Global Agendas in Higher Education
and Current Educational Reforms in Albania
Eriona Çela
Introduction
Albania has undergone various reforms in higher education as a way to
integrate all its higher education institutions (HEI) into a new global
trend. Nowadays, the globalization of higher education (HE) is not only
a goal to be achieved but also a necessity due to the extraordinary development of technology. The aim of this paper is to present the steps and
reforms that have been undertaken in Albania to integrate with the global
agenda for HE.
However, the development and improvement of education services in
Albania have even played a fundamental role in the process of integrating
into the European Union (EU). With reference to the Thessaloniki
Summit in June 2003, the EU evaluated Albania as a potential member
state of the EU. In 2006, Albania signed the Stabilization and Association
Agreement, which was entered into force in April 2009. This agreement
replaced the previous agreement with the European Economic Community signed in May 1992 regarding trade and economic and commercial
E. Çela (B)
University of New York Tirana, Tirana, Albania
e-mail: erionacela@unyt.edu.al
© The Author(s) 2024
B. Akgün and Y. Alpaydın (eds.), Global Agendas and Education
Reforms, Maarif Global Education Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3068-1_13
255
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cooperation. This new political approach aimed to increase the stability
and prepare Albania for integrating with the EU.
As a result, Albania became a candidate country in the European
Union (EU) in June 2014, and since then, the process of integration of
Albania has become a national priority in many fields, leading the way to
the government agenda. Starting from here, Albania needed to fulfill the
acquired criteria and standards of the EU as a precondition for passing
the other steps in the process of opening negotiations with the EU. In
this regard, Albania started to undertake reforms to adopt EU standards
and fulfill the accepted criteria. Many laws and bylaws were amended and
actions taken in this regard, even in the field of education.
The adoption process has not been easy for a country such as Albania
that lacks political stability. The Ministry of Education and Sports in
Albania and the EU Commission have continuously exchanged compatibility tables regarding the legal changes in the field of education. Many
changes occurred in Albania’s HE system, and these resulted in success
with the EU opening negotiations with Albania in 2022. As far as the
aims of education itself, however, many other actions need to be taken
in order to adopt globalization standards and increase employability after
graduation.
The changes in HE started in 2003 after Albania signed the Bologna
Declaration, and today Albania has a modern and almost European HE
system, starting with the organizing of the services offered. As such, the
Constitution of Albania and its Law on Higher Education has HE be
offered by public and non-public HEIs. The first group includes HEIs
with direct public funding, while the second group includes two types of
HEIs: non-profit and for-profit, neither of which receive public funding.
All the above HEIs are managed and operated based on the Law on
Higher Education and the rules for non-public enterprises and foundations in Albania. HEIs are organized into the following constituent
organizational units: main units (i.e., faculties, research and development
institutes, professional colleges, and subsidiaries), basic units (i.e., research
and development departments and centers), and technical units (i.e., laboratories, didactic units, libraries, and other units that carry out scientific
studies and services). HEIs are governed by collegial decision-making
bodies such as the Academic Senate, the Administration Council, and
the Faculty Council and by executive management authorities such as the
rectors, deans, and department heads. Members of the Senate and the
Faculty Council are elected by the entire staff (Commission for Higher
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Education and Scientific Research [CHESR], 2014). All these units must
collaborate to improve the quality of education in university studies, fulfill
students’ needs, and guarantee them a brighter future.
Curricula in Higher Education Institutions
Actions such as adopting a new and modern curriculum, improving and
developing the system capacities, and improving the service for compulsory education were the focus of the process of Europeanization and
were adopted according to the objectives of the European framework.
The HE system was reorganized according to the principles of the
Bologna Declaration in 2003 and moreover as a result of the globalization of higher education. The number of mobilities increased for
students and professors, and universities started to expand their collaboration with foreign universities. Professors started to implement new
teaching and learning methods based on their experience abroad. The
global impact brought about the need to intervene with the curricula, so
by 2014, the study schedules had been completely changed, with bachelor’s and master’s degree studies being introduced first (United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2017).
In 2007, Albania adopted a new law that would regulate the activity of
HEIs. This law was soon amended in 2010 with a new law that specified
and emphasized the mission of HEIs and the goals they had to reach.
