On World Philosophy Day, the Faculty of Philosophy and the Kosova Philosophers’ Association honored the life and work of German philosopher Immanuel Kant on the 300th anniversary of his birth through an international conference.

The 15th International Conference, “Kant at 300: Revisiting the Foundations of Modern Philosophy and the Enlightenment”, brought together Kosovar and international philosophers, ambassadors, and members of the academic community.

In his address, Rector of the University of Prishtina, Arben Hajrullahu, who completed a significant portion of his academic training in German-speaking higher education institutions, described Immanuel Kant as a great philosopher of freedom.

According to Rector Hajrullahu, Kant believed that “freedom is a right that belongs to every human being.”

Kant was born and died in Königsberg, Prussia—a city now called Kaliningrad and part of Russia. Speaking further, Rector Hajrullahu noted, “This city marks the geopolitical line where worldviews on ‘freedom’ and ‘barbarism’ clash.”

He concluded by expressing hope that Immanuel Kant’s pedagogy and philosophy could help us overcome warmongering passions in the Western Balkans and beyond.

The conference featured speeches by Germany’s Ambassador to Kosova, Jörn Rohde; the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Bekim Baliqi; Faculty Professor Hasnije Ilazi; and the President of the Kosova Philosophers’ Association, Ridvan Emini.

Through several discussion panels, the conference aimed to shed light on various aspects of Kant’s personality and philosophy.