TIRANA, Oct 21 /ATA/ – Albania has doubled its investments in research infrastructure and increased funding for scientific research, Education Minister Mirela Kumbaro said during a Western Balkans ministerial meeting on research and innovation in Montenegro.
The regional forum focused on research infrastructures and artificial intelligence (AI), and included ministers from Western Balkan countries and European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva.
In her remarks, Kumbaro highlighted Albania’s progress in scaling up innovation funding and integrating artificial intelligence into the national education system – including at the pre-university level – to create a sustainable AI pipeline supporting science and education.
“We are doubling investments in research infrastructure, increasing support for PhD studies in priority fields, and launching collaborations with the academic diaspora,” Kumbaro said.
“Our goal is to transform Albanian universities into regional development hubs – not just training students but generating new knowledge and offering solutions for industry and policymaking.”
In a bilateral meeting with Commissioner Zaharieva, Kumbaro outlined Albania’s strategic priorities, including scientific quality, AI integration, internationalization of universities, and academic diaspora engagement.
Kumbaro also held talks with Montenegrin Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Andjela Jaksic-Stojanovic.
The two counterparts discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in higher education, research, and innovation, including the implementation of existing agreements and opportunities to expand cross-border projects in academic mobility, vocational education, and scientific research.
/e.i/j.p/u.sh/
