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The Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education Project “University to Society Innomediaries in Albania: Co-Production of knowledge and research that matters” / U-SIA kicked off on 23rd – 24th February 2021. In the plenary session, speakers highlighted the relevance of the university to society cooperation for the development of Albania and the European integration process.

 

Prof. Assoc. Dr. Xhindi, USIA Project Manager, on behalf of the Mediterranean University of Albania (MUA) and the project team, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of the project USIA for MUA and encouraged the partners for sustainable cooperation and successful implementation of the project.

Prof. Dr. Ardian Civici, Rector of MUA, underlined the importance of University-Business Cooperation to provide an array of benefits for higher education institutions (HEIs), students, business and society alike.

Mr. Nikolin Jaka, President of the Chambre of Commerce and Industry in Tirana, echoed the same message on the need for more cooperation between university and business, considering the high potential and relevance of research for the overall development of Albanian society and economy and the European integration process.

Mrs. Mirela Muça, Head of the National Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation (AKKSHI/NASRI), presented the funding opportunities for research to business links from public agencies, highlighting also the changes in the policy framework enabling such cooperation.

Dr. Blerjana Bino, Co-Founder of the Centre Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV) confirmed that the entire USIA consortium is strongly committed to enhancing an enabling higher education environment that supports university to society collaborations in order to co-produce knowledge and research with impact that is not only academically insightful but also applicable to the development of Albania and responding to our contextual challenges including COVID19 pandemic, digital transformation, and others.

USIA Project is launched based on a gap analysis conducted previously. What emerges is that universities in Albania are in perpetual transformation trying to re-envision their position in society. The European Commission Report for Albania and other independent reports point out that Albania’s capacity for research, development, and innovation remains low.

The recent legal and policy framework on the HE sector in Albania encourages a Triple Helix Model. This is a welcoming measure. However, achieving effective and productive university-business collaboration remains challenging due to limited availability of research funds & infrastructure; lack of incentives to engage in business cooperation; general distrust in the quality of research; limited capacity to absorb and introduce innovations, and other reasons.

Traditionally universities exist as institutions for the creation and dispersion of knowledge, but in our current world, universities must engage with their own socio-economic context. Triple helix offers a model for creating innovation as an output of institutionalized and structured interactions between university, government, and industry.

Building upon this, the project introduces in Albania a Quadruple Helix Model. In addition to the university, business, and government, this model includes civil society, media, and grassroots organizations to co-create knowledge, research, and innovation output.

Thus, this project proposes a model of co-creation of knowledge for finding solutions to current and future challenges in Albania. research uptake by policy and the business sector remains a challenge and we aim to address that.

As various European Commission documents highlight: “Quadruple Helix Model is the next challenge, where government, industry, academia and civil participants work together to co-create the future and drive structural changes far beyond the scope of what anyone organization or person could do alone”.

The final results of USIA shall be:

• A strong network of universities, research centers, civil society organizations, businesses, and public policy institutions established to work on the foster effective and sustainable university to social collaboration in Albania
• Knowledge transfer and innovation brokerage units established in partner universities in Albania with the support of EU partners
• Foster also regional cooperation and exchange of experience between EU and non-EU countries.

The Kickoff meeting was organized online on Zoom Platform by (Mediterranean Center  – Mediterranean University of Albania (MUA) as a project leader with the participation of all project partners. During the two-day online event, consortium members had the opportunity to discuss and agree on relevant topics for the implementation of the project.

Full video of the plenary session.

Full Agenda.

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CALL FOR APLICATION

Youth involvement in a constructive dialogue: Communist Past in Contemporary Western Balkan (YOU-WB)

A project funded by Europe for Citizens Program

 Deadline: 28 February 2021

The Centre for Comparative and International Studies (CCIS), is implementing a project financed by Europe for Citizens Program – “Youth involvement in a constructive dialogue: Communist Past in Contemporary Western Balkan (YOU-WB)”

The project is implemented in partnership with Mediterranean Center; SCiDEV; Patrimoine sans Frontières: PERIPLI and CCM, targeting youth in 4 programs’ eligible countries Albania, France, Italy, North Macedonia.

The project aims to Foster national and transnational youth activist’s dialogue about the reflection of past communist regimes in contemporary Western Balkan (WB) and EU.

In this regard CCIS and project partners will organize the following activities:

Workshop 1. Rules, norms, rights, practices and customs during the communist regime: youth reflection.

Workshop 2. The effect of rapid social changes during post-communist transition and people’s  perceptions in Macedonia and Albania.

