FLASH
Shkruar nga Prof. Dr. Tonin Gjuraj
Let us make ourselves available for a deep reform of higher education. Those who will be part of the drafting of the new law should not have a personal interest in leadership positions. Only in this way do we serve the public interest. Every sacrifice must be made, it is enough for the Reform to happen!
"Luigj Gurakuqi" University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Albania; a peer of the University of Tirana, since 1957, but the only pole of knowledge in the north and northeast of the country. It carries a rich cultural, civic and intellectual heritage.
Students choose to study in Shkodra not simply for a degree, but to be part of a city that has always been open to knowledge and progress. The tradition of school culture naturally intertwines with the challenges of the time. The university bears the name of Luigj Gurakuqi – one of the brightest figures of the Albanian nation, patriot, thinker and disseminator of knowledge – an example that inspires us even today to connect studies with civic responsibility and the courage for reforms.
As the rector of the University of Shkodra “Luigj Gurakuqi”, my commitment is to ensure that this institution continues to reform with the student at the center – not only as beneficiaries of knowledge, but also as its co-creators. We believe that the university should be governed by and for students, as a living community, where their voice is heard and where we build the future together.
The time has come for a new phase of the University of Shkodra "Luigj Gurakuqi":
Bringing the best out of tradition – On the eve of the 70th anniversary of its founding, we must collect, systematize, and highlight everything good from the history of this university. Not simply for branding, but to turn it into the basis of a future development project.
To create a clear and competitive identity – Based on the new regional circumstances and the European higher education space, USH must build its own profile, clear and bold. We must leave behind unnecessary programs and structures and move towards an identity that is distinctive and competitive.
Let's discuss without taboos the legal status of public universities - With courage, we must take an example from the most advanced models such as the Anglo-Saxon one. Our universities must remain public, but their leaders must be equipped with legal instruments to act with real autonomy and to be measurable with concrete results.
I myself, from this podium, call on my colleagues and fellow rectors: to make ourselves available for a profound reform of higher education. Those who will be part of the drafting of the new law should not have a personal interest in leadership positions. Only in this way do we serve the public interest. Every sacrifice must be made, it is enough for the Reform to happen!
USH needs greater infrastructural support. Some buildings are outdated, including the rectorate building. We have shared with the mayor and former minister Ogerta Manastirliu the need to transfer to the university one of the buildings near the Faculty of Educational Sciences – the former Neuropsychiatric Hospital or the Sanatorium.
I'll close with a question taken from a speech by Golda Meir, former Prime Minister of Israel:
" If you want to build a country where its sons and daughters will return, where people will only leave for the holidays, and where there is no fear for the future, do three things:
Equate corruption with treason.
Make teachers, doctors, and military the highest-paid and most prestigious professions.
And most importantly: work, work and only work. Because no one but you will protect you, no one will feed you, and no one else needs your country more than you do .”
I thank the students who have chosen to begin this journey in Shkodra and I wish you success, creativity, and courage in your academic research.
Welcome to a tradition that is now yours!
* Welcome speech by the rector of the University of Kosovo at the start of the 2025–2026 academic year
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