TIRANA, Jan 15 j /ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama took part today in the Conference of Rectors, where he held an open discussion with 40 rectors of public and private universities on the quality of higher education and scientific research in the country.
In his remarks, the Prime Minister emphasized that the shared and fundamental challenge of the Albanian university system remains, on one hand, the internationalization of universities, and on the other hand, better management of resources and capacities.
He underlined that in recent years there has been a significant shift in the approach to higher education funding, moving from complete reliance on the state budget toward a more open and competitive model.
Rama cited the University of Tirana as an example, which, according to him, leads a group of universities that have significantly increased their financial capacities beyond the state budget through European projects and partnerships.
The Prime Minister highlighted that this has facilitated the establishment of research teams, strengthened international collaboration, and allowed universities to access European Union funding, unlocking new opportunities for higher earnings among the most active faculty members.
“Today, the University of Tirana is at the forefront of a group of universities that have strengthened their financial capacity beyond the state budget, allowing them to form research teams, develop projects and European partnerships, and access EU funding. This has, of course, increased the earnings of the most active faculty members and created a new dynamic,” Rama said.
He suggested holding an open discussion at a future meeting with all rectors, including those from private universities, to reorganize the university system into a more competitive, reliable, and well-prepared structure to meet the challenges of Albania’s EU membership.
The Prime Minister called the university a key partner for both institutions and the country in this process, noting that EU funding and approved projects for the University of Tirana have been growing year by year.
He pointed out that European competitions do not favor non-member countries; all are judged fairly according to merit.
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