After 2007, the number of non-public HEIs increased in Albania, but
not all of these institutions were licensed and accredited to provide this
service. These non-public institutions enrolled students to study and pay
fees, but they had several legal shortcomings, such as they had no registration number provided by Educational Service Center (ESC), the study
programs these institutions offered were not accredited by the Agency for
Quality Assurance in Higher Education (AQAHE), and the Ministry of
Education and Sports (MoES) had not licensed the institutions to provide
this service (CHESR, 2014).
The 2010 Law on Higher Education regulated different areas such as
the organization of HEIs, universities, faculties, and departments; defined
the governing bodies that had to be established as well as how they would
function; and also defined the teaching staff recruitment procedures. The
statutes of each HEI would cover their activities and organization in detail
(Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency [EACEA], 2010).
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Because this law was adopted after the signing of the Bologna Declaration, the reform process that followed addressed issues and called for
several reforms, such as the consolidation of the three-cycle system of
studies, the consolidation of HEIs’ financial autonomy, improvement of
the process for recognizing academic qualifications, the setup of performance standards and external and internal quality assessment, approval of
a national qualification framework, student mobility within the country
and abroad, and improved student HEI enrollment (EACEA, 2010).
Based on the 2010 Law on Higher Education, MES became the only
legal basis for regulating HEIs’ activities in 2014 after a detailed check
of each HEI saw the licenses of several non-public HEIs get revoked due
to operating outside of legal provisions. According to Laze (2011), only
about 12 public HEIs and 34 non-public HEIs were found in 2011, with
the non-public ones in this period being relatively new (the first having
only opened six years prior).
According to AQAHE, Albania currently has 42 HEIs. Based on Articles 17–21 of the 2010 Law on Higher Education, Albania has the
following HEIs: 12 public universities; 12 non-public universities, six
academies, nine university colleges, and three high professional colleges.
Albania has currently closed 26 HEIs.
Several bylaws, Decisions of the Council of Ministers (DCMs), and
instructions have followed this law and its adoption. Considerable reforms
have also been made in almost every aspect of HE. HE financing has been
increased, and the Erasmus + program turned out to be very successful.
This is why MoES is considering continuing to collaborate with the
European Union and sign the new agreement. Horizon Europe was also
signed in 2022 after the successful experience with Horizon 2020, which
expanded collaboration in the field of research. Meanwhile, curricula have
also been adopted to meet the standards of the Bologna Declaration, with
DCM 41 dated January 24, 2018, titled “On the Elements of Study
Programs Offered by Institutions of Higher Education,” and amended
in 2019 and 2021 providing the necessary criteria in accordance with the
legal provisions, which changed considerably during these years.
According to DCM 41/2018 described above, the elements that
make up the structure of study programs HEIs offer consist of training
credits in higher education through the European Credit Transfer System
(ECTS), the learning outcomes of the study program, the teaching
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components of a study program, the categories of the learning components that characterize a study program, the maximum admission quotas
and number of study groups.
Regarding knowledge checks and evaluation instruments, DCM 41/
2018 calls for knowledge checks that serve to evaluate student progress
and measure the acquisition of results on students’ learning of a subject
and study program. The assessment criterion describes what the student
is expected to achieve and at what level, with the aim of demonstrating
achievement of learning outcomes for a given subject. The evaluation
methods are the techniques, tools, and instruments for gathering information about the results and determining the extent to which a student
has acquired the expected results of learning a subject.
While related to learning outcomes, DCM 41/2018 calls for learning
outcomes in a study program that will determine the formation, knowledge, skills, and competencies that benefit the student until the end of
the study program. These are defined in general in the Albanian Framework of Qualifications, after which the HEI specifies and then develops
these following the specifics of each study program. The outcomes are
evaluated through procedures based on clear and transparent criteria and
are divided into two categories: determinants, which are the same for all
study programs with the same name and offered by various HEIs, and
the specifics, which differentiate study programs with the same name but
are offered by different HEIs. These learning outcomes are determined
separately by each institution providing the study program.
The curriculum of each study program defines the subjects of the study
program, divided according to the categories defined under Point 2.5 of
DCM 41/2018 into years, semesters, and hours according to the educational components for each subject as defined in Point 2.4 of DCM 41/
2018.
