The role of Erasmus+ mobility program on higher education in Albania: The case of the University of Tirana

• Pages: 66-72

Vol. 10 No. 1

March, 2024

Academic Journal of Business, Administration

Law and Social Sciences

66

E-ISSN 2410-8693

ISSN 2410-3918

The role of Erasmus+ mobility program on higher education in Albania: The

case of the University of Tirana

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andi Pinari

University of Tirana, Albania

This article has been wrien in the framework of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence

“The Europeanization of Public Policies in Albania” 101048064 – EPPAL- Erasmus-JMO-

2021-HEI-TCH-RSCH

DOI: hps://doi.org/10.2478/ajbals-2024-0007

Abstract

Albania’s higher education system has been through dynamic changes and challenges after

the fall of the dictatorship in 1990. Till 2007 there were only state owned universities, but

starting from 2017 the high education sector was liberalized. Connections with Erasmus+

as an ambitious EU program that has played an essential role in shaping the landscape of

international education and fostering cross-cultural exchange has been made since the opening

of the country. Universities made a lot of eort to become more open and to participate into

internationals programmes and initiatives. Erasmus, a agship program of the European

Union has played a pivotal role in transforming higher education and fostering international

cooperation. The presence of Erasmus in Albania has been crucial for the internationalization

of universities in Albania, but especially to students.

Objectives: This paper aims to explore the key objectives, components, and impact of the

Erasmus+ program, with a particular focus on its contribution to educational mobility,

intercultural understanding, and the development of a more integrated European community.

The paper focuses on the impact of Erasmus in Albania, examining the program’s objectives,

implementation, challenges, and the broader implications for the country’s educational

landscape and cultural exchange.

Keywords: Erasmus +, mobility programme, Albania, higher education, students.

1. Introduction

The Erasmus+ program, established in 1987, represents a signicant milestone in the

EU’s commitment to promoting education, training, youth, and sport across its mem-

ber states. Originally focused on higher education, Erasmus+ has since evolved to

encompass various sectors, including vocational education and training, school edu-

Research Article

© 2024 Andi Pinari

This is an open access article licensed under the Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)