The Academy of Albanological Studies ( sq, Akademia e Studimeve Albanologjike) is the main institution of
albanology
Albanology, also known as Albanian studies, is an interdisciplinary branch of the humanities that addresses the language, costume, literature, art, culture and history of Albanians. Within the studies the scientific methods of literature, linguis ...
in
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
.
History
The Academy of Albanological Studies started as part of the reconstruction and modernization of the Albanian academical and university system. The decision was taken by the Albanian Government in August 2007. It derived from joining the four existing institutions: Institute of Archaeology, Institute of Linguistics and Literature, Institute of History, and
Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Art Studies, with two research units: Art Studies and Albanian Encyclopedia which used to belong
Albanian Academy of Sciences.
The centre was reorganised on 10 March 2008 as a scientific research institute and received the status of the inter-university organ. It inherited the staff of specialist and a rich archive of a high importance. Along with the research in the fields of history,
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
,
cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The portma ...
, art study,
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
, literature, etc., part of its work focus is the investigation, evaluation, conservation, and promotion of the material and spiritual inheritance of the Albanian culture, both past and present. It is one of the core albanology institutes in overall. It also offers
master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
and
PhD courses and studies on all the fields that the institute covers.
Institutes
Institute of Archaeology
The scientific work on
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
in Albanian started after World War II, when all the cultural and historical valuable entities were placed under state protection. The first institution of this nature was the Archaeological-Ethnographic Museum ( sq, Muzeu Arkeologjik-Etnografik), established in Tirana in 1948. With the establishment of the Institute of History and Linguistics in 1955, an Archaeology Section was also created. It handled archaeological research and studies countrywide. In 1976, the section was transformed into the Centre of Archaeological Research ( sq, Qendra e Kërkimeve Arkeologjike), as part of the Academy of Sciences, with threes scientific sectors:
prehistory
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
,
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...
n antiquity, and
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. Eight scientific groups were established in various towns of the country. In 1992, the centre gained the "
institute
An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body.
In some countries, institutes can ...
" status and became the Institute of Archaeology.
Its main activities consist of excavations and archaeological studies throughout the Albanian territory, and the scientific and methodical direction of the archaeologic museum that it has under its jurisdiction, in Tirana,
Durrës
Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...
,
Apollonia,
Butrint
Butrint ( el, Βουθρωτόν and Βουθρωτός, ''Bouthrōtón'', la, Buthrōtum) was an ancient Greek and later Roman city and bishopric in Epirus. "Speakers of these various Greek dialects settled different parts of Greece at differen ...
, and
Korçë
Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau some ...
. Structurally, the institute contains the following departments: Department of Prehistory, Department of Antiquity, and Department of Late Antiquity and Middle Age.
Directors:
*Selim Islami 1955–1966
*
Muzafer Korkuti
Muzafer Korkuti (born 1936) is an Albanian archaeologist and prehistorian. He is considered an expert on the prehistoric period of Albania. Korkuti was the director of the Institute of Archeology at the Centre for Albanological Studies in Tirana fr ...
1967–1976
*Aleksandra Mano 1976–1982
*Muzafer Korkuti 1982–1990
*
Neritan Ceka
Neritan Ceka (born 11 February 1941) is an Albanian archaeologist, professor, and politician. He served as Albania's Minister of Internal Affairs from 27 July 1997 to 18 April 1998.
Early life
Ceka was born in Tirana. Ceka studied at the Qema ...
1990–1993
*Namik Bodinaku 1993–1997
*Muzafer Korkuti 1997–
Periodicals:
*''Iliria'' (
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...
) magazine, OCLC 2661500.
* Separate section in other periodicals:
**''
Studime Historike'' magazine of the Institute of History.
**''
Studia Albanica'' magazine of the Albanian Academy of Sciences, ISSN 0585-5047.
**''Monumentet'' (The monuments) of the
Albanian Institute of Monuments
The National Institute of Cultural Heritage ( sq, Instituti Kombëtar i Trashëgimisë Kulturore, IKTK) is a government entity of Albania which focuses in protecting, preserving, restoring and revitalizing materials of cultural heritage.
Overvie ...
, OCLC 3460148.
**Other special publications from conferences, congresses, convents, etc.
Institute of Linguistics and Literature
The institute traces its origin in the Institute of Albanian Studies of April 1940. In 1946, the Institute of Scientific Research ( sq, Instituti i Kërkimeve Shkencore) took over, and was renamed in 1948 to Institute of Sciences ( sq, Instituti i Shkencave). As its activity spread, it split in 1955 as the Institute of History and Linguistics. In 1972, the history and linguistics-literature section split, each creating its own institute as part of the Academy of Sciences.