Elements of study programs are organized according to three cycles
and three levels of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
The components of the first cycle of the Bachelor program belonging to
Level 6 of the NQF involve basic subjects (category A: methodological
preparation and general culture which consist of 15–20% of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System [ETCS]), characteristic
subjects (category B: preparations in a scientific discipline consisting of
50–55% of the ETCS), interdisciplinary/integrating subjects (category C:
subdisciplines, profiles, and nonmandatory subjects consisting of 12–15%
of the ETCS), supplementary subjects (category D: foreign languages,
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informatics, professional practice consisting of 10–15% of the ETCS), and
the final exam (category E consisting of 3–5% of the ETCS for the entire
study program.
The components of the second cycle Master’s program belong to the
7th level of the NQF and include basic subjects (category A: methodological preparation and general culture consisting this time of 5–10%
of the ETCS for Professional Master and Scientific Master of Arts and
15–20% for Scientific Master integrated), characteristic subjects (category B: preparations in a scientific discipline consisting of 30–40% of
the ETCS for a professional Master’s, 50–60% for a scientific Master’s
or Master of the Arts, and 45–55% for an integrated scientific Master’s),
interdisciplinary/integrated subjects (category C: subdisciplines, profiles,
and nonmandatory subjects consisting of 20–30% of the ETCS for a
professional Master’s, 12–20% for a scientific Master’s or Master of the
Arts, and 15–15% for an integrated scientific Master’s), supplementary
subjects (category D: foreign languages, informatics, and professional
practice consisting of 10% of the ETCS for professional Master’s, scientific Master’s, or Master of the Arts and 6–8% for an integrated scientific
Master’s), and the final exam (category E consisting of 10–20% of the
ETCS for a professional Master’s, 10–15% for a scientific Master’s or
Master of the Arts, and 3–5% for an integrated scientific Master’s).
The components of the third cycle executive Master’s belonging to
the 8th level of the NQF involve basic subjects (category A: methodological preparation and general culture consisting of 5–10% of the ETCS),
characteristic subjects (category B: preparations in a scientific discipline consisting of 50–60% of the ETCS), interdisciplinary/integrated
subjects (category C: subdisciplines, profiles, and nonmandatory subjects
consisting of 12–15% of the ETCS), and a final exam (category E
consisting of 18–20% of the ETCS).
According to DCM 41/2018, the total percentage of subjects in categories A and B must be at least 70% in the first cycle of the Bachelor
programs and the integrated study programs of the second cycle of the
Master of Science program, and at least 60% in the second cycle of the
Master of Science programs. In the second cycle of the Master of Arts
programs, this ratio is set according to the specifics of the study program
itself. For the study programs of the third cycle of the executive Master’s,
the subjects in category B must have a marked practical character and
orientation with the aim of furthering students’ professional advancement. To meet this objective, courses can be offered in collaboration with
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industry and the professional world; in any case, this must involve at least
50% practice. Moreover, a balanced ratio should be maintained between
theoretical and practical training modules and activities (50/50) in professional programs. About 25% of the program must be dedicated to training
in practical/concrete work in the profession (DCM 41/2018).
However, the elements of the syllabus have remained unchanged since
the last amendment to the DCM in 2019. Annex No. 3 of DCM 879/
2019 calls for the following elements: Subject Name, Head Lecturer/
lecturer of the subject, number of credits, number of teaching hours,
lecture and seminar, practice or laboratory hours, academic year and
semester, type of subject (i.e., mandatory/elective), email address of the
lecturer, ethical code, learning outcomes, key concepts, course outline
for 15 teaching weeks, teaching–learning methods, attendance, assessment method and criteria, textbooks, and literature (whether mandatory/
compulsory), and final remarks.
In addition to all the changes made due to the Europeanization and
globalization of HE, many other initiatives still need to be taken in
Albania. Albanian HEIs need to review all lesson plans and the whole
approach in general to the learning process in order to implement the
Bologna Process as required. Specific degrees require specific regulations
and syllabi that need to be adopted according to foreign universities in
order to facilitate the recognition of degrees and simplify the teaching–
learning process. As such, HEIs have to revise their study programs in
accordance with the best practices by referring to the Bologna Declaration, reorganizing the syllabus, expanding collaborations with foreign
universities, and implementing the standards of globalization.
