08 May 2008 | General
Second COST Visit to Albania
Following Albania’s association to the EU 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technology Development, the European Commission, COST and the Albanian Ministry for Science and Education organised a Research Information Event in Tirana on 6 May 2008.
The intention of this event was to encourage dialogue with the local scientific community, identify potentially interested partners and pave the way for further collaboration within the Framework Programme and COST.
The event brought together over 150 Albanian participants including senior representatives from the academic and business community as well as public authorities. The event was opened by the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik, the Albanian Minister of Education and Science, Genc Pollo, and the Albanian Minister of Integration, Majlinda Bregu.
COST was represented by Professor John G. Bartzis, Vice President of the COST Committee of Senor Officials accompanied by Mr Günter Siegel, Science Officer from the COST Office. Professor Bartzis had the opportunity to present what COST is and how the Albanian researchers can rapidly join the European Research mainstream on the principle of mutual benefit.
More specifically it was stressed that COST is one of the longest-running European instruments supporting networking among scientists and researchers across Europe. It was also underlined the great potential offered by COST as a bottom-up tool for networking with other European scientists.
Professor Bartzis emphasised that at present the Albanian researchers have not yet profited from the 200 COST Actions and invited interested scientists to consider the opportunities offered by COST, having in mind that COST Actions could be considered also an incubator for R&D proposals to FP7. It was clear from the discussion that COST seems to be a particularly attractive instrument to facilitate in this country and in Western Balkans in general, to establish scientific networks and to facilitate the participation in the Framework Programmes.
The participation of COST in May 2008 followed the COST DAYS in Albania in which Professor Francesco Fedi, President of the COST Committee of Senior Officials, participated from 15 to 19 June 2004, for a series of meetings with the highest representatives of the political and scientific community in Albania to stimulate international cooperation in science and technology in the framework of COST.
This visit was in line with the COST Ministerial Conference held in Dubrovnik in 2003 which had recommended that COST should continue to lend support, in the scientific and technological field, to the Community’s foreign dimension, especially in Mediterranean third countries including the Western Balkans and in the Russian Federation and other Newly Independent States. In Tirana
Professor Fedi delivered a speech on “COST: Past, Present,Future” at a conference held in the Ministry of Education and Science with the Directors of the Scientific Research Institutions and the Universities. In Gjirokastra he presented COST activities in a conference held in the University of Gjirokastra and met the Rector Prof. Kristaq Kikina. In Vlora he had meetings with the Rector of the Technological University of Vlora, Prof. Bilal Shkurtaj and with the Director of the Agricultural Research Institute of Vlora Prof. Bardhosh Ferraj.
