Youth Employment and Innovation at the Heart of the Official CIHEAM visit to Albania

The Secretary General of the CIHEAM, Mr Teodoro Miano, was welcomed by the Albanian authorities as part of an official visit to Tirana on 9 and 10 October.

The visit began with working meetings with the Minister of Agriculture, Mrs Anila Denaj, and the Minister of Education, Mrs Ojerta Manastirliu, during which the education, research and cooperation activities carried out by the CIHEAM were presented.

Solutions to the most pressing challenges faced by agricultural and food systems were also discussed, including the strengthening and efficiency of value chains, women and youth empowerment through entrepreneurship, and the attractiveness of vocational schools.

In addition, the SG held a meeting with officials of the University of Agriculture in Tirana to develop a new CIHEAM Master's degree in Albania focusing on “Open innovation and youth entrepreneurship in Mediterranean agri-food systems” involving several national and international private companies.

A NEW MASTERS IN INNOVATION AND YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN ALBANIA FOR 2024-25

The CIHEAM SG, accompanied by a delegation composed of Mr Damiano Petruzzella and Mrs Olimpia Antonelli from the CIHEAM Bari, Professor Maria De Angelis, Director of the Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, and Professor Alessandro Rubino, Vice-Chancellor for International Relations at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, was welcomed by Mr Fatbardh Sallaku, Rector of the University of Agriculture of Tirana, Erinda Lika, Vice-Rector for Research and Projects, and Romina Koto, Vice-Rector for Public Relations and Institutional Development.

The meeting focused on the development of a new Master's programme promoted by the CIHEAM Bari in collaboration with the other CIHEAM Institutes, namely those of Chania, Montpellier and Zaragoza. 

Entitled “Open Innovation and Youth Entrepreneurship in Mediterranean Agri-Food Systems”, this Master’s course  follows the evolution of the CIHEAM Bari Master implemented in collaboration with the University of Bari Aldo Moro and several national and international private companies. Already in existence for several years at the CIHEAM Bari, this Master's degree is ready to be extended to meet the specific challenges of the Balkan countries and to welcome students and young professionals from the region.
This CIHEAM Masters, which will be developed outside the CIHEAM Institutes for the first time, will launched in Albania in 2024-2025.