79 Notable alumni of
University of Tirana
Updated:
The University of Tirana is 769th in the world, 274th in Europe, and 1st in Albania by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 79 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
- translatorpoetnovelistwriter
- 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
- cardiologistpoliticiansurgeon
- Biography
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Sali Berisha is an Albanian conservative politician, a retired cardiologist 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 the 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
- partisanpoliticianjournalist
- 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 who served as President of Albania from 2012 to 2017.
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Fatos Nano
- Occupations
- diplomateconomistpolitician
- Biography
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Fatos Thanas Nano was an Albanian socialist politician who served as Prime Minister of Albania in 1991, from 1997 to 1998 and from 2002 to 2005.
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Rexhep Meidani
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticianphysicist
- 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, former 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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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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Laura Mersini-Houghton
- Occupations
- cosmologisttheoretical physicistphysicistuniversity teacher
- 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. Mersini-Houghton has claimed that her theory explains unusual 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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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. In December 2018 a standoff occurred between Nikolla and students when she was minister, with the students protesting for multiple days, which expanded to the Union of Employees of Universities of Albania joining protests.
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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.
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Liri Berisha
- Occupations
- pediatricianphysician
- Biography
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Liri Berisha is an Albanian pediatrician, former first lady of Albania and the president of the Albanian Children Foundation, and also a UNICEF ambassador.
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Mimi Kodheli
- Occupations
- politicianeconomist
- Biography
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Mimi Kodheli is an Albanian economist and politician who served as Minister of Defense of Albania in the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama. She was the first woman to be appointed to the post.
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Ben Blushi
- Occupations
- politicianwriterjournalist
- 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 September 2021 to July 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
- university teachersociologistpolitician
- 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. In May 2025, she was appointed Commissioner at the WHO Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health (PECCH).
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Fatos Lubonja
- Occupations
- writerphysicistjournalistphilosopher
- Biography
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Fatos Lubonja is an Albanian writer and dissident.
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Fatos Kongoli
- Occupations
- mathematicianwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Fatos Kongoli is an Albanian novelist.
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Bashkim Shehu
- Occupations
- novelistwritertranslator
- Biography
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Bashkim Shehu is an Albanian writer who lives in Barcelona, Spain.
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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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Pjetër Arbnori
- Occupations
- translatorpoliticianpolitical prisonerwriter
- 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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Ogerta Manastirliu
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ogerta Manastirliu is an Albanian politician who served as the Minister of Education and Sport of Albania from 11 September 2023 until 19 September 2025. She has also been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Tirana. On 13 March 2017, she was appointed as Minister of Health. She held the office until September 2023, due to the general election.
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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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Kastriot Islami
- Occupations
- physicistdiplomatuniversity teacherpolitician
- 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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Mirela Kumbaro
- Enrolled in the University of Tirana
- 1984-1988 graduated with master's degree in Romance studies
- In 2009 graduated with doctorate in translation studies and linguistics
- Occupations
- translatorromanistuniversity teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi, is an Albanian politician currently serving as the Minister of Education of Albania since 19 September 2025. Previously she has served as the Minister of Tourism and Environment from 2021 to 2025 and as the Minister of Culture from 2013 to 2019.
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Arta Dade
- Occupations
- university teachertranslatorpolitician
- Biography
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Arta Dade is an Albanian politician and former member of Parliament of Albania for the Socialist Party. She held government posts such as Minister of Culture and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
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Neritan Ceka
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticianarchaeologistart historiananthropologist
- Biography
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Neritan Ceka is an Albanian archaeologist, academic and former politician. He is known for his extensive archaeological research in Albania, his role as a founding member of the Democratic Party and for serving as Minister of Internal Affairs from 27 July 1997 to 18 April 1998, in the government of Prime Minister Fatos Nano.
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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 Minister of Tourism and Environment by the 2nd Rama government.
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Jorida Tabaku
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jorida Hasan Tabaku is an Albanian politician. She has been a member of the Democratic Party of Albania since 2013. She is also a Deputy Mayor of Tirana from 2011 to 2015.
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Besnik Mustafaj
- Occupations
- writerjournalistdiplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Besnik Bajram Mustafaj is an Albanian writer and diplomat. He was a director of the news paper Drita
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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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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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Vanghel Dule
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Vangjel Dule is an Albanian politician of Greek descent. He has been the Chairman of the Unity for Human Rights Party (PBDNJ) since 2002 and has represented the Greek National Minority in the Parliament of Albania for over two decades.
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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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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 from September 2017 to September 2021.
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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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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
- lawyerjudgepolitician
- 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
- politicianwriterjournalist
- 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
- poetwriterjournalist
- 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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Ina Zhupa
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ina Zhupa is an Albanian political scientist. She studies Democratization and Values of Albanian Society.
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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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Archbishop Joan of Albania
- Occupations
- Eastern Orthodox priestOriental Orthodox bishop
- Biography
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Archbishop Joani is the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, Exarch of Illyricum and the primate and Head of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania since 2025. His full title is: His Beatitude Joani, Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania
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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 55)
- 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
- translatorpoetjournalistwriter
- 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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Ulsi Manja
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ulsi Manja is an Albanian politician. He served as Minister of Justice of Albania in the third Rama government led by Prime Minister Edi Rama from 18 September 2021 to 19 September 2025, and is a Member of Parliament (MP) for Tirana.
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Irma Kurti
- Occupations
- poetwriterjournalist
- 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
- writerdiplomatuniversity teacherscreenwriter
- 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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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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Evis Kushi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Evis Kushi is an Albanian politician. She served as 52nd Minister of Education, Sports and Youth from September 2020 until September 2023.
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Besnik Bekteshi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Besnik Bekteshi is an 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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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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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 of Albania to the International Organizations in Vienna.
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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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Floreta Faber
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Floreta Faber is an Albanian economist who served as the Albanian Ambassador to the United States, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Panama from January 2015 to July 2023.
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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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Fatos Tarifa
- Years
- 1954-.. (age 72)
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Fatos Tarifa is a social scientist and a former diplomat from Albania.
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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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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
- poetwriterjournalist
- 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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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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Shefki Hysa
- Occupations
- journalistwriter
- Biography
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Shefki Mazar Hysa is an Albanian writer and journalist.
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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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Bujar Dida
- Occupations
- diplomatchemistpolitician
- 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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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 67)
- 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.
