Agricultural University of Tirana

The Higher Agricultural Institute (HAI) was established on November 1, 1951, just seven years after the end of the Second World War, at a time when Albania had only recently reasserted its sovereignty—albeit as part of the communist bloc. First lectures on agricultural sciences were delivered at the Faculty of Agronomy in 1951.

The founding of HAI took place during a challenging period, as Albania, a relatively young nation, had been independent for just four decades, having removed itself from the fold of Ottoman Empire and endured the devastation of two world wars.

The establishment of the Higher Agricultural Institute (HAI), today referred to as the Agricultural University of Tirana (UBT), aligned with the state-oriented policies adopted by many post-war European countries to boost agricultural production in response to widespread poverty and hunger. The journey of HAI—along with that of higher education in Albania—can be traced back to Laprakë, seventy years ago. Five years later, in 1956, the institute moved to Kodër-Kamëz, an area then covered in oak forests and meadows that surrounded Tirana at the time—the very spot where it remains to this day.

The Higher Agricultural Institute was established during a time when Albania was mired in backwardness and misery, trapped in a medieval state of existence that most European countries had overcome centuries earlier. Under these harsh conditions—exactly 74 years ago—HAI laid its foundations as a beacon of knowledge and hope for hundreds and thousands of young male and female students, and for the many dedicated lecturers who embarked upon a critical mission: to fundamentally reshape the lives and behavior of the rural producer and the urban consumer alike.

Today, while remaining faithful to its tradition, the Agricultural University of Tirana has expanded its academic and research portfolio—driven by strengthened academic capacities and enhanced laboratory expertise. Its faculties, departments, and academic staff stand among the most reliable partners of the Albanian Government in the drafting and implementation of development programs and strategies. After 74 years, AUT has emerged as a consolidated university, with one of the best campuses and teaching/laboratory infrastructures in Albania. With roughly 6,000 students enrolled and the most highly qualified academic staff in its history, AUT continues to gain ground in the fields of knowledge and scientific research it covers. The university is led by a comprehensive strategic development master plan that extends well beyond the year 2030.

After 74 years, the Agricultural University of Tirana (UBT) has a crystal-clear vision and a well-defined path to fulfilling its mission in strategically vital areas for the country, such as: food security, animal health closely linked to public health, the sustainable management of natural resources (including soil, water, biodiversity, and climate change adaptation), environmental quality, and the development of the agricultural economy.

After 74 years of its existence, AUT has defined clearly it perspective and direction as it is zooming in on 2030. With a forward-looking mission “AUT as a Center of Excellence”—the university is following a well-defined roadmap to achieve its strategic goals, drawing on the guidance and institutional support from the University of Vienna (BOKU).

As of today, graduates of the Agricultural University of Tirana have revitalized rural areas — they produce and export goods and services, welcome visitors and tourists, keep tradition alive and kicking, promote natural resources, and serve as key drivers of sustainable development. AUT alumni have made and continue to make significant contributions within both local and central administrations by making their way up even to the highest leadership positions in the state.

It is difficult to find a corner of the world where a AUT graduate has not left a mark. The sons and daughters, who have graduated from AUT, continue to contribute to hundreds of organizations, institutions, and universities across the globe.

Currently the university has about 6000 students, 5 Faculties and 1 Institute. AUT offers 45 accredited study programmes at BSc, MSc and PhD levels (in 12 BSc, 27 MSc and 6 PhD programmes).

The university has 600 employees, of which more than 300 are Professors or Associate Professors.

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences

The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, or simply BOKU (derived from its German name, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien), founded in 1872, is an education and research centre for renewable resources in Vienna, Austria. BOKU combines expertise in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, biotechnology, and social and economic sciences. In research and teaching, it focuses on:

• ​the conservation and development of protection for habitats, economy, and living standards
• the management of natural resources and environment
• the protection of food and health

BOKU sees itself as an innovation leader in the green economy, with the goal of integrating sustainability into all processes in society. It is a member of the Euroleague for Life Sciences (ELLS), the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), the European University Initiative (EPICUR), the Austrian-African Research Network (Africa UniNet), and numerous other international cooperations. There are currently 10,941 students from over 100 countries enrolled at BOKU.

