At the Academy of Sciences of Albania, a roundtable was held on the theme “Geographical Studies of Our Nature, Society, and Settlements – An Integral Part of Albanology, with a Focus on the Scientific Clarification and Argumentation of Its Various Issues.”

This event was organized by the temporary geographical research unit, part of the Academy of Sciences, and brought together geography professors and lecturers from several universities across the country.

Academician Neki Frashëri, Chair of the Section of Natural and Technical Sciences, speaking on behalf of the Academy’s Presidency, congratulated the participants for their scientific contributions and highlighted the successful launch of the temporary geographical research unit, which was officially established just weeks ago (on March 6, 2025).

The discussions aimed to steer geographical studies towards Albanology, emphasizing the scientific explanation and argumentation of its challenges and theses from a geographical perspective.

In his address, Prof. Dr. Perikli Qiriazi underlined that one of the main goals of comprehensive geographical studies — covering nature, society, settlements, natural and cultural heritage, and other geographical elements — is their integration into Albanology and the strengthening of interdisciplinary collaboration. Such cooperation aids in scientifically clarifying and addressing many Albanological questions and challenges.

Three studies were presented during the event by Prof. Dr. Bilal Draçi, Prof. Dr. Pal Nikolli, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jostina Dhimitri. These works focused on geographical studies of Albanian settlements, historical cartography in Albanology, and geo-historical and methodological perspectives along with guiding models.

Throughout the presentations, stereotypes were challenged, paradoxes clarified, and new frameworks proposed to better understand the challenges facing our regions — from natural resource management and environmental risk mitigation to demographic dynamics and the preservation of the cultural heritage of Albanian settlements.

In the discussion, Dr. Majlinda Bufi emphasized the significance of this work and highlighted specific challenges faced by the municipality of Roskovec, calling for collaboration with geographic researchers to find solutions. She also pointed out the project to transform the large Kurjani reservoir into a tourist attraction and stressed that a thorough geographical study is essential to prevent potential environmental and social problems.