The challenges of higher education at the University of Shkodra/Gjuraj: We aim for more students next year

2025-01-24 14:29:00, Aktualitet CNA

The challenges of higher education at the University of Shkodra/Gjuraj: We aim

The faculties at the University of Shkodra have not fulfilled the previous request of the record Tonin Gjuraj, a request in the form of advice to send a lower number of free quotas at a time when the number of students registering in recent years is much lower than the vacant places announced by the university. Rector Gjuraj said that for the academic year 2025-2026 the faculties have brought a total of 3382 free quotas while last year at the University of Shkodra nearly 900 students were registered for the first time. Gjuraj at this first meeting of the Academic Senate said the challenge of registering a higher number of students will be very great.

"An important point in this first meeting of the Senate for this year will be the approval of study quotas for the academic year 2025-2026, this is an annual practice. Of course, the number of expected students is higher than last year because this also reflects the increase in the number of study programs, those study programs for which we have applied that not all can necessarily be approved, but I remind you once again that we have applied for 14 new study programs where in fact 5 of them are reorganizations. So the basic units and the main units have sent to the rectorate the number of students for the coming year, i.e. the quotas reflecting, so to speak, these new study programs and it is a high number and we will need an extremely large amount of work in recruiting these students because this is our challenge. Not simply presenting quotas but the effort that we can then make to get as close as possible to such a number, which is always a kind of prediction based on the number of students last year, the study of the labor market, the number of study programs and other things like that. For the coming year in the first cycle of bachelor studies, the basic units, that is, the main units, have requested 1900 students, in the second cycle of master of science and professional 1372 students and the professional programs that we have are 110 students and that in total makes 3382 students. The number seems quite high but the challenge is how many of these potential students we will manage to recruit", said Tonin Gjuraj, rector of the University of Shkodra.

Rector Gjuraj also spoke about investments in the University of Shkodra, saying that 6 infrastructure projects have been submitted to the National Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Education.

"At the beginning of this year, we have submitted more than last year, 6 projects to AKKSHI which are infrastructure projects that have been submitted within the deadlines and include laboratories, they are some very important projects and let's see now, it depends on their quality and the policy of supporting such projects by AKKSHI. We hope that at least a good part of them can be financed by AKKSHI. Work has also started on some new study programs. As we have said, designing the program takes time and when we say new programs it has to do with the academic year 2026-2027 because the application of programs has its own deadlines that are set by the Ministry of Education. The new element that is in terms of the work being done for these programs are the interdepartmental efforts and the message, the discussions that we have had so that these study programs can be as comprehensive as possible and can include several departments together, so to increase interdisciplinarity. At the Faculty of Social Sciences, work has already begun on a new bachelor's program in Albanian studies. There is even an interdepartmental agreement, so it is a positive step. There is time because all these programs will be applied later on October 30, 2025. It has been discussed and there has been an agreement and work will begin between the Faculty of Economics and the Department of Mathematics and Informatics, perhaps for a second-cycle economic informatics program is more of an idea. Despite the fact that the opportunity has been seen to discuss the first cycle as well, but we are okay with advancing on such a program. Of course, what is new and we should continue it not only at the Faculty of Economics is advancing with the program in English. We do not have a program in English. Here too, there is a willingness of the Faculty of Economics for a program in business administration perhaps, but I again call on the faculties to explore other opportunities for study programs in English. This could be double programs in cooperation or in partnership with universities outside Albania. It has also started in foreign languages ??and I have talked to the faculty and maybe it is time to start a deep restructuring of the foreign languages ??program there. Of course, new directions are not excluded in the future, but I think that by the end of March we should at least design such programs that we can then detail them within the deadline required by the Ministry of Education and be able to advance", said Tonin Gjuraj, rector of the University of Shkodra.

The needs for investments at the University of Shkodra are much greater, said Rector Gjuraj.

"In the first half of February, I believe the draft budget for 2025 will be discussed and approved. Here too, the main units, the faculties have sent requests and keep in mind that we have a teaching grant that has increased by 4 million lek, so from 625 million lek to 629 million lek, the teaching grant, but we have 3.5 million euros available from our income for investments and maintenance, which is detailed by the lower administration offices. Requests have come from the main units and of course the institution also has priorities. Of course, some investments are urgent in infrastructure such as the faculty of educational sciences, the boiler system, the faculty of social sciences, the rectorate, as well as several other elements related to maintenance, but as soon as they are detailed at the February meeting, we will be very open to discussing and sharing this information. The needs are much greater, we are very clear, but these are the available money, this is the public sector, the state sector, and we will always try to ensure that this amount that is available for maintenance and investments has nothing to do with investments or support in infrastructure that AKKSHI or the Ministry of Education can give us in any case or other directions", said Tonin Gjuraj, rector of the University of Shkodra.

The meeting of the Academic Senate of the University of Shkodra then continued behind closed doors, discussing the agenda items in more detail. / CNA