Present at this activity were Minister of Education and Sports, Ogerta Manastirliu, as well as university management staff, such as the Rector of TPU, Prof. Dr. Akli Fundo and the deans of various faculties.

In her greeting remarks, Minister Manastirliu emphasized the importance of starting this new chapter for all students, especially for about 20,000 of them who sit in the university’s auditoriums for the first time.

“Over 20,000 students start university for the first time across the country. Over 1,200 students start their first year of studies at the Polytechnic University of Tirana and I wish all the students, wherever they have started their studies, a successful year and as many achievements as possible,” Minister of Education and Sports, Ogerta Manastirliu, said in her speech.
Manastirliu commended the Polytechnic University of Tirana for the quick adaptation to the dynamics of the country’s development and the demands of the labor market, through new academic programs and international collaborations.

The budget for higher education has increased by 13% compared to the previous year, while 1.5 billion lek have been invested in the improvement of infrastructure and scientific research.
Minister Manastirliu emphasized the benefits the country has gained from international programs.

“Participation in international programs such as Horizon Europe, CERN, COST, CEEPUS, and EUREKA has opened up new opportunities for funding and mobility for faculty and students. I am very pleased that the Polytechnic University of Tirana is one of the leading universities in terms of student mobility, as well as that of faculty and academic staff. Thanks to the process of internationalization, we now have a richer academic offer in Albania, with more joint and bilingual programs. This year, 10 new programs have been added to the entire higher education ecosystem, culminating this year with the opening, for the first time in our country, of the College of Europe campus in Tirana. We have also finalized and will soon open the UNED campus in Gjirokastër, and we are completing the signing phase with Istanbul Technical University and with the branch of the University of Technology of Compiègne, France, which will open its program at TPU,” said Manastirliu.

/k.s/sm/