Dr.sc. Ekrem Beqiri was born in Peja, on March 10, 1944. He completed his elementary and secondary school in Peja, in 1962 with excellent results. In the same year, he starts his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy at the University of Belgrade. He completed his studies in Chemical Engineering in 1967 with distinction. He continued his postgraduate studies in the same field at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy in Belgrade and completed them in 1972 with great success. In 1982, he defends his doctoral thesis at the same university. After completing his university studies in 1968 he was employed at the Higher Technical School in Mitrovica, first as a teaching assistant, and in 1969 as a high school professor. He continues to work at the Economics Commercial High School in Peja, as a professor.

For various professional purposes in 1966, through IASTE he spends two months in Poland, he spends six months at the Polytechnic Faculty Institute in Naples (1974) and six months as a Fulbright student at the Polytechnic Institute “Rensselaer” in the US. Since 1972 he is engaged in the Faculty of Mining and Metallurgy where in 1983 he is employed at this university with the Docent title for the subject called “technological operations”.

Dr.sc. Ekrem Beqiri was active in other fields of activity as well, where he treats different manifestation of social and political life of Kosovo (alternative magazine, the Republic, and the Forum). He is one of the founders of the Kosovo Committee for Human Rights Protection and vice president of the committee, Chairman of the Board of the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society. He was a member of the University of Prishtina Board. In the period of 1996 -1999 Professor Beqiri was vice president of the Riinvest Institute’s Scientific Council where he works regularly since 2000 as manager for several projects of great social importance. He coordinated the work of Kosovar intellectuals to draft the first report on the UNDP Human Development. For four years he led the important project on early warning system to produce 14 reports EWR with care and extraordinary success. The project on the impacts of exploitation of ore in the community development a work done for the needs of the World Bank and led by Professor Ekrem Beqiri is highly valued for promoting advanced practices of community involvement in the consultations for the development of mining and the benefits from their exploitation. Wanting to contribute his knowledge and great creativity he became actively involved in the preparation and the launching of Riinvest University, as a major figure, owner and member of the Management Board. Professor Beqiri led the group of experts to assess the war damages in Kosovo, in the framework of the expert team for the economy and finance and participated in one of the rounds of talks in Vienna in the economic realm.

He was an author or co-author of six textbooks and 40 scientific articles nearly half of them published and presented abroad. Professor Ekrem has been one of the most productive contributors to the “Forum 2015”. He had remarkable affinities in the field of design and has won a number of competitions for the logo designing for many institutions and organizations. He is the first logo author of the Self-Government Provisional Institutions and the logo for the Kosovo Protection Corps.

Professor Beqiri was multifaceted intellectual of high profile. Although he was a professor of chemical engineering, professor Beqiri had a great culture; we can say without hesitation, his culture was a multidimensional culture. He knew and recognized particularly well social and economic problems as well as political problems. He was a success in the implementation of quantitative methods and models as well as qualitative research. With greatest honesty he set high standards as rigor but was willing to guide and help others to advance the scientific research methodology. He was silent at work but had an insatiable desire like a volcano in his work for the benefit of education, knowledge and progress in Kosovo. His personal interest was far below from the national and social. Rare humanist. Although too preoccupied and engaged in the issues of development of Kosovo and that in many areas simultaneously: education - educational, scientific, humanitarian and civic engagement, society’s attention has often overlooked the ignorance that had to do with one of its best intellectuals and from ignorance to undermine the necessary mass to recognize and use the diligence , knowledge and his fairness.

Mr. Vjollca Jashanica was born in Suharekë. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Agriculture Faculty in Prishtina in 1989, while in 2005 she earned the MA degree from the University of Sarajevo in agronomy sciences. Before starting work at the Riinvest Institute, V. Jashanica prior to war worked for few agricultural enterprises, providing a valuable contribution to the advancement of modern methods in use of agro inputs.

After the war, she was involved in several important FAO projects in Kosovo as a national advisor in the field of production and processing of seeds. From 2004 until her employment at Riinvest Institute, she gave her contribution as the undisputed expert in this sector being engaged in counseling / training for farmers and training of public and private advisors.

Vjolla Jashanica was hired by Riinvest Institute in April 2006 as a senior researcher. Initially, she was involved as a facilitator in the DELTA project.  She was known for the extraordinary dedication to work, research and organizational skills. She was engaged as a researcher and gave valuable contribution in some other Riinvest projects such as corporate governance and transparency in public enterprises in Kosovo and forest - industry development challenges and balanced exploitation. As manager of the project “Modernization of municipal services”, she showed her excellent managerial and analytical skills.

She was very dedicated to Riinvest. With her features of a personality with strong human and professional character, she always created the work atmosphere and optimism for the Riinvest’s future. Her early death was a great misfortune for the family and our institute.