Prime Minister Edi Rama congratulates all students of Albanian universities on the New Academic Year 2017-2018 from the Agricultural University of Tirana:
Hello everyone!
It is no accident that we chose to send our wishes for the beginning of this new university year to all students across the country, from this University. At this university we want to continue paving the way for a transformation process, not just a physical one, of the whole university infrastructure, but a fundamental transformation in the way of living this University in relation to life beyond the walls. By wanting to break down the wall that divides the university from real life, from the field in which all of you here want to be trained, in order to benefit mutually in a process of cooperation and interaction between the government and university.
Before we entered this hall, together with the Rector and some professors, we visited the site opened in the territory of the university. I would like to say that, despite the fact that the Rector and the professors are very pleased, I am very dissatisfied because I believe there is still a lot to do in this regard. Of course, they are happy for the existing opportunities, but we will create new opportunities. My belief is that the territory of this university shall be the most excellent model of a space where all the elements of this field are taught, and it shall be a wonderful oasis where nature, man and the whole infrastructure built, coexist together in full harmony. These words might sound like utopia, but I assure you that the student enrolled this year will see in the end of their journey at this university that these words will be transformed into reality.
When we were here a year ago, I couldn’t believe my eyes looking at what a mess this place was. A first intervention has served to lay a foundation to bring some order and have a little breathing room, but there is still a lot to be done. The Rector spoke of some expropriations that are necessary, and we will do them as soon as possible because there should be no activity here that is not in full harmony with the university activity and a healthy student life.
There cannot be here more cars than people, although there is a lot of people. It cannot be here that cars decide who the first to cross the street is. There cannot be here more cafeterias than classrooms. There are fewer cafeterias today because we have demolished a significant part, but there are still some structures which should either be demolished or returned to the University. This cannot be a crossroad of students, professors and residents who pass here by along with their pets. There should be only students, professors and people invited by them. Nobody can come and go here as if it were a crossroad without order and tranquillity.
On the other hand, not only with regard to the physical infrastructure but also to the working conditions of professors and students in terms of laboratories and high technology, there is a lot to do here and we will be by your side. I will continue to be in communication with the rector and the professors but students are welcome as well, if they have ideas and projects on how to do things better and faster, so that we can turn this territory into an oasis where things are first done here and then in life beyond the walls of the university.
There was a time – I believe the professors who have more experience remember it very well – when this university would produce and sell, despite the fact that others would take its profits, but it was an experimental base of production and sales. Not only that, but it was from here that the results and the achievements of the experiments were taken and implemented in the daily lives of husbandmen, farmers, cooperatives, etc. There is no such thing today, and that is exactly what we need to change.
The Agricultural University has all the opportunities to become a production base, and all the potentials to become the most important strategic consultant of the government. We don’t have to spend money from the state budget to buy consultancy in the market. We can buy consultancy here. The best students, along with the pedagogues, can easily engage in providing consultancy and, of course, getting what they are entitled to from the point of view of financial reward. This is not only feasible, but is indispensable. We will do this together.
This territory is the appropriate place to pave the way and to go a lot further away from what the present has to offer us, in order to have a bold vision but also the courage to pursue that vision. To pursue it and to try all those experiments and take all the steps that are not experimental because others have taken them before us somewhere else, so that in this territory we can have a wonderful oasis of human-cultivated nature and an inspirational example for all those who deal with agriculture, livestock and all related fields that are so vital to the country’s economy, so vital to human life.
One of the reasons why young people are sceptical of coming to this university, is the physical condition and the space situation here. We need to change them together and quickly. Sadly, many years have been wasted. Nevertheless, it is never too late to fight and make up for lost time. We will welcome every project and every application, even from university students. The best students here, but also others, don’t have to wait five years to see what they are doing. They can begin since now doing concrete things and concrete work. It may be since now, in addition to attending lessons, close to farms and farmers, in cooperation with us, to create a synergy between policy-makers, direct beneficiaries of funding and the academy, scientific knowledge.
