78 Notable alumni of
University of Tirana
Updated:
The University of Tirana is 809th in the world, 285th in Europe, and 1st in Albania by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 78 notable alumni from the University of Tirana sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Ismail Kadare
- Occupations
- writertranslatorpoetnovelist
- Biography
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Ismail Kadare was an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. He was a leading international literary figure and intellectual, focusing on poetry until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army, which made him famous internationally.
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Sali Berisha
- Occupations
- politiciansurgeoncardiologist
- Biography
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Sali Ram Berisha is an Albanian cardiologist and conservative politician who served as the president of Albania from 1992 to 1997 and as the 32nd prime minister of Albania from 2005 to 2013. Berisha has served as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Albania since 2022. He has previously held the position of chairman from 1990 to 1992 and 1997 to 2013. He is the leader of opposition in Albania.
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Ilir Meta
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Ilir Rexhep Meta is an Albanian politician who served as President of Albania from 2017 to 2022.
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Nexhmije Hoxha
- Occupations
- politicianjournalistpartisan
- Biography
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Nexhmije Hoxha was an Albanian communist politician. She was the wife of Enver Hoxha, the first leader of the Socialist People's Republic of Albania and the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania. Very close to her husband, she attempted to remain politically influential after his death in 1985. She was one of the few spouses of a ruling communist party leader with a high political profile of her own.
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Bujar Nishani
- Occupations
- juristpolitician
- Biography
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Bujar Faik Nishani was an Albanian politician. He served as the president of Albania from 24 July 2012 to 24 July 2017.
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Fatos Nano
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomateconomist
- Biography
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Fatos Thanas Nano is an Albanian socialist politician who served as Prime Minister of Albania in 1991, from 1997 to 1998 and from 2002 to 2005. He was the first leader and founder of the Socialist Party of Albania and a member of the Albanian Parliament from 1991 to 1993 and 1997 to 2009. He reformed the anti-revisionist Marxist-Leninist ideology of the Labor Party of Albania into social democracy for its successor, the Socialist Party. During his leadership, the Socialist Party, as a result of reforms, joined the Socialist International and Party of European Socialists. Nano was a candidate in the 2007 presidential election but did not win. He again tried in the 2012 presidential election, but he did not even qualify as a candidate, because the leaders of parties in Parliament obstructed their respective MPs to elect him as candidate in the elections.
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Rexhep Meidani
- Occupations
- politicianphysicistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Rexhep Qemal Meidani is an Albanian physicist, professor, diplomat and politician. Meidani was the president of Albania from 1997 to 2002, and the second to be elected after the first multi-party elections in 1991.
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Monika Kryemadhi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Monika Kryemadhi is an Albanian politician, member of Parliament and former leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration party. She is also the wife of the former President of Albania Ilir Meta. Monika Kryemadhi refused the position of First Lady of Albania—delegating the role instead to her eldest daughter, Bora.
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Laura Mersini-Houghton
- Occupations
- cosmologistphysicisttheoretical physicist
- Biography
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Laura Mersini-Houghton is an Albanian-American cosmologist and theoretical physicist, and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a proponent of the multiverse hypothesis and the author of a theory for the origin of the universe that holds that our universe is one of many selected by quantum gravitational dynamics of matter and energy. Predictions of her theory have been successfully tested by astrophysical data.. She argues that anomalies in the current structure of the universe are best explained as the gravitational tug exerted by other universes.
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Pandeli Majko
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Pandeli Sotir Majko is an Albanian socialist politician. He served twice as Prime Minister of Albania; once from 1998 to 1999, and again in 2002.
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Azem Hajdari
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Azem Shpend Hajdari was the leader of the student movement in 1990–1991 that led to the fall of communism in Albania. He then became a politician of the Democratic Party of Albania (DP). He symbolizes the start of the democratic era in Albania. He was a member of the Albanian parliament and the Chairman of the Defence Parliamentary Commission. He was shot to death in Tirana on September 12, 1998 at age 35.
