Connecting Global Knowledge with Albanian Higher Education
Diaspora4Innovation showed how sustained collaboration between diaspora scholars and resident academics can strengthen higher education in Albania through shared responsibility and long term impact.
Through the Diaspora4Education component, the programme supported a close academic partnership between Dr. Ernil Sabaj, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick, and Dr. Ledjon Shahini, Professor of Economic Sciences at the Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana. Together, they co designed and co taught the Environmental Economics course for third year undergraduate students, creating a joint teaching model based on equality, exchange, and practical learning.
The collaboration began with a thorough review of the existing curriculum and its alignment with international academic standards. Dr. Sabaj and Dr. Shahini updated the course content to include contemporary themes such as carbon pricing, emissions trading systems, circular economy models, and green and blue economy approaches. EU environmental policy frameworks, including the EU Emissions Trading System and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, became core reference points, directly linking the course to Albania’s European integration agenda.
Teaching methods shifted toward applied and interactive learning. Students worked with real data from EU institutions, the World Bank, IMF, and EUROSTAT, and engaged with policy documents used in real decision making processes. Case studies focused on Albania’s environmental and economic realities, including air pollution, waste management, hydropower reliance, and institutional capacity challenges. This approach strengthened analytical thinking, policy evaluation skills, and confidence in applied economics.
Student engagement increased significantly. Discussions often extended beyond class time, with students actively debating how global policy tools could function within Albania’s specific context. The co teaching model helped students connect international knowledge with local challenges and see themselves as future contributors to policy, research, and sustainable development.
For the resident scholar, the collaboration also enabled professional exchange and exposure to international academic practices. A reciprocal visit to the University of Warwick allowed Dr. Shahini observe course design, assessment methods, student engagement approaches, and research culture, insights that are now informing his teaching practices at the University of Tirana.
The partnership extended beyond a single course. Dr. Sabaj and Dr. Shahini are laying the groundwork for continued co-teaching, joint research in environmental and development economics, and preparation of a Jean Monnet Action module under Erasmus Plus. This initiative aims to institutionalise cooperation between the two universities, expand faculty involvement, and further modernise economics curricula in Albania.
This experience confirms that diaspora engagement creates meaningful impact when it is structured, reciprocal, and embedded in institutions. Diaspora4Innovation demonstrated how knowledge exchange can strengthen universities, empower students, and contribute to Albania’s path toward a more sustainable and informed future.
On behalf of the European Union, Germany, and Sweden, @eu_4_innovation is supporting Germin to facilitate the circulation of Albania’s global knowledge, locally!
