trade policy.
- Coordinated five sub-working groups with businesses within the Kosovo Trade Policy: Agriculture, Industry, Services, Trade Agreements and Trade Facilitation.
- Negotiated the Non-Tariff Barriers and Technical Barriers of Trade at the CEFTA level.
Seconded National Expert
Secretariat of Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
Brussels
07.2018 - 12.2018
- Managed meetings of bodies for all CEFTA countries.
- Contributed to the preparation of tendering process of projects, to execute targeted technical assistance.
- Delivered a series of well planned, organized meetings conferences and events relating the Committee on Trade Facilitation and to the Sub-Committee on Non-tariff Measures, including its Working Groups, and prepared relevant documents required for all meetings.
Senior Trade Policy Officer
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Prishtinë
02.2010 - 12.2015
- Coordinated the preparation of Kosovo’s Trade Exchange.
Project Team Member
USAID/Ministry of Trade and Industry
Prishtinë
06.2009 - 12.2009
Education
Ph.D. - Business Administration
University of Pécs
Hungary 09.2016 - 02.2023
Master of Economic Sciences - Management and Informatics
University of Prishtina
Prishtinë 10.2009 - 07.2013
Bachelor of Management and Informatics - undefined
University of Prishtina
Prishtinë 09.2006 - 09.2009
Lecturer - undefined
ISAG European Business School
Porto 05.2021 - 05.2021
Skills
- Leadership
- Microsoft Office
- Ability to Work Under Pressure
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Problem Solving
Certification
- Certificate on Leading Smart Policy Design: A Multisectoral Approach to Economic Decisions, Harvard Kennedy School, Prishtinë September 2021 – October 2021
- Certificate on Competitiveness, Growth and Crisis, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies March 2014 – March 2014
- Certificate on The policy of Regional Industry Promotion for South Eastern European Countries, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Hiroshima June 2011 – July 2011
- Certificate from European Business Competence Licence, Project Management and Sales Management, American University in Kosovo, Prishtinë May 2009 – June 2009
- Certificate on the Foreign Direct Investment Policies, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, Vienna September 2013 – September 2013
Languages
English
Hobbies
Running & hiking
PUBLICATIONS
- The role of the University of Prishtina in knowledge creation and transfer: Are university-industry linkages increasing? / Journal of EKONOMSKI VJESNIK / ECONVIEWS 35: 2 pp. 429-440. , 12 p. (2022) DOI: https://doi.org/10.51680/ev.35.2.14 - Dedaj, Zef
- Correlation Analysis of Factors Affecting Firm Performance and Employees Wellbeing: Application of Advanced Machine Learning Analysis / Journal of ALGORITHMS 15: 9 Paper: 300, 17 p. (2022). DOI: 10.3390/a15090300. WoS Scopus Egyéb URL - Dedaj, Zef
- Improving Kosovo Innovation Ecosystem: Exploration Before Exploitation / Journal of ACADEMIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH IN MILITARY AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 21: 3 pp. 99-111, 13 p. (2022). DOI: 10.32565/aarms.2022.2.7 - Dedaj, Zef; Csaba, Makó ; Saeed, Nosratabadi
- Sports university education and entrepreneurial intentions: an analysis using structural equation modelling / Journal of ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVES, 22 p. (2023) - Krasniqi, Besnik; Bajçinca, Shqipe; Zhushi, Genc; Kryeziu, Liridon; Mehmet, Sakarya; Lajqi, Saranda; Zeqiri, Besim; Dedaj, Zef
- The effect of transformational leadership approach in organizations / Journal of international scientific publication: economy and business 11: 1 pp. 191-199., 9 p. (2017) - Dedaj, Zef; Krasniqi, Besnik
- Managerial perceptions of export barriers: insights from the survey with ICT companies in Kosovo / Journal of Economic Thought and Practice. https://hrcak.sre.hr/file/423630
- How does market size affect Kosovo economic competitiveness? UBT International Conference, 2018 Prishtinë, Kosovo: UBT (2018) Paper: 294. - Armend, Muja; Zef, Dedaj; Kaltrina, Bunjaku
- Connecting strategy with innovation. Ferenc Farkas International Scientific Conference / Farkas Ferenc Nemzetközi Tudományos Konferencia 2018 .Pécs, Hungary: PTE (2018) 767 p. pp. 113-122., 9 p - Dedaj, Zef
- Entrepreneurship Development: the case of Croatia / ICUBERD 2017: Book of Papers Pécs, Hungary: University of Pécs (2017) 606 p. pp. 1-12., 12. - Dedaj, Zef
Timeline
Academic Staff/ Lecturer
University of Business and Technology UBT
05.2023 - 04.2026
Board Member
Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund
02.2023 - 04.2026
Acting General Director of KIESA
Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade
01.2022 - 04.2026
Lecturer - undefined
ISAG European Business School
05.2021 - 05.2021
Acting Director of Trade Department
Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade
05.2021 - 01.2022
Seconded National Expert
Secretariat of Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
07.2018 - 12.2018
Ph.D. - Business Administration
University of Pécs
09.2016 - 02.2023
Head of Trade Policy Division
Ministry of Trade and Industry
12.2015 - 05.2021
Senior Trade Policy Officer
Ministry of Trade and Industry
02.2010 - 12.2015
Master of Economic Sciences - Management and Informatics
University of Prishtina
10.2009 - 07.2013
Project Team Member
USAID/Ministry of Trade and Industry
06.2009 - 12.2009
Bachelor of Management and Informatics - undefined
University of Prishtina
09.2006 - 09.2009