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Lindita Nikolla
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Lindita Nikolla is an Albanian retired politician who served as the Speaker of the Parliament from September 10, 2021 until her retirement from politics on July 28, 2024. Previously she served as the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth in September 2013 until May 2017, where she temporarily handed over the post to Mirela Karabina as part of a pre-election agreement between the position and the opposition. Nikolla was appointed again Minister of Education, Sports and Youth in September 2017 until 2019.
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Aleksandër Meksi
- Occupations
- architectpolitician
- Biography
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Aleksandër Gabriel Meksi is an Albanian archaeologist and politician who served as the 28th Prime Minister of Albania from April 13, 1992, to March 11, 1997. A former archaeologist, he was the first person to be prime minister of Albania after the end of communist rule. Meksi was a member of the Democratic Party of Albania and took office at the same time as President Sali Berisha, who also belonged to that party. Before entering politics, Meksi was a researcher and restorer of monuments of medieval architecture (mainly churches and mosques).
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Bashkim Fino
- Occupations
- politicianeconomist
- Biography
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Bashkim Fino was an Albanian socialist politician who served as the 29th Prime Minister of Albania from March to July 1997.
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Jozefina Topalli
- Occupations
- university teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Jozefina Topalli is an Albanian politician who formerly served as the Chairwoman of the Parliament of Albania from 2 September 2005 until 9 September 2013. She held the title of vice president of the Democratic Party of Albania. Topalli is married and has two children.
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Liri Berisha
- Occupations
- pediatricianphysician
- Biography
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Liri Berisha is an Albanian pediatrician and president of the Albanian Children Foundation, and also a UNICEF ambassador.
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Ben Blushi
- Occupations
- writerjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Ben Blushi is an Albanian politician, writer and journalist.
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Arben Ahmetaj
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Arben Ahmetaj is an Albanian former politician who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Albania from 2021 to 2022. Since 2013 previously has served in several important departments such as: Minister of Economic Development, Minister of Finance, as well as Minister of State for Reconstruction after the devastating earthquake in 2019 that occurred in the central area of the country.
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Ditmir Bushati
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Ditmir Bushati is an Albanian politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2019. He previously chaired the Parliamentary Committee for European Integration.
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Majlinda Bregu
- Occupations
- sociologistpoliticianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Majlinda Bregu is an Albanian politician and diplomat. She served as Minister of European Integration and Government Spokeswoman from 2007 to 2013 in the Berisha cabinet. A member of the Albanian Parliament from 2005 until 2017 representing Tirana County. She served as the Secretary-General of the Regional Cooperation Council between January 2019 and December 2024.
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Fatos Kongoli
- Occupations
- writerjournalistmathematician
- Biography
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Fatos Kongoli is an Albanian novelist.
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Fatos Lubonja
- Occupations
- philosopherwriterphysicistjournalist
- Biography
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Fatos Lubonja is an Albanian writer and dissident.
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Bashkim Shehu
- Occupations
- translatornovelistwriter
- Biography
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Bashkim Shehu is an Albanian writer who lives in Barcelona, Spain.
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Pjetër Arbnori
- Occupations
- political prisonerwritertranslatorpolitician
- Biography
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Pjetër Filip Arbnori was an Albanian politician and dissident of the communist regime in Albania. He was dubbed "the Mandela of the Balkans" by Albanian statesmen because of the length of his 28-year internment. He was born in Durrës, on the Adriatic coast. President Topi bestowed the Nation's Honor Order upon Pjetër Arbnori (post mortem).
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Jakov Xoxa
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Jakov Xoxa was an Albanian author of the 20th century.
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Kastriot Islami
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticianphysicistdiplomat
- Biography
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Kastriot Muhamet Islami is an Albanian politician. Formerly a member of the Communist Party of Albania, turned moderate Socialist. He was Chairman of the Parliament of Albania from April 17, 1991 to April 6, 1992. On April 3, 1992, when the last communist president, Ramiz Alia resigned, Islami served as acting president for three days. During the presidency of Sali Berisha (1992–1997), Islami had no important positions in the government, but from 1997 to 2005 he was an important person in the government again holding several Ministerial positions in the Socialist "NANO government". Most prominently he was foreign minister from 2003 to 2005, but lost his position in the cabinet when a new government was formed with Berisha as prime minister after the 2005 elections. He returned to Democratic Party on 7 May 2013 after he left the Socialist Party in March.
