The new campus of the Military Academy, an investment covering 10 hectares and modeled after one of the best academies in the USA, West Point, is nearing the completion of its first phase.
Designed to meet NATO’s highest standards, the campus will feature modern facilities, including educational buildings, dormitories, a health center, a cinema, a gym, an indoor swimming pool, sports fields, and military training areas such as shooting ranges, a running track, and an alpine tower.
The new academy will initially accommodate 300 students and introduce new departments, including Artificial Intelligence, offering joint diplomas with the Polytechnic University in certain fields, as well as partnerships with NATO allied countries’ academies.
Prime Minister Rama visited the construction site today to inspect the progress, accompanied by Minister of Defense Pirro Vëngu. “In this area of Tufina, we are on a 45-hectare plot, with 10 hectares dedicated entirely to the New Military Academy. The master plan consists of three phases, and the first phase is nearly complete. This phase includes the main building for the Faculty of Security and Defense, which is the core of the academy. It will host around 300 students, who will be accommodated for the upcoming season once the works are completed.
The works are expected to be finished by engineers, with completion scheduled for July. We have fully rehabilitated the first area, an old military building, which will house the mess hall. This will provide full capacity for the staff, personnel, and students in the first phase, with further development of the main building, which is nearly finished.
The second phase of the master plan will include additional infrastructure, such as sports fields and dormitories,” explained Minister of Defense Pirro Vëngu. “This year, in September, we had a very successful recruitment season, with around 1,100 applicants. For the first time, we are also offering a program in Artificial Intelligence, as all programs related to military industry, defense systems, simulators, and the new Aviation School we plan to build will integrate elements of AI,” he said. On the integration of the campus with its surrounding environment, Minister Vëngu stated, “I believe this is one of the few, if not the only, campuses in the Republic of Albania, that fully integrates nature within the property.”
Prime Minister Rama emphasized that while meeting the planned deadlines is important, quality remains the priority. “I always say we should definitely meet the July deadline, but with quality. It may be ready by October for the academic year, but we should not rush; everything must be done perfectly. This is a huge investment, and it must be perfect. The architecture is beautiful, the spaces are beautiful, and the internal design is beautiful.”
Additionally, the Prime Minister stated that upon the full completion of the works, the new campus will become a reference point for the entire military. “In the future, we may continue to develop the project with the academy we want to bring from allied countries, making it even better, while generating revenue for the defense budget. Furthermore, we are progressing well with the defense industry and have laid solid foundations for the creation of a new military industry. The third component involves the Ministry of Defense supporting tourism, by placing a number of assets at the disposal of tourism, while retaining partial ownership, thus generating income,” he concluded.
