Wednesday, May 14 marked the development of the Spring Assembly of the “Gjon Durrahium” University League, where the main focus of discussions was the promotion of student tourism and the internationalization of higher education in Albania. The event brought together leaders, lecturers, and representatives from member universities of the League, reflecting their shared commitment to accelerating strategic processes of academic cooperation.
In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Ethem Ruka, Rector of “Luarasi” University and Chairman of the League’s Governing Board, emphasized the need for concrete steps toward internationalization, noting that Albania still ranks last in the region in terms of the number of foreign students, with fewer than 2,000 enrolled. He highlighted the importance of leveraging Albania’s potential as an attractive coastal, dental, and clinical tourism destination to attract international students.
The Assembly decided to establish five thematic working groups: for International Students, for Scientific Research, for Communication, for Legal Affairs, and for Projects. Each member university will have representatives in these groups, and one member will serve as a monitor to ensure their full functionality and achievement of objectives.
Discussions also included the idea of creating joint instruments for collaboration, such as conferences and scientific journals, integrated inter-university projects, and shared academic library networks.
In conclusion, non-public universities that are part of the League shared their best practices regarding foreign language programs, dual degrees, and academic exchanges such as Erasmus.
The Assembly was held at “Qiriazi” University College, a historic institution of Albanian education, originally established in the 1920s by the Qiriazi sisters and reopened in 2006 after a 60-year hiatus.