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Odhise Grillo
- Years
- 1932-2003 (aged 71)
- Occupations
- writerchildren's writer
- Biography
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Odhise Kristo Grillo was an Albanian writer of children's books.
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Fatmir Mediu
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Fatmir Mediu is an Albanian conservative politician. He is the current Chairman of the Republican Party of Albania, and served as Minister of Defence from September 2005 to March 2008, and Minister of Environment, Forests & Water Administration.
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Ogerta Manastirliu
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ogerta Manastirliu is an Albanian Socialist Party politician. She is the Minister of Education, Sport and Youth of Albania since 12 September 2023 and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tirana. On 13 March 2017, she was appointed as Minister of Health. She held the office until 21 May 2017, due to the general election.
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Neritan Ceka
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticianarchaeologistart historiananthropologist
- Biography
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Neritan Ceka is an Albanian archaeologist, professor, and politician. He served as Albania's Minister of Internal Affairs from 27 July 1997 to 18 April 1998.
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Arta Dade
- Occupations
- translatorpoliticianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Arta Dade is an Albanian politician and former member of Parliament for the Socialist Party. She served from 1997 to 2007. During her political career, she held several government posts such as Minister of Culture and Minister of Foreign Affairs, being the first women to be appointed as a Foreign minister. In her last years in Parliament, she held the role of the Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy.
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Mirela Kumbaro
- Occupations
- translatorpoliticianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi, is an Albanian politician who is serving as the Minister of Tourism and Environment since 18 September 2021. Previously she has served as the Minister of Culture of Albania.
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Petrit Vasili
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Petrit Vasili is an Albanian politician. He was the chairman of Socialist Movement for Integration party and minister of health in the cabinet of Sali Berisha.
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Damian Gjiknuri
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Damian Gjiknuri is an Albanian politician. He was a Minister of Energy and Industry and a member of the Albanian parliament for the Socialist Party, chosen in the District of Elbasan. He is member of Commission of Legal Affairs at the Parliament.
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Besnik Mustafaj
- Occupations
- politicianwriterjournalistdiplomat
- Biography
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Besnik Bajram Mustafaj is an Albanian writer and diplomat.
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Jorida Tabaku
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jorida Tabaku is an Albanian liberal politician with the Democratic Party of Albania. During the Tirana mayoral leadership of former DP leader Lulzim Basha, she served as deputy-mayor in the years 2011–2015.
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Blendi Klosi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Blendi Klosi is an Albanian Socialist Party politician and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Berat. On 13 September 2017, Klosi was appointed as Minister of Tourism and Environment by the 2nd Rama government.
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Ferit Hoxha
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Ferit Hoxha is the Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations, in New York City. He previously served in the role from 2009 to 2015, was succeeded by Besiana Kadare, and again assumed the role in October 2021.
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Vanghel Dule
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Vangjel Dule is a politician who belongs to the ethnic Greek minority of Albania. Since 2002, he is the chairman of the Unity for Human Rights Party, a political party that focuses on the rights of minorities in Albania.
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Adriatik Llalla
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Adriatik Llalla is an Albanian lawyer. He served as the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Albania from 2012 to 2017. During the years 2008 to 2012 he was Inspector General of the "High Inspectorate of Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflict of Interest",.
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Etilda Gjonaj
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Etilda Gjonaj is an Albanian politician, lawyer, and professor. She served as Minister of Justice of Albania.
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Edmond Haxhinasto
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Edmond Haxhinasto is an Albanian politician. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Albania from 2011 to 2013.
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Kreshnik Spahiu
- Occupations
- judgepoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Kreshnik Spahiu is an Albanian lawyer and politician. In 1991, he graduated in Law from the University of Tirana. He is the founder and leader of the Red and Black Alliance since 2012. Between 2007 and 2012 he was head of the High Council of Justice of Albania until he resigned on 10 February.
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Namik Dokle
- Occupations
- writerjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Namik Dokle is an Albanian politician. He served as Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania from 4 September 2001 to 30 April 2002.
