Keywords

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 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 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). 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 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, 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 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.

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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.