Workshop3. Political Culture in Italy from 1989 and on

Workshop 4. National Identities and Collective Memory in an Enlarged Europe

Tirana Conference: Post-Communism and Democracy in WB

Interested young people in Albania should fill in this application form in English and submit it till Feb 28, 2021.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1e8UHtzB8FQawvhcoY1c2gGoByRhCLt7lh2ysXV2Hif0/edit?usp=sharing

Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Effective communication is a vital tool for any business owner. Your success at getting your point across can be the difference between sealing a deal and missing out on a potential opportunity.

You should be able to clearly explain company policies to customers and clients and answer their questions about your products or services. It is crucial to communicate effectively in negotiations to ensure you achieve your goals.

Communication is also important within the business. Effective communication can help to foster a good working relationship between you and your staff, which can in turn improve morale and efficiency.

Mrs. Blerjana Bino, our mentor is explaining to the women the key aspects of both verbal and non-verbal communication, how to listen to and understand others, and how to make the best possible first impression on the people you encounter in and around your business.

The evolving ICT landscape is offering women entrepreneurs new opportunities to strengthen their businesses and become more effective. Studies show that there are different tools such as mobile applications, online platforms and networks, online radio and podcasts, blogs, digital marketing, e -commerce and others that are helping women entrepreneurs to reach out to customers and build their businesses in ways they could not do before. Effective use of ICTs is now helping to overcome several challenges that women entrepreneurs in developed and developing countries face alike. However, the data of this project shows that in the region of Elbasan there is a clear evidence of a “gender digital divide” wherein women entrepreneurs – due to lack of literacy, skills, access, resources and other factors – are excluded from the opportunities and benefits offered by ICTs or benefit far less than men. This confirms the results of other studies as well in this regard.

The Elbasan region is very affected by the problems related to youth migration and informal employment in agriculture, the lack of professional training to increase productivity and the lack of safety and health conditions in the workplace. The economic crisis in neighboring countries (especially in Greece) during 2010-2011 has increased the number of migrants returning to Elbasan, who are added to the large group of the unemployed category. In terms of women’s unemployment, the opportunity to find a job and the period when women lose their jobs while waiting for job opportunities is relatively longer than that of men. There is also a disproportionate distribution of women employed in the public and private sectors. The number of women engaged in small businesses still remains very small compared to men, despite the fact that in the Elbasan region unemployment is higher among women than among men. According to the National Business Centre (NBC), the Elbasan branch lists 8,350 businesses, of which only 41 are run or co-run by women. 11.7% of businesses are run by women. These data relate only to businesses registered with the NBC, as there are small businesses which are registered in the relevant local government units or not registered at all. However, the trend is clear. This shows that the business sector is dominated by men.

Our mentor Flutura Xhabija

Fiscal reforms,  the Albanian Government approved the fiscal package by Law 179/2013, which as the main objective has maintaining the macroeconomic stability and continuation of structural reforms, in order to create the conditions necessary for the economy to operate in the path of potential growth. This fiscal policy is oriented towards the recovery of the country’s economic growth at its potential. The drafting of the fiscal policy is closely consulted with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB).

In this mentoring are introduced a number of measures such as:

• personal income tax by 0-23%;
• corporate income tax 15%;
• tax for businesses with an estimated turnover of 2-8 million ALL, has a tax rate of 7.5%;
• tax for small businesses with an annual turnover amounting to less than 2 million, it is 25,000 ALL per year;
• Removal of VAT in the health sector, for medicines.

Also import of machinery and equipment made ​​with the mediation of the leasing companies are subject to the exemption from value added tax, etc., are important measures that will increasingly influence the creation of a stimulating climate for domestic and foreign enterprises

Our mentor: Dhurata Cupi

There is ample evidence about the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as mobile phones, computers, and the internet to support economic growth. ICT use by micro and small enterprises has led to improvements
not only in business performance but also in living condition. ICT can be included as a component of public sector management, finance, private sector development, education, social protection, infrastructure (i.e., transport, water, energy, etc.), and agriculture interventions to leverage greater benefits for women. It would thus be useful to gain a better understanding of gender differences in access and use, and of how these tools could be best used to promote women’s entrepreneurship and enhance economic activity.
ICT is a fast-changing area that can provide new opportunities to catalyze women’s economic development.

Mentoring session with our mentor Teuta Xhindi

Support women to build their brand through social media online which is widely used by different target audiences and it also helps to network with like-minded women or role models that can support women in their early stages

Our mentor Blerjana Bino