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Luljeta Lleshanaku
- Occupations
- writerjournalistpoet
- Biography
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Luljeta Lleshanaku is an Albanian poet who is the recipient of the 2009 Crystal Vilenica award for European poets. She was educated in literature at the University of Tirana and was editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine Zëri i rinisë (The Voice of Youth). She then worked for the literary newspaper Drita (Light). In 1996, she received the best book of the year award from the Eurorilindja Publishing House. In 1999, she took part in the International Writers Program at the University of Iowa. She is the author of four poetry collections, one volume of which has been translated into English: Fresco, available from New Directions. The writer, critic and editor Peter Constantine, in his introduction to Fresco, sums up her style in this way:
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Genc Pollo
- Occupations
- historianpolitician
- Biography
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Genc Pollo is an Albanian conservative politician. An Orthodox Christian and trained historian, Pollo was co-founder and first spokesman of the Albanian Democratic Party. He first became a member of the Albanian Parliament in 1996 and has held various ministerial posts since 2005.
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Arben Malaj
- Occupations
- politicianeconomist
- Biography
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Arben Malaj has been Minister of Finance and Economy in the Republic of Albania different times from 1997 until 2005. He is known for transforming the Albanian economy into a European profile, after the hard social-economic crisis that this country passed during the year 1997. He served as a Member of the Albanian Parliament from 1997 to 2013 chairing the Parliamentary Committee on Economy and Finance.
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Ina Zhupa
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ina Zhupa is an Albanian political scientist who studies Democratization and Values of Albanian Society.
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Valentina Leskaj
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Valentina Leskaj is an Albanian politician and political economist who was a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania for the Socialist Party from 2002 until 2017, when she decided to resign and leave politics.
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Edmond Spaho
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Edmond Spaho is an Albanian Democratic Party politician and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Korca since 25 April 2021.
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Albana Vokshi
- Years
- 1971-.. (age 54)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Albana Vokshi is a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania for the Democratic Party of Albania.
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Lindita Arapi
- Occupations
- writertranslatorpoetjournalist
- Biography
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Lindita Arapi is an Albanian writer and journalist. She is cited as a noteworthy example of a generation of female Albanian writers. Together with her contemporaries, Ervin Hatibi, Agron Tufa, and Rudian Zekthi, Arapi is one of Albania's present-day literary avant-garde writers. She has been living in Germany since the late 1990s, where she has published several volumes of poetry. Her first book of poetry, Am Meer, nachts ("By the sea, at night"; 2007) was the first book of poetry written by a female Albanian poet in German. Her first novel, Vajzat me çelës në qafë (2010), translated into German in 2012, was awarded a Book of the Year prize in Albania.
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Ina Rama
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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Ina Rama was the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Albania from 2007 to 2012.
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Irma Kurti
- Occupations
- writerjournalistpoet
- Biography
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Irma Kurti is an Albanian poet, writer, lyricist, journalist and translator. She is a naturalized Italian citizen.
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Llambi Gegprifti
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Llambi Gegprifti was an Albanian politician who was the mayor of Tirana (precisely Chairman of the Executive Committee of the People's Council of Tirana District) from 1986 through 1987 and 1989 through 1990. He was candidate-member of the Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania for terms of 1971, 1976, 1981, and 1986 (the last one).
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Ylljet Aliçka
- Occupations
- university teacherscreenwriterwriterdiplomat
- Biography
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Ylljet Aliçka is an Albanian writer and scriptwriter, mostly known as the author of the novel The Stone Slogans, and the controversial novel A Story With Internationals, which satirizes the diplomatic elite accredited in transition countries.
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Floreta Faber
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Floreta Faber, is the Albanian ambassador to the United States.
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Eglantina Gjermeni
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Eglantina Gjermeni is an Albanian politician and diplomat. She is an expert in gender equality and she was a government minister for four years. In 2022, she was appointed Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna.
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Zef Mazi
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Zef Mazi is an Albanian diplomat, ambassador, who has served as Albania's Chief Negotiator with the European Union during 2020-2022. He previously served as Special Assistant to the Director General for Strategy at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 2011 to 2018, where he has been in charge for Agency-wide strategy formulation, planning and implementation, as well as risk-management and knowledge management.