These reforms made to HE curricula respond to the three trends of
HE globalization. Firstly, lifelong learning is a platform that offers the
opportunity for training and ongoing qualification in every profession.
Lifelong learning has become a widespread term over the years due to
professionals always seeking new updates and wanting to improve their
skills and extend their knowledge in their field of expertise and future
careers. This phenomenon is led by the continuous development of technology and the necessity of adopting new functions and roles. This is the
reason for adapting the curricula toward skills. Article 6/32 of the 2010
Law on Higher Education defines lifelong learning as following activities
and/or educational programs in different periods of life with the aim of
expanding knowledge to increase academic and/or professional skills.
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Secondly, curricula are oriented toward employment. The current focus
of higher education is to assure a more successful labor market as students
are directed toward improving their skills and knowledge. This came as
a necessity because many students were questioning the value of higher
education; moreover, the changes in society and the increment of foreign
collaboration also emphasized the need for relevant employers. In fact,
the 2010 Law of Higher Education has made these elements part of the
mission of higher education, with Point b of Article 1 calling for the
formation of higher specialists as a mission.
Finally, one of the challenges considered in HE globalization is sustainability (Sart, 2022). In the global world, maintaining stability is a
very important element of development. HEIs in Albania are taking
another approach toward sustainability by integrating it into the university
curricula. This action came as a necessity for raising environmental awareness and other issues related to climate change. This is sometimes offered
as part of university curricula and sometimes through courses, workshops,
trainings, or other projects.
Scientific Research
Scientific research is a fundamental tool in the development of every
HEI. Beneficiaries are not just the HEI but also the students, professors,
and communities. Due to globalization, the importance of collaboration
and exchange has increased. Advances in science and technology have
impacted even education and scientific research in universities. The impact
of globalization has brought about the need to undertake actions and
make changes in Albania’s HE system.
The adoption of the new Law on Higher Education 80/2015 predicts
not only a clear legal framework for regulating scientific research in
Albania but also calls for special institutions that help in the implementation of projects in this area. DCM No. 607 was adopted on August 31,
2016, and title “On the Creation, Organization, and functioning of the
National Agency of Scientific Research and Innovation (NASRI).” NASRI
is a public institution that operates under MoES. NASRI aims not only
to improve and strengthen the scientific research and initiatives of HEIs
in this regard but also to provide an innovative and modern system in
this field. Currently, NASRI supports HEIs in writing projects properly
so that they can be funded; however, no specific body yet exists regarding
this issue. Whether to create a specific office in each HEI that will be
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responsible for writing qualitative and competitive projects for that HEI
or to create a special body that will help all HEIs in Albania (public or
non-public) in this regard has been discussed several times. However, no
action has yet to be taken on this issue.
Meanwhile, Horizon 2020 was a program to which HEIs could apply
to get funding for their projects in the scientific research field in accordance with the criteria and procedures defined by Horizon 2020. HEIs’
participation in this program was the best since Albania started participating in the EU’s Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation.
By 2021, nine projects had successfully passed all the procedures and
fulfilled all the criteria to gain a total funding of 1.9 million Euro (EU
Progress Report, 2022). When this program came to an end, Albania
adopted the new Horizon Europe 2022 program, and HEIs continued
nowadays to apply for funding for different projects in the field of science,
research, and innovation. Regarding the 2022 EU Progress Report,
various estimates indicated Albania to have allocated 0.2%–0.4% of its
GDP to research and development in 2021, which was far below the
targeted 1% of GDP by 2022 when state budget funds for MoES scientific
research were between 0.05% and 0.06% of its GDP (EU, 2022).
In addition to the developments Albania has made so far in this area,
a methodology for establishing research and science funding remains to
be developed, with many recommendations and initiatives still found to
strengthen research and innovation capacities at a national level (EU,
2022). However, efforts are still needed to develop the Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3). This report on the MoES emphasized that both
qualitative and quantitative analysis phases had been completed regarding
the development of S3 and that the entrepreneurial discovery process had
yet to be finalized. However, EU progress reports continuously emphasize the need to increase investments in scientific research in accordance
with the priorities of the European Research Area and to improve S3’s
development.
