Albania: A Closer Look at Scientific Research Challenges
Keywords:
developing country, Albanian scientific research, researchers’ challenges, higher education institutions, National Strategy of Science, academic salaries, research and development statisticsAbstract
Scientific research is very important for the development of every country and, moreover, for the progress of a developing country with long delays in its development that also aspires to be a member of the European Union. The intensity of scientific research is a valuable indicator of how much knowledge a country generates and how to ensure the further distribution of this knowledge in society with the help of universities, organizations, and institutions. So, it is an undeniable fact that at times of crisis, especially in the ambit of globalization, science has regained many times the status of “the savior” of the globe. But what about Albania? What are the main challenges of scientific research in Albania? Is the researcher considering a valuable asset for moderating and transferring scientific outcomes in society? Are Albanian researchers' needs and difficulties considered? In this way, the purpose of the following paragraphs is not to summarize the history of science but to evoke the importance of this irreversible scientific journey of mankind, address the main challenges facing Albanian researchers, and question the future of science in Albania.
References
*** (19.05.2008). Law No. 9920. On Tax Procedures in the Republic of Albania. Amended.
*** (2015). Law No. 80/2015. On Higher Education and Scientific Research in Higher Education Institutions in the Republic of Albania and legal acts in force. https://arsimi.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/AKTET_NENLIGJORE.pdf.
*** (2017). Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth. https://arsimi.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Vendim-i-KM_710_01.12.2017_Strategjia-e-Kerkimit-Shkencor.pdf.
*** (2021). Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth. Draft National Strategy of Education 2021-2026. Retrieved October, 17, 2022, from https://arsimi.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Draft-Strategjia-per-Arsimin-2021-2026.pdf.
*** (2022). Ministry of Finance and Economy. Economy in Focus. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://financa.gov.al/ekonomia-ne-fokus/.
*** (2022). Ministry of Finance and Economy. The Budget in Years. Retrieved August 28, from https://financa.gov.al/buxheti-ne-vite/.
*** (22 July, 2019). Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth. Të Dhënat Identifikuese mbi Punonjësit për IAL Publike dhe IAL Private. (Identification Data on Employees for Public and Private HEIs). https://opendata.gov.al/?item=te-dhenat-identifikuese-mbi-punonjesit-per-ial-publike-dhe-ial-private.
*** INSTAT, (Albanian Institute of Statistics). Demography and Social Indicators, Migration and migrant integration. http://www.instat.gov.al/al/temat/treguesit-demografik%C3%AB-dhe-social%C3%AB/migracioni-dhe-integrimi-i-migrant%C3%ABve/#tab2.
*** UNESCO Institute for Statistics. UIS Statistics. (n.d.). Data extracted on 28 December 2021, from http://data.uis.unesco.org/#.
*** World Bank. Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) – Albania. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS?locations=AL.
*** World Bank. World Bank National Accounts data, and OECD National Accounts Data Files. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?locations=AL.
*** World Bank. World Bank, International Debt Statistics. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/DT.TDS.DECT.GN.ZS?locations=AL.
AKAD. Academy of Sciences of Albania. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://akad.gov.al/ash/home/rreth-ash/historiku.
ASCAL. Quality Assurance Agency in Higher Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ascal.al/sq/bordi-i-akreditimit/vendimet.
Clarivate (2019). Journal Citation Reports Full. journal list. https://clarivate.com/webofsciencegroup/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/dlm_uploads/2019/08/JCR_Full_Journal_list140619.pdf.
d’Aiglepierre, R.; David, A.; Levionnois, Ch.; Spielvogel, G.; Tuccio, M. & Vickstrom, E. (2020). A Global Profile of Emigrants to OECD Countries: Younger and More Skilled Migrants from More Diverse Countries. OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 239. https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=DELSA/ELSA/WD/SEM(2020)4&docLanguage=En.
Eurostat (2008). NACE Rev. 2. Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community. Eurostat Methodologies and Working papers. Luxembourg: European Commission. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3859598/5902521/KS-RA-07-015-EN.PDF.
Eurostat (2022). Eurostat Statistics Explained, R&D Expenditure. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=R%26D_expenditure&oldid=551418#:~:text=Highlights&text=In%202020%2C%20EU%20Research%20and,year%20when%20it%20recorded%202.23%20%25.&text=In%202020%2C%20the%20EU%20spent,compared%20with%201.97%20%25%20in%202010.
Gazeta Dita. (2022). Pedagogët e Fakultetit të Shkencave të Natyrës dalin në protestë: Duam Rritje Page ose Ndërpresim mësimin/The lecturers of the Faculty of Natural Sciences go out in protest: We want an increase or we will cancel the lecutures. https://gazetadita.al/pedagoget-e-fakultetit-te-shkencave-te-natyres-dalin-ne-proteste-duam-rritje-page-ose-nderpresim-mesimin/.
George, A. (2019). Science needs myths to thrive. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/science-needs-myths-to-thrive-124214.
