Kristina

ZIMAJ

I am currently working as a Project Officer for EPALE, the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe. Since 2023 I have been freelancing in various youth programs across the Western Balkans, and Europe, with a particular focus on EU programs such as Erasmus+ Youth and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC).

I have served as a Research Consultant for SALTO South East Europe, where I co-conducted stakeholder analyses of Erasmus+ and ESC beneficiary organizations in the Western Balkans. I am also an Advisor for the Europe Goes Local program, where I support municipalities in strengthening local youth work, and a member of the Pool of Experts in Youth Participation under the New Power in Youth Strategic Partnership. In addition, I contribute to the Research Panel of the Irish National Agency (Léargas), working on the RAY Network study evaluating the impact of Erasmus+ Youth in Ireland (2021–2023), I collaborated with GAIA Kosovo on a national-level survey examining young people’s motivation, access, and engagement in international volunteering and non-formal education programs, and later on I also joined their program of being contact point in Kosovo for promoting the ESC volunteering program. 

I contributed as a Data Analyst Expert for the WE ARE HER project rung by Youth for Exchanage and Understanding International, where I lead the development and implementation of an impact evaluation strategy for an EU funded project focused on gender equality and youth empowerment across the Mediterranean region.

Previously, I worked in the cultural sector as a fundraiser/project writer, as well as shortly coordinating Erasmus+ and ESC programs, youth exchanges, and Creative Europe-funded initiatives at Anibar. In 2021, I was awarded the Chevening Scholarship to pursue an MSc in International Development Management at the University of Westminster. My dissertation explored the impact of non-formal education on youth employability in Kosovo, a topic that continues to shape my work.

I am passionate about youth empowerment, lifelong learning, and the potential of evidence-based approaches to improve the quality and accessibility of youth programs.