The Development of Higher Education in Albania, Problems and Challenges

Education is considered as one of the main pillars of society. An educated society leads the development of a nation. Education is also one of the areas which is also strongly influenced by it and social change. The fact that the educational systems are in permanent change does not show instability. But rather on the other side, they serve to better adapt the society which is changing. Starting from the beginning the education system in Albania has experienced changes after the collapse of the communist system and the approach of society to these changes has been a sensitive issue. These changes were not very studied, since they were in a very unfavorable environments, in which our education system came from a widespread politicization, and they did not always have the right fruits which was often perceived by us as experiments. These changes have not passed without debate, not only by academics, but also by students and civil society. Methodology: The work is based on a comparative analysis over these three decades, relying also on INSTAT’s statistical data.Main results: In this paper, I will show the transformation of the higher education system and how today the Law on Higher Education after three years of implementation has encountered a number of problems where the state and universities are moving from one to the other and finally that those who suffer the consequences of this law are the Albanian young who are not finding themselves in the Albanian market

The Adriatic Coast and Tourist Potentials in the Lagoon Ecosystems

The Adriatic coast is characterized by the presence of a highly diversified lagoon system. That is considered to be a high tourism potential and a basis for a more sustainable development of the economy of the area in which they are found. Changes of sea level rise on the Adriatic coast lagoon prominently displayed on the change of biodiversity. Besides the natural factors in this lagoon as well as all other lagoons of the Adriatic coast it feels a lot during the last 60 years of pressure from human society itself. In the dynamics of the waters of the Patok lagoon play a major role in hydrological processes of climate (the arrival of water through tides, increasing during heavy autumn, winter flooding, evaporation process of the wind, etc.), which raise or lower the level water in the lagoon creating this process through channels connecting the Patoku sea. The study aims to identify the values of this wetland complex located in the coastline and is identified as a region in a critical condition and vulnerable to climate change. Here, it can be successfully develop several types of tourism: the creative and ecological. The chaotic urbanization and the problems that derive from it, have arisen massive violation of environmental balance, associated with environmental, social and demographic problems. The paper, it is based on a multi-year work to show their biodiversity values, as well as the measures needed to be taken in order to build the tourism secto

The Tourist Potential in the Northern Coastal Areas Management and Protection of Natural Resources of the Area

In the study of the coast in today's conditions for the development of our country it has become necessary for tourism and in particular the medical development to be seen as one of the main priorities for our economy. Knowing the characteristics of the coastal area, the natural values and its potential economic exploitation right of rational investment serves sustainable energy industrial parks which are being built in this part of the coast. In order to achieve sustainable development in the study area through environmental protection and tourism development has to assign. a. natural potentials offered by this coastal zone; b. management measures for their protection. The aim of this paper includes appreciating natural potentials that are owned by the coastal area to enable their use in a more rational way. The naturally dynamic and rapid socio-economic reflections on the coastal landscape of the area should be recorded and provided by geographic studies to serve society in the future and to minimize the negative phenomena. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n2s1p14

Urban Development of Tirana after 90 years and its Environmental Problems

The developments in the last two decades in Albania after the fall of communism are associated with major changes, both socio-economic and environmental. In the context of environmental change, Albania is one of the remaining countries with a wide range of problems that have constantly been in the focus of attention of not only the state institutions but also of the non-governmental organizations, which are operating in our country. Tirana is a city that is considering and dealing with its environmental problems. Tirana as the capital of the country has experienced such an extra ordinary transformation in more than two decades that has not been without its environmental costs. Human activities have transformed the environment in Tirana. Greater quantities of waste generated, especially of solid waste, are caused by the major construction boom. Considerable amount of clinical waste is disposed in urban waste in the places where hospitals and clinics are situated. Tirana’s clinical waste is burned in special places. As the economy of the city grows, this volume will increase. In this context, our paper will focus on a more extensive treatment of these problems, providing forecasts for the future as well as considering the measures to reduce the negative aspects of urban development to the levels required by the EU

Analysis of Albania's diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union during the years 1948-1959 [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background This paper aims to shed light on a very intense period of relations between Albania and the Soviet Union (USSR), focusing on the period from 1948 with the intensification of Albania’s relations with the USSR until the termination of diplomatic relations in 1959. The paper will overview the USSR’s relationship with Albania and its behaviour. Methods The paper analyses a specific period between 1948 and 1959 as a case study. The analysis is conducted on context, actors, and outcomes. The research aims to identify key indicators and the implications of the relationship in both domestic and international contexts. The data sources include various materials such as interviews, films, newspapers, and books. The researchers have requested permission to use the Archival resources of the Albanian Central State Archives (AQSH), where they have made some non-state secret resources accessible. However, some of these resources can only be accessed within the archive, but the researchers have been permitted to use them. Findings The facts show that the relations between Albania and the USSR benefitted Albania more. particularly with economic support from the USSR, which helped Albania emerge from the crisis and build the so-called ‘socialist state.’ Albania took its place in the international arena through these relations and contributions. Conclusions The study, regardless of the issues it addresses, does not aim to exhaust the paper’s topic but to contribute to the objective analysis and to have some impact on the continuation and deepening of the treatment of this topic. Albania’s relations with the Soviet Union are still not fully revealed as long as many documents found in Russian archives are not available for study. But further, numerous documents show that this could be the ‘best cover’ to safeguard the interests and personal power of the leadership

Enhancing Small-Medium IsLands resilience by securing the sustainability of Ecosystem Services: the SMILES Cost Action

European islands are hotspots of biological and cultural diversity, which, compared to mainland, are more vulnerable to climate change, tourism development, uncontrolled land-use changes and the consequences of financial crisis. These drivers of change have increasingly resulted in severe impacts on socio-economic and environmental parameters. Projected climate, land-use and socio-economic change will impact on islands’ biodiversity, ecosystem services and, in turn, on the quality of life of island inhabitants. Even if the existing methods can adequately predict the abovementioned changes of the larger islands, this is not the case for small and medium-size islands, where there is a need for refinement. Although ecosystem services (ES) assessments have been carried out worldwide in different geographical areas, islands are still under-represented. Despite the recognised islands’ importance and vulnerability, efforts to date have focused solely on the pressures they face. Still, we know little about ES supply, flow and demand and their spatio-temporal variability, whilst integrated approaches that consider ES cross-island realms (terrestrial, marine and their interface) remain scarce. Even more under-represented are studies that explore the telecoupled relationship amongst islands and their mainland counterparts. Moreover, the current conceptual approaches guiding ES mapping and assessment need further refinement to account for the complex manifestations of nature and culture arising from peoples’ interaction with island spaces. This paper discusses the creation of a platform for coordinated interdisciplinary research on several aspects of mapping and assessment of ES in small and medium European islands in order to synthesise and strengthen the knowledge base for conservation of island realms and contribute to their sustainable development