Campus: After 27 years at Palais Schönborn, the City of Vienna decided in 1896 to build a new campus at Türkenschanzpark in the 18th district. The departments of sustainable agriculture, soil science, horticulture, animal husbandry, economics, and social sciences are still headquartered at this original campus. Another city campus, located at Muthgasse in the 19th district near the Heiligenstadt underground station, is the headquarters for the biotechnology, chemistry, plant sciences, water resource management, waste management, and food sciences departments. There is also a research facility complex in Tulln, north of the city, with biotechnology and agricultural sciences laboratories and facilities. Other important locations and testing fields are Groß-Enzersdorf (Lower Austria), Jedlersdorf (Vienna), Knödelhütte (Vienna), Heuberg/Rosalia (Burgenland), and the Water Cluster Lunz am See (Lower Austria).

Central and South Eastern Europe

The “ICA Regional Network for Central and South Eastern Europe”, in short CASEE, is a network of Central and South Eastern European Higher Education Institutions relating to the Life Science disciplines (agriculture, food, biotechnology, natural resources, rural development and the environment).

CASEE is an international non-profit organization (“internationale vereniging zonder winstoogmerk”/”association internationale sans but lucratif”) governed by the provisions of Title III of the Law of 27 June 1921 on non-profit organizations, international non-profit organizations and foundations, as modified (the “NPO-Law”). The organisation aims to stimulate and support its member institutions in the development of a European dimension in education and research through the development of concerted actions and in engaging globally.

The objectives of network are:

• to support the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube region
• to strengthen research, education and University Development in this region
• to develop joint research, educational and other projects (e.g. joint curricula, joint continuous educational offers, structural development, human resource development, QA, know-how-transfer, e.g. via an e-platform)

The challenges for universities in the knowledge society comprise, among others, the internalization of higher education: acting internationally in research and teaching, but applying the knowledge to local and regional problems.

The reasons for founding the CASEE network were:

1. Enormous challenges for university development at present
   1. Bologna process
   2. Excellence in research, education and university management (increasing competition between higher education institutions!)
2. Specific challenges for life science universities to develop the basis for the future development of mankind
   1. Food and water security, environmental protection
   2. Sustainable use of natural resources (soil, bioresources, water, bio-economy, ...)
   3. Development of high-end technological methods in biotechnology (biorefinery, renewable energy, ...)
   4. Landscape development; town- and country planning
   5. And many more.....

Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. The goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

Geoinformation Centre for the Western Balkans

Geoinformation makes a valuable contribution to assessing environmental conditions and thus facilitates well-founded decisions on land use, sustainable resource management and nature conservation. In the Western Balkans, there is still much room for progress in leveraging the power of geoinformation technology, with a particular lack of appropriately trained personnel and training opportunities. In GEO-WB6, we establish a Geoinformation Centre to close precisely this gap, by improving human resources for the management and analysis of geodata and by strengthening the regional network of geoinformation experts. We strive for the Centre to become a central hub for geodata in the Western Balkans, advancing the region’s research portfolio and supporting governments, NGOs and academic institutions, with the aim of supporting the region in the EU accession process regarding negotiating Chapter 11 (Agriculture and Rural Development) and Chapter 27 (Environment and Climate Change).

GEO-WB6 is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and jointly implemented by the Agricultural University of Tirana (AUT) and the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO).

Academy of Sciences of Albania

The Academy of Sciences of Albania, founded in 1972, is the most important scientific institution in Albania. In the 1980s, several research institutes began at the University of Tirana were transferred to the Academy’s jurisdiction. The institution includes the most distinguished scientists, also called “academics”, that are involved in research centres and other organisations inside and outside Albania. As of 2009, the Academy had 23 regular members, 10 associated members, one permanent member, and 26 honour members

The Academy was among several dozens of the world’s scientific academies which endorsed through signature the Summit Statement emerging from the New Delhi Population Summit of 1994.

The Academy is composed of two sections:

• Social Sciences and Albanological Section
• Natural and Technical Sciences Section

It also includes the following units:

• Projects of Technological and Innovation Development,
• Branch for Foreign and Public Relations,
• Library
• Publishing

The Academy of Sciences of Albania has the country’s largest academic library. Founded in 1975 starting with 10,000 volumes, it included 812,000 volumes by 1986.

In 2008, funding for most research functions of the academy was withdrawn, those research functions subsequently transferred to universities and research centres. Four research institutes which were separated from the Academy joined to form the Centre of Albanological Studies. http://akad.gov.al/