Gjediku, Eliza (2021). Skandal me rrogat në universitet private! Pagat për profesorët deklarohen të njëjta me ato të rojeve dhe punëtorëve të krahut. The Scandal with Salaries in Private Universities! Salaries for Professors are Declared to be the Same as those of Security Guards and Hand Laborers. Shqiptarja.com, https://shqiptarja.com/lajm/skandal-me-rrogat-ne-universitet-private-pagat-per-profesoret-deklarohen-te-njejta-me-ato-te-rojeve-dhe-punetoreve-te-krahut.
Hashtag. (2022). Protesta e pedagogëve, zbardhen 9 pikat e peticionit drejtuar qeverisë. Pedagogues’ Protest, Revelation of Nine Points of the Petition Addressed to the Government.
INSTAT, (Albanian Institute of Statistics) (2022). Quarterly Gross Domestic Product by Production approach by Economic activity, Seasonaly adjusted, Type and Quarter. Retrieved October 30, from http://databaza.instat.gov.al/pxweb/sq/DST/START__NA__NAQ/NAQ02/?rxid=86960988-0285-435c-b23a-5b492d8c508a.
INSTAT, (Albanian Institute of Statistics) (2022). Quarterly Gross Domestic Product by production approach Q2 - 2022. Retrieved from http://www.instat.gov.al/en/themes/economy-and-finance/national-accounts-gdp/#tab2.
INSTAT, (Albanian Institute of Statistics). Annual average of total population by Age Group, Gender, Type and Year. Retrieved from http://databaza.instat.gov.al/pxweb/sq/DST/START__DE/POP01/table/tableViewLayout1/?rxid=b5069c81-9c75-4560-905a-2cb719af3ada.
INSTAT, (Albanian Institute of Statistics). Survey on Scientific Research & Development. Retrieved from http://www.instat.gov.al/al/rreth-nesh/aktivitetet/t%C3%AB-tjera/anketa-mbi-k%C3%ABrkim-zhvillimin-shkencor/.
Lipi, R.; Lipi, I. & Leskaj, E. (2018). Scientific Thinking: Who Thinks This Way? Conference Proceedings: 2nd International Scientific Conference ITEMA, pp. 938-944. https://doi.org/10.31410/itema.2018.938.
Lo Presti, B. (2014). History of science: The first scientist. Nature. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/512250a.
Monitor (2018). Pasojat e Braktisjes së Shkencës. (Consequences of Science Abandonment.) https://www.monitor.al/pasojat-e-braktisjes-se-shkences-2/.
OECD (2015). Frascati Manual 2015: Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development, The Measurement of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Activities, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264239012-en.
Republic of Albania, Council of Ministers (2017). Decision No. 268, Date 29.3.2017 on Some Amendments to the Decision No.748, Date 11.6.2009 of the Council of Ministers. On Treatment and Supplements on Salary for Academic Staff Employees in Public Higher Education Institutions”, Amended.
Republic of Albania, Council of Ministers (2018). Decision No. 112, Date 23.2.2018 On the Determining of Criteria for Obtaining the “Doctor” (PhD) Scientific Degree and State Standards for Obtaining the “Associate Professor” and “Professor” Academic Titles.
Republic of Albania, Council of Ministers (2022). Decision No.647, Date 5.10.2022 on Some Amendments to the Decision No.748, Date 11.06.2009, of the Council of Ministers, “On Treatment and Supplements on Salary for Academic Staff Employees in Public Higher Education Institutions”, Amended.
Republic of Albania, Council of Ministers (2022). Decision No.741, Date 23.11.2022. On determining the procedure and documentation for the creation of independent public higher education institutions.
Republic of Albania, Council of Ministers (2023). Decision No. 113, Date 1.3.2023. On determining the national minimum wage.
Republic of Albania, Ministry of Education and Sport (2023). Order No. 36, Date 24.1.2023. For the Approval of the Regulation for the Creation of the State Register of Scientific Journals Published in the Republic of Albania.
Reynaud, E. G. (2005). Scientists for a better world. EMBO reports 6(2), pp. 103-107. Retrieved from https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1038/sj.embor.7400338.
ScienceorNot. (2012). Science is a collective enterprise: its models are cumulative, interconnected and coherent. Retrieved from https://scienceornot.net/2012/01/23/science-is-a-collective-enterprise-its-models-are-cumulative-interconnected-and-coherent-2/.
SCImago. (n.d.). SJR — SCImago Journal & Country Rank [Portal]. Retrieved from http://www.scimagojr.com.
Scopus. (2023). Scopus Source List. https://www.scopus.com/sources.
UNESCO (2021). UNESCO Science Report: the Race Against Time for Smarter Development. S. Schneegans, T. Straza and J. Lewis (eds). UNESCO Publishing: Paris.
WIPO (2021). Statistical Country Profiles. Albania. https://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/country_profile/profile.jsp?code=AL.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Rudina Lipi, Ilirjan Lipi, Evis Kumi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The author fully assumes the content originality and the holograph signature makes him responsible in case of trial.
