Mediterranean University of Albania

Short description of Mediterranean University and Short Bio-s of engaged staff in LAIA project

Mediterranean University of Albania (MUA) is a university located in Tirana, Albania. It was founded in 2009 to provide high-quality education and foster academic excellence. MUA offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various fields, including law, economics, business administration, political science, international relations, IT engineering and medical sciences. The university emphasizes practical and professional development, offering internships and cooperative education programs with local and international organizations. MUA also promotes research activities and encourages student participation in research projects. MUA is committed to maintaining international standards and fostering a global perspective. It has established partnerships and collaborations with universities and institutions in Europe and beyond, providing opportunities for student exchange and international mobility. The motivation for increased collaboration and knowledge exchange has created a value for MUA in Albanian society, by fostering the dialogue among multiple actors, including business industry, farmers, producers, policy and decision-makers, private sector and technological solution developers, researchers, academia, advisory services, civil society, and youth, but also raising awareness on the policies and national framework required for the digital transformation of Albania’s economy.

MUA has responded to the society challenges by embracing the so-called ‘Third Mission’, of the

Universities, a concept that sees them as complex, multidisciplinary, and evolving actors, contributing not only to education and research, but also to social, economic, and cultural development. MUA has embraced the Triple Helix Model of cooperation among university, industry, and government, acting as intermediaries of innovation efforts and promoting a knowledge-based society. Currently, MUA offers 4 professional programmes, 17 undergraduate programmes (Bachelor), 13 second level degree programmes (Master Professional), 14 second level degree programmes (Master of Science) and 1 PhD course. All these programs are part of 4 faculties such as: 1) Faculty of Economic Sciences, 2) Faculty of Law&Human Sciences; 3) Faculty of Informatics; 4) Faculty of Medical Sciences.

Elton Skendaj,

Director of International Relations and Projects Office. Project Manager

Elton Skendaj is a researcher in the field of internationalization of universities and he has a relatively long experience in the field of internationalization in Albania and Italy, but not only. He has participated and been part in the drafting and implementation of many international projects under the Erasmus+ programme. He has also been in charge of the management and administration of international relations and Erasmus+ offices and worked as Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator at the University of Tirana. As Part of his research on internationalization, he conducted his research at the University of Tuscia, Italy, where he oversaw the implementation of all Erasmus+ projects in that University with universities from Balkan countries, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Elton Skendaj has a successful experience in the structuring and building of double and joint degrees. He has attended many training events in some of Europe’s best universities in the field of internationalization and its impact in improving quality indicators. Moreover, he has also organized and held several training for international relations offices staff of many universities

Ardita Hykaj

Lecturer & International Relations Officer, Junior expert/Advisor/Researcher

Ardita Hykaj is a lecturer in the Department of Finance, Banking and Accounting, in Mediterranean University of Albania. She is the author and coauthor in several research papers in national and international conferences. Also, she participated in various national and international seminars, training and workshops in areas of management, finance, entrepreneurship, education, Artificial Intelligence, etc. Apart from teaching, she is part of the International Relations & Projects Office, where she has a long experience in the implementation of the EU guidelines for Erasmus+ projects, including KA1 (mobility) and KA2 (Capacity Building Projects). She holds a position as Finance coordinator for many projects where Mediterranean University of Albania is part of, as a partner or as a coordinator.

Dolantina Hyka

Dolantina Hyka is a “Doctor of Sciences” in Analysis and Algebra, with a focus on Algebra (Cryptography) (2015) University of Tirana, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Tirana. She has 13 years of research experience and currently she is the Head of the Information Technology Department, and the Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs at the Faculty of Informatics, in the Mediterranean University of Albania. For many years now, she has been a member of the Scientific Council in IDEA publications, Reviewer at Conferences organized within IEEE, Reviewer AED6,7,8 etc. Her research activities are focused on Analysis, Algebra, Symmetric and Asymmetric Cryptography, Information Security, Artificial Intelligence, and related fields. Author of over 25 articles and scientific conferences within and outside the country, focused on the field of cryptography, security, and its connection with the economy.

Elion Shabanaj

As.Lecturer

Elion Shabanaj works as an assistant Lecturer at the Mediterranean University of Albania. He has graduated with a full-time Bachelor in Business Informatics and Master of Science in Business Information Systems at MUA. From this period of study, he gained knowledge in different sectors of IT and computer knowledge such as: Database, Programming, Networking, Troubleshooting, etc. He worked for a period of 3 years in the Central Directorate of OTP Bank as Quality Control and HelpDesk. Various skills have been gained from this work experience, such as: Process Management and Service Quality control in terms of Banking IT, Critical Thinking, Institutional Communication, and Coordination of problems until they are resolved or addressed in the relevant sectors, etc. He is currently an Assistant Lecturer at the Mediterranean University of Albania and a Scientific Researcher in the field of AI.

Jurgen Meçaj

As.Lecturer

Jurgen Mecaj works as an assistant Lecturer at the Mediterranean University of Albania. He has a strong academic background, holding a Master of Science in Business Information Systems and a Bachelor degree in Business Informatics, both from the Mediterranean University of Albania. In his professional career, he has worked as a self-employed individual, developing websites and mobile applications through my business, JteCh Solution. He also possesses deep knowledge in various programming languages such as Python, Laravel, PHP, HTML, And C++, and have considerable experience in data analysis, artificial intelligence, and the development of complex applications.