Higher education and research in Albania in the way of achieving the objectives of Bologna declaration

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine how a uniform higher education system adapted to fulfil the European initiatives in higher education and more general European integration process through transforming national policies and legislation. The article focuses on the changes made in the higher education system analysing their diversity, the way of their implementation and the impact they had in the quality of the system. The paper ultimately provides an overview of identified knowledge gaps and presents the discussion of a number of higher education challenges towards implementation of Bologna Process. How did the higher education system in Albania face Bologna process and was it really prepared for the challenging transformations ahead? The article goes through the main stages that changed the higher education system in post-communist Albania, by giving an overview of the system before and after Bologna “revolution” in higher education system. Reforms have been undertaken in Albanian higher education system during these years, where most of them have been initiated in the frame of implementation of Bologna Declaration by expanding, redesigning and re-accommodating the higher education institutions.