The 7th joint scientific conference of the Western Balkans within the framework of the Berlin Process concluded in Tirana.

This international conference, the 7th consecutive event, was hosted in Tirana as part of the Berlin Process. It focused on the future of science and education in the Western Balkans region and was co-organized by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Academy of Sciences of Albania.

The conference, titled “Partnership for Excellence and Partnership for Europe,” was held at the Academy of Sciences. The proceedings of the conference opened by Federica Mogherini, the Rector of the College of Europe.

The conference centered on three main topics:

1. Assessing the progress of higher education, research, and innovation in the Balkans and South-Eastern Europe concerning integration into the framework of education, research, and innovation in the European Union.
2. Establishing excellence in the Balkans through collaborative efforts in scientific research, innovation, and educational methodologies.
3. Developing tailored mobility programs for students, researchers, and professionals, with a focus on (re)connecting diaspora academics with their countries of origin.

During the event, Skënder Gjinushi, the head of the Academy, expressed his appreciation for the conference and highlighted the significance of the Berlin Process.

“This significant affiliation enables us to call upon the high European policy of the respective governments to focus special attention on academies, institutions, and educational-scientific elites throughout the region. We believe them to manifest this commitment through concrete and increasing support in all aspects, be it political or financial, for science, education, and scientific research in the region,” Chief Academician Gjinushi stated.

Academician Gjinushi emphasized the importance of investing in science by strengthening and expanding both human and logistical capacities. The goal is to elevate the level of educational and research institutions to be on par with their European counterparts. According to him, this approach would enable the intelligentsia and the new generations of researchers and specialists to integrate into Europe, accessing the same opportunities and standards, not on an individual basis but at an institutional level, and without the need for emigration, all within their own country.

The Berlin Process is a intergovernmental initiative aimed at facilitating the integration of Western Balkan countries into the European Union and fostering regional cooperation in Southeast Europe. This specific chapter of the Berlin Process is coordinated by the German National Academy of Sciences.

/m.ll/