At the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between GIZ Albania, Albanian universities, and Germin, inspiring discussions took place about this collaboration involving eight Albanian universities. This partnership aims to connect the expertise of the Albanian Academic Diaspora with higher education to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Sonja Kurz, Director of GIZ Albania and host of the event, emphasized GIZ’s important role in driving change across Albania’s educational, social, and economic sectors. GIZ is the main implementing agency of the EU4Innovation project, funded by the European Union, BMZ, and SIDA. GIZ’s values closely align with the vision of Diaspora4Innovation, which highlights the inspiring contribution of the Albanian diaspora to improving academic and research fields.
Mr. Miha Pezelj, Head of Section at the EU Delegation in Albania, shared the European Union’s commitment to supporting innovation and education advancement through Erasmus, Horizon Europe, and EU4Education.
Dr. Iven Schad, Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Tirana, highlighted Germany’s ongoing support for vocational education, noting that this project connecting Albanian universities with the global diaspora marks a new achievement for Germany.
Sebastian Berwanger, Project Manager of EU4Innovation, explained that Albania faces a gap between education and the labor market, especially in innovation and entrepreneurship fields. The Diaspora4Innovation project aims to bridge this gap by integrating these areas into higher education and aligning students’ skills with industry needs.
Participants were introduced to 12 collaborations between diaspora and resident researchers across 12 faculties, involving over 500 students, with topics such as renewable energy, IoT, and entrepreneurship. Plans include joint research, study visits, and a concluding event.
On behalf of the European Union, Germany, and Sweden, EU4Innovation supports GERMIN in facilitating the circulation of global Albanian knowledge at the local level.
