The HERAS Project Kick-off Meeting
HERAS - Higher Education, Research and Applied Science (Kosovo) project entitled "Socioeconomic, lifestyle and genetic factors related to the age-related loss of muscle mass and function (sarcopenia) in men and women aged 60 years and above in Kosovo" is a project within the "Research Cooperation and Networking between Austria, Kosovo and the Western Balkan Region", founded by the Austrian Development Cooperation. This project addresses to the Field of Medicine, as one of the priority fields of the National Research Programme of Kosovo.
Project partners include University of Vienna, Research Platform Active Ageing (Assoc.-Prof. DI Dr. Barbara Wessner as project manager), University of Gjakova Fehmi Agani, Faculty of Medicine (Ass. Uni. Arben Boshnjaku MSc as team leader), and the University of Tetovo (Prof. Dr. Metin Dalip as team leader). A number of other locak and international experts will be included during the process.
This project started with the kick-off meeting at UGJFA (02.02.2018) in Gjakova with a meeting between project partners (Prof. Dr. Barbara Wessner and Ass. Arben Boshnjaku MSc) and Prof. Dr. Shaban Buza, Rector of UGJFA.
Some of the main aims and objectives of this project are:
- To promote international scientific cooperation and networking in ageing research between the University of Vienna (Austria), the University of Gjakova Fehmi Agani (Kosovo), and the University of Tetova (FYROM);
- To adapt and validate proper measurement methods for the determination of sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss and function) in Kosovo;
- To provide first data on the prevalence of sarcopenia and some of its underlying determinants for Kosovan older adults;
- To investigate the genetic impact on the prevalence of sarcopenia;
- To disseminate the outcomes of the study at International Conferences (ECSS) and in in a ranked scientific journal, thereby enabling young researchers to continue with their scientific work after the end of the project.