A trend and goal that higher education institutions are working on
today relates to brain circulation. This trend consists of the mobility
of teachers and researchers, giving them the opportunity to make their
contribution regardless of where they exercise their full-time activity. This
enables personalities from certain fields to be present in higher education
institutions in the form of guest professors, as presenting lecturers, or as
researchers in laboratories and research centers. This trend has increased
inclusiveness and interest in inter-institutional cooperation. NASRI has
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made this practice part of its work plan, financing and inviting HEIs
to propose projects in cooperation with institutions in the country and
abroad.
Budget Allocation and Financial
Support of Excellent Students
Employment is the key objective of every student who attends university
studies. From the moment a student decides what to study, they already
have a path to follow in their future career. The lack of a real SWOT
analysis regarding the requirements of the market has led many students
to make the wrong decision for their future. Moreover, students have not
been motivated or supported enough by HEIs in Albania in this regard,
whether financially during their studies or after they finish their studies.
This is the reason why many professions are vanishing today and why
young people do not want to attend certain study programs at university.
However, the government has undertaken some legal actions to motivate
and support students in improving their performance during university
studies and moreover becoming employed after finishing their studies.
In addition, Albania’s budget allocated to education has annually
increased, even though the initiatives from the Albanian government have
been weak until 2018 when students from public universities organized
protests against the government and MoES, mostly due to high fees in
universities and the lack of financial support for students and excellent
students. The EU Progress Report (EU, 2022) declared the budget allocated to education in 2021 to have remained low at an estimated 3.6% of
GDP, only 0.9 percentage points higher than in 2020.
Excluding secondary income, the funds of the line ministries for education, and the funds of local self-government units for education, the
funds approved for MoES compared to the total budget expenditures
for the period of 2021–2023 are expected to reach 7.6% in 2021, 7.8%
in 2022, and 7.6% in 2023. Excluding secondary income, the funds of
line ministries for education, and the funds of local self-government units
for education, public funds for education compared to the gross domestic
product went from 2.4% in 2019 to 2.5% in 2021, 2.4% in 2022, and 2.3%
in 2023 (National Plan on European Integration 2022–2024, 2022).
As mentioned above, students from all public universities in Albania
organized protests in 2018 for at least one month due to the high fees
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they were paying to continue their university studies. After public consultation with HEIs, the government and MoES formed the initiative known
as the Pact for University to financially support students, or at least facilitate their financial obligations. As such, the agreement was reached to
increase the HE Budget to 5% of GDP and to allow the study fee for
each study level to be halved, a 50% reduction in fees. To address the
students’ demands, the Council of Ministers on December 26, 2018,
approved the amendments DCM 778/2018 titled “On the Approval of
the Maximum Limit of the Annual Tuition Fee for Students Studying in
Public Institutions of Higher Education, in a Program of the First Cycle
of Studies, in an Integrated Program of Studies, or in a Full-Time Professional Studies Program,” DCM 779/2018 titled “For Some Changes to
DCM 269/2017 On Determining the Categories of Individuals Who
Meet the Admission Criteria in a Program of the First Cycle of Studies, in
an Integrated Program of Studies, or in a Program of Professional Studies
that are Exempt from the Annual Tuition Fee,” DCM 780/2018 titled
“On Determining the Categories of Individuals Who Meet the Criteria
for Waiving the Annual Study Fee in the Programs of the Second Cycle
of Studies in Public Higher Education Institutions,” and DCM 784/
2018 titled “For Some Changes to DCM 903/2016 On Determining
the Criteria for Benefiting from Scholarships from the Student Support
Fund for Excellent Students, Students Studying in Study Programs in
Priority Areas, and Students in Need” (Albanian Government Council of
Ministers, 2019).
Moreover, students have faced ongoing reforms over the last decade,
with each year introducing a new process of university enrollment.