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Besnik Bekteshi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Besnik Bekteshi is a former Albanian politician of the Albanian Party of Labour (PPSh). He has served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry of Communist Albania.
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Milva Ekonomi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Milva Ekonomi is an Albanian politician. She is currently serving as the Minister of State for Standards and Services in the Albanian government of Prime minister Edi Rama. She was appointed Minister of State for Standards and Services since September 10, 2021. She studied Statistics and Economics at the Agricultural University of Tirana, and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Tirana.
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Foto Çami
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Foto Çami was an Albanian academic and politician of Albanian Party of Labour (PPSh).
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Dhori Kule
- Occupations
- university teachereconomist
- Biography
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Dhori Kule is an educator and was Rector of the University of Tirana, Albania. He is member of the board at the Balkan Universities Network. He is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Tirana.
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Evis Kushi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Evis Kushi is an Albanian politician. She was served as 52nd Minister of Education, Sports and Youth since september 2023.
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Fatos Tarifa
- Years
- 1954-.. (age 71)
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Fatos Tarifa is a social scientist and a former diplomat from Albania.
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Ulsi Manja
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ulsi Manja is an Albanian politician. Since 18 September 2021, he serves as Minister of Justice of Albania in the third Rama government led by Prime Minister Edi Rama and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Tirana.
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Xheni Karaj
- Born in
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Albania - Occupations
- LGBTQ rights activist
- Biography
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Xheni Karaj is an Albanian LGBT rights activist, and co-founder and current executive of Aleanca LGBT organization.
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Milena Harito
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Milena Harito is an Albanian politician and member of the Socialist Party of Albania.
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Majlinda Nana Rama
- Occupations
- writerjournalistpoet
- Biography
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Majlinda Nana Rama is an Albanian pedagogue, writer and researcher. Her works include poetry, essays, scientific articles, studies, literary criticism, novels and short stories. She is a lecturer at the University of Arts, Tirana.
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Anila Wilms
- Enrolled in the University of Tirana
- Studied in 1989-1993
- Occupations
- translatorwriter
- Biography
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Anila Wilms is an Albanian writer living in Germany.
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Shefki Hysa
- Occupations
- journalistwriter
- Biography
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Shefki Mazar Hysa is an Albanian writer and journalist.
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Ilir Gjoni
- Occupations
- ambassadorpolitician
- Biography
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Ilir Gjoni is an Albanian politician. He served as the Minister of Defence of Albania from 7 July 2000 to 8 November 2000, and Minister of Internal Affairs from 8 November 2000 to 22 February 2002. He was appointed interior minister following the dismissal of Spartak Poçi and general reshuffle of the Cabinet. Gjoni oversaw an increase in the defensive readiness of Albania on its border with Montenegro following the 13 April 1999 Albania–Yugoslav border incident.
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Metropolitan Joan of Korçë
- Occupations
- Eastern Orthodox priestOriental Orthodox bishop
- Biography
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Metropolitan John is the Albanian Orthodox metropolitan of Korçë, since 1998.
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Bujar Dida
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomatchemist
- Biography
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Bujar Dida is an Albanian chemistry Ph.D and D.Sc and the first Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Japan. He was nominated as ambassador on December 12, 2007 by President Bamir Topi.
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Fioralba Cakoni
- Occupations
- mathematician
- Biography
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Fioralba Cakoni is an American-Albanian mathematician and an expert on inverse scattering theory. She is a professor of mathematics at Rutgers University.
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Pilo Keri
- Occupations
- architect
- Biography
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Pilo Kristaq Keri is an architect and former member of the Parliament of Republic of Albania.
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Ylli Asllani
- Years
- 1959-.. (age 66)
- Occupations
- engineerpolitician
- Biography
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Ylli Asllani is currently the Secretary for Local Government in the Democratic Party of Albania and President of the Agency for Local Infrastructure Support (AMIV).
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Juliana Latifi
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Juliana Latifi is an Albanian professor, judge and chair of Albania's Competition Authority.
