Tirana Municipality, with the assistance of the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), completed the reconstruction project involving upgrading and refurbishment of the student dormitory No.6 at Students City in the Albanian capital, a project designed to improve student housing and accommodation as part of the government’s initiated Pact on the University. Prime Minister Edi Rama, Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj, Minister of State for the Relations with the Parliament Elisa Spiropali and the Minister of Education Besa Shahini, and Turkey’s Ambassador to Albania Murat Ahmet Yoruk, inspected the newly-reconstructed students housing facility, while work to repair and reconstruct other buildings at the Student City is in full swing and set to continue during whole summer season in order for the project to complete ahead of the next academic year.
Prime Minister Edi Rama noted in his remarks that this four-year term will mark a milestone in history of the higher education system, adding that new student campus is set to complete within Mayor Veliaj’s second term in office. “The idea is to complete work to reconstruct all existing student housing buildings, while the Ministry of Education and the Municipality of Tirana press ahead with the new students’ campus project. As we have already pledged, construction of the students’ campus will complete within Veliaj’s second term in office as Tirana Mayor. The current first-year students will see this transformation for themselves. It is a significantly huge project. At the same time, reconstruction projects are underway to upgrade student accommodation facilities outside and work is set to kick off soon. This four-year term will mark a significant milestone in development of the country’s higher education system and the situation will completely change in the next three years with new infrastructure standards and new laboratories,” Rama said.
Saying that a significant volume of work has been done, the government head underlined that the reconstruction project of this students housing facility is just a positive example of the ongoing transformation. “It is true we have done a lot, but much more things need to be done and their number is higher than what we have done and unfortunately were not done over year and therefore we are now racing against time and the citizens’ expectations and many other challenges. But everything will be settled and it just takes time and patience. This is what it takes, just patience which is “a rare item’ indeed here in Albania. However, we should do our utmost to show patience. This accommodation facility is a positive example of how things should be done in the future and this building mirrors the future,” he said.
Mayor Veliaj briefed PM Rama on the progress of the ongoing work to upgrade the student housing buildings in Tirana, saying the process is in full swing and up to highest standards. “Work to upgrade 30 out of 40 student housing buildings has already completed. We will reconstruct three more buildings, while 8 other buildings will be upgraded under a funding provided by the German government-owned bank KfW. Somehow, all student buildings are busy, but work has progressed faster here as it started earlier. The reconstruction project of the student housing facilities at the Engineering Faculty, two more buildings at the Medicine Faculty have completed, and one more building at the Student City and work will then continue at the Agricultural University according to the schedule,” Veliaj said.
Tirana Municipality is the first at a national level that has already started production and issuance of the Student Card, delivering on another promise. PM Rama noted that Tirana’s successful experience will expand to further university cities across the country. “We will host a meeting with Tirana municipality and other local government authorities in order to press ahead with the student card process in other cities too. Now it is clear as an experience has been already created,” Rama said.
Praising cooperation with the Albanian institutions, Turkish Ambassador Murat Ahmet Yoruk voiced Turkey’s readiness to assist Albania. “This students’ dormitory is fully reconstructed and furnished with all the necessary equipment and rooms have been all renovated and furnished. So it should be said that the current conditions are very contemporary, both in the heating part of the building, but also in other installations. We have been close to the Albanian people and now we will continue to be close to them. I hope that this dormitory will be as good as possible for Albania’s future and educate better students,” he said.
The students’ dormitory No. 6 has undergone complete reconstruction according to the energy efficiency principle, with works including upgrading hydro sanitary network, waterproofing, the roof reconstruction and intervention on the power network of common areas and each room and LED lighting has been installed in whole building. A system of solar panels and central heating system have been also installed, including the external thermal insulation. The reading hall has a capacity of 30 students and each room has been furnished, providing contemporary housing and accommodation conditions for the students.
