The Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans is pleased to welcome two new member universities from Albania: the University of Medicine, Tirana and the University of Elbasan “Aleksandër Xhuvani”.
Their admission was approved by the General Assembly of the Rectors’ Forum on 11 May 2026, during the 11th Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans, hosted by the University of Ljubljana.
The two universities bring complementary academic profiles and new opportunities for cooperation in education, research, innovation, mobility and regional development.
University of Medicine, Tirana
The University of Medicine, Tirana is a public higher education institution and Albania’s principal university centre for undergraduate and postgraduate education in medical sciences.
The University was formally established in 2013, while its academic tradition dates back to the establishment of the Higher Institute of Medicine in 1952 and the Faculty of Medicine in 1957.
Today, the University comprises three faculties:
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Dental Medicine
- Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences
Its activities combine university education, scientific research and practical clinical and pre-clinical training. Internationalisation is one of its institutional priorities, supported through academic partnerships, mobility programmes and participation in international research projects.
Its membership in the Rectors’ Forum creates further opportunities for cooperation in medical and health sciences, public health, education of healthcare professionals, research, staff and student mobility, and knowledge exchange across the region.
University of Elbasan “Aleksandër Xhuvani”
The University of Elbasan “Aleksandër Xhuvani” is a public university with a broad academic profile and a strong tradition in teacher education.
The University was established in its present form in 1991. Its history is closely connected with the Higher Pedagogical Institute, founded in 1971, and the Normal School of Elbasan, which opened in 1909 and played an important role in the development of education in Albania.
The University currently comprises five faculties:
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Education Sciences
- Faculty of Business and Law
- Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences
Its teaching and research cover education, humanities, languages, natural sciences, information technology, business, law and technical medical sciences. The University is also active in international cooperation, Erasmus+ mobility and European capacity-building projects.
Through the Rectors’ Forum, the University of Elbasan will be able to expand its regional partnerships and contribute its expertise to joint educational, research and development initiatives.
Welcome to the Rectors’ Forum
By joining the Rectors’ Forum, both universities become part of a regional network committed to closer cooperation among higher education institutions in Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans.
We warmly welcome the University of Medicine, Tirana and the University of Elbasan “Aleksandër Xhuvani” and look forward to their active participation in the Forum’s working groups, events, mobility activities and joint projects.