However, Albanian students have resulted to excelling at their study
applications abroad despite the numerous changes to the education
system sometimes confusing them. In addition, these developments have
improved their skills of easily adapting to change, working hard to achieve
their goals, evaluating the importance of education, and being chosen
by one of the 15 best universities in the world (e.g., Harvard, Oxford,
UCL, MIT, Stanford University, the University of California Berkeley,
Imperial College London, ETH Zürich). On February 19, 2020, MoES
adopted DCM 160/2020 titled “On the Financial Support of Excellent Students and Civil Servants (Excellence Fund);” this DCM provided
financial support for students who had applied and were accepted to study
in one of the best 15 universities in the world, as mentioned above. After
receiving the acceptance letter from the university, students used to send a
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complete folder with the necessary documentation called for in the DCM
160/2020 to MoES, accompanied by a request to get financial support
from the government. The agreement between the students and MoES
was focused on maintaining the quality of these students and making
them great contributors to public administration and the private sector. In
addition, students had to maintain an average GPA between 8–10 and B–
A based on their field of study and had to return and contribute to their
country after finishing their studies. This program has resulted in positive since the number of students who applied for financial support was
growing each year. On the other hand, the number of students who were
returning to contribute to their hometown was decreasing. Somehow, the
aim of this DCM was vanishing (DCM 160/2020).
Therefore, to lower the level of the brain drain in Albania, MoES
adopted a new policy regarding study programs in 2022 and the new
DCM 386/2022 regarding the financial support of excellent students;
however, now the financial support would be given to students attending
public universities in one of the programs that are considered a national
priority. According to DCM 386/2022, national priority programs are
considered in such fields as the humanities, natural sciences, engineering, agriculture, and veterinary services. DCM 386/2022 also calls
for students to benefit monthly from the minimum wage in Albania and
to be exempt from university fees. The beneficiaries are categorized as
students who’ve graduated from high school with a grade point average
of 10 and a Matura exam score of over 9.5 for the study program they
choose or a minimum average of 8.5 if they choose to study in one of
the priority study programs, and graduate students who’ve won one of
the first three places in international contests in which there are at least
15 participating countries. According to DCM 386/2022, students are
legally obligated to work in the public sector for at least three years after
graduation.
Due to 2023 being the first year this initiative has been implemented,
its impact on the labor market is not yet clear. However, Albania has made
considerable developments and improvements in the field of employment and student financial support, the effects of which are expected
to increase. Moreover, the reforms in HE related to scientific research,
curricula, and the founding of this sector are not enough. The laws,
bylaws, and other legal measurements have helped in the adoption of
EU and global standards, as well as the acquisition of the Bologna
Declaration.
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Mainly, the legal changes have been in response to the economic,
social, and cultural conditions of Albania as a country. The reform itself
analyzes the problems and proposes solutions and best practices. As a
candidate country in the EU, Albania has been subjected to reforms and
changes time after time, with the aim of achieving the best standards
and providing a high-quality and competitive education. The challenge
of globalization is even more tangible in HEIs, especially nowadays
when the academic offer is easily accessible and presents an infinity of
choices and alternatives. During these years, Albania has made a great
safe step forward. Challenges are still present, but so are opportunities
for providing better solutions. The balances that are kept are related to
the HEI-student–labor market trinomial.
Conclusions
In summary, the changes made to the Albanian higher education system
due to Europeanization and globalization have been insufficient at adopt
the standards of the European Union. HEIs must review the lesson plans
and the European approach regarding the teaching–learning process,
as well as properly implement the Bologna Declaration. Degrees and
syllabuses HEIs offer need specific regulations, and the process of recognizing these degrees needs to be facilitated, as doing so will increase the
collaboration with foreign European HEIs.
Moreover, reforms in curricula are more than a necessity to respond
to the three trends of higher education globalization. These three trends
relate to lifelong learning, employment, and sustainability. Firstly, lifelong
learning must be led by the necessity of adopting new functions and roles.
This is the reason for adopting the curricula toward skills with the aim of
expanding knowledge to increase academic and/or professional skills. On
the other hand, Albanian HEIs’ focus must assure a more successful labor
market, as students are being directed toward improving their skills and
knowledge. Finally, maintaining stability is a very important element for
developing Albanian HEIs. Reforms in the education sector have to be
done by taking into consideration institutions’ profiles, as well as their
demographic, economic, and social development. Universities’ profiles
create space for better achievement of goals and also assure stability.
However, the legal changes have occurred in response to Albania’s
economic, social, and cultural conditions. The HE reforms have improved
the issues that have been identified throughout the years and suggested
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solutions and best practices for different procedures in curricula, the labor
market, and lifelong learning activities. Despite the progress that Albanian HEIs have made so far, room still is found for new opportunities
and improvement in order to fully adopt the required standards.
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