TIRANA, June 23 /ATA/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Tuesday that a planned new campus for Aleksandër Moisiu University in the coastal city of Durres would be developed as a round-the-clock student community hub, combining teaching facilities, accommodation and social spaces in an effort to improve student life and address housing needs.
Rama was speaking at the presentation of five finalist proposals in an international competition for the design of the new university campus, a project he described as one of Albania’s most ambitious higher-education investments.
The government head said the development was intended to create more than a traditional academic complex, allowing students to live, study and socialize in a single integrated environment.
“We want this territory to become a student community centre that is active 24 hours a day,” Rama said, adding that the campus would help foster both academic and social development.
A key element of the project is the creation of residential facilities for students, an issue Rama said remains a challenge despite investments made in student dormitories in recent years. While university accommodation capacity has expanded, many students continue to rely on rented apartments, placing additional financial pressure on their families.
According to the Prime Minister, the new residential zone would offer more affordable housing options while creating opportunities for greater interaction among students and a stronger campus community.
Rama linked the project to reforms launched after the nationwide student protests of 2018, which led the government to adopt the University Pact and introduce a series of measures aimed at improving conditions in higher education, including investments in dormitories and university infrastructure.
Rama also highlighted the role of international architectural competitions in Albania’s urban development strategy, saying cooperation between leading foreign design firms and Albanian architects had helped raise professional standards and create opportunities for knowledge transfer.
He said the competition for the Durrës campus formed part of a broader effort to modernise educational and urban infrastructure through international expertise and innovative design.
The new campus is expected to become a central component of the university’s future development, although the winning proposal from the international competition has not yet been announced.
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