I am very confident that everything I am saying resonates with your desires. Of course, there’s a large gap between deeds and words, but the gap there is between what we want to do and the situation we are in this university, believe me, can be totally closed. With vision, courage and, above all, patience and willingness to work, by dividing tasks among who will do what, – of course, you’re not asked to demolish the buildings for it is up to the government – we will do everything as appropriate. We will transform this territory into a model, not just for the universities of our country, but believe me, also for the universities in the region. There is room here, there are people who know and there is common will here. What do we need more? Nothing else! Suffice it that each of us does his/her own job.
Today is the day not to make others feel bad because it is not just the day when study at this university starts, but it starts in all the universities of Albania. I want to take this opportunity to really wish from here all the best and success to pedagogues and students in every university across the country. I am convinced that although we are only in the beginning, the new chapter of the Reform in Education has begun and will continue to deliver concrete results and products, such as the product we are talking about, the radical transformation of this university into a centre of excellence, in view not only of creating specialists for the future but for the economy, agriculture and rural development in Albania today, transforming the life and the path to welfare for those who live in the village today thanks to knowledge.
One of the many friends of the social networks asked: how is it possible that we are so wealthy, as we say, from the point of view of all aspects that are not related to us, but are related to our location, with the climate, with our natural resources, with our overwhelming assets, and yet we are a poor country? Because countries are not distinguished from what they have but from what they know. You can have a lot and be poor, because you don’t know. You can be rich, even if you don’t have anything, because you know. Suffice it to make a comparison between what this country has and what Israel has, to understand that essentially countries are distinguished from what they know rather than from what they have. The same applies to communities created based on an interest or a goal, such as your community here, or a community of students at a faculty.
If we invest more, to know more and above all, if we trust more than what we know, we will definitely do a lot more and by doing a lot more, we will have a lot more. For this reason, we strongly believe that the closest relationship with the university as a whole and with this university in particular, with regard to the agriculture and rural development sector, will bring us more revenue in general, more income for the countryside.
It is unbelievable today that so many young people study this university and the average age of experts serving in the sector is extremely high. We want to start from here and with you, by inviting also professors and students, create working groups, work together, learn from each other, have students who are much more willing enter the market tomorrow not just because of what they have seen or read, but also of what they have experienced in real life. And, of course, make them stand up for themselves so that they will be able not only to replace those who are about to retire in the state administration, but to become successful in their work with the land, with farmers, at production, processing and sales centres. Because, despite the fact that the sector has lagged behind, it accounts for 20% of the total National Production. It is not difficult to imagine what it might be, if more knowledge, more human interaction and more work and patience are invested in the sector.
I am very pleased that this year proved that Education Reform is not only appropriate, but that it has solved one of the most serious problems we have had for more than 20 years. The problem of the inability to get what you are entitled to according to your merits on the way to enter university. It was impossible to imagine until yesterday, let alone think that it could happen that every young person who intends to enter the university, will find the place that s/he belongs to on the way to enter university, based on what he or she knows, which is expressed in the average grade of high school years and the result of the State Matura. Today we have managed that each and every one takes his or her own place, and that the son or daughter of any of those who sit in the front row will not be able to surpass the son or the daughter of a shepherd up who is in the mountains, if the child of the shepherd has excellent results. This is a tremendous achievement and a great base to continue further, because you are all here based on your merit, based on what you have invested in high school, and now you cannot but continue investing to get what you deserve. We will do our best to provide you better conditions so that you can deserve what you want.
I assure you that this is the second time, but not the last one, that I’ve visited this place. I will be back to see how we will continue to transform the whole space of this university, in order to make it a real centre of excellence and an oasis where others will truly want to come and visit as one of the most beautiful points of our capital city.
Many thanks to all!
I wish you success for this academic year that begins in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, with our government, having a mutual benefit. What you ask from you is knowledge. What you will receive from us is money for what you will learn.
Thank you very much!