The main objective of its scientific-research work is the
Albanian language
Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Europ ...
and
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
. In the field of
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
, the institute focuses on studying the
Albanian dialects
The Albanian language is composed of many dialects, divided into two major groups: Gheg Albanian, Gheg and Tosk Albanian, Tosk. The Shkumbin river is roughly the geographical dividing line, with Gheg spoken north of the Shkumbin and Tosk south of ...
, their current status and historical transgression, compilation of scientific grammars, technical
terminology
Terminology is a group of specialized words and respective meanings in a particular field, and also the study of such terms and their use; the latter meaning is also known as terminology science. A ''term'' is a word, compound word, or multi-wor ...
dictionaries
A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically (or by radical and stroke for ideographic languages), which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologies, p ...
, study on standard Albanian language, language norms, and language-related culture. In the field of literature, it focuses on studying the historical development of the Albanian literature, bibliographies on the life and work of its prominent protagonists, compilation of generalizing literary-historical work, and scientific-critical publications on the classics of the Albanian literary tradition.
The archive conserved manuscripts on the old Albanian texts, documentary materials, and monographs on linguistic and literary-historical works, published or not. The library conserved over 50,000 volumes and a huge number of periodical issues. The file archive contains 3 million lexical files.
Directors:
*
Androkli Kostallari 1972–1990
*
Jorgo Bulo
Jorgo Bulo (27 April 1939 – 26 November 2015) was an Albanian philologist, historian, and literary critic. Since 2003 up to his death (2015) he was a member of the Albanian Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Bulo was born on 27 April 1939 in Shepe ...
1990–1993
*Bahri Beci 1993–1997
*Jorgo Bulo 1997–
Periodicals:
*''
Studime Filologjike'' (Philological Studies), quarterly, ISSN 0563-5780
*''
Gjuha Jonë'' (Our Language), quarterly, ISSN 1728-4813
Institute of History
The institute started as a scientific-research institute in 1972. The first attempts for establishing such institute had started in April 1940. After World War II, the Institute of Albanian Studies ( sq, Instituti i Studimeve Shqiptare), was established in 1946, comprising the sections of history and sociology. Other departments were added on the way: archaeology, ancient history, medieval history, recent history, medieval art, ethnography, and other linguistic-literary sections which were all included under the Institute of History and Linguistics ( sq, Instituti i Historisë e i Gjuhësisë) in 1955. With the establishment of the
University of Tirana
The University of Tirana ( sq, Universiteti i Tiranës, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the ''State University of Tirana'' in 1957 through merging of ...
(UT) in 1957, the institute was placed under UT's umbrella. With the establishment of the Academy of Sciences in 1972, the sections related to history went apart and formed the Institute of History. During the
'70s, the section of ethnography and archaeology split from it and became independent parallel institutes.
The institute's main focus is on:
*Studying the history of the Albanian people inside and outside the territory of
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, from
antiquity till today.
*Preparation and publishing of documentary collections, articles, and
monograph
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
s.
*Organization of scientific activities as
symposium
In ancient Greece, the symposium ( grc-gre, συμπόσιον ''symposion'' or ''symposio'', from συμπίνειν ''sympinein'', "to drink together") was a part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was acc ...
s,
round table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...
s, workshops, and
conference
A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic.
Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...
s for presenting the history of the political,
socioeconomic
Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local ...
, cultural, and diplomatic events of Albania in
Balkan
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
ic, European, and wider perspective.
*Lecturing in various universities in Albania, diploma and PhD thesis recenses.
Its main activities dedicate the departmental structure as well, based on
epoch
In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured.
The moment of epoch is usually decided by ...
s:
*History of Albanian people in
medieval times
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire an ...
.
*Albanian under
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
(16th-18th centuries).
*
Albanian National Awakening
The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...
.
*
Independent Albanian State (1913–1939).
*History of
National Liberation War
Wars of national liberation or national liberation revolutions are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) to establish separat ...
(World War II).
*
Albania during the Communist regime (1944–1990).
*History of ethnic Albania and diaspora.
The institute contains a huge archive of documents and monographs, most of them provided by foreign archives worldwide. Its library contains 70,000 copies of books and magazines on Albannological studies, the second in Albania after the
National Library
A national library is a library established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information. Unlike public library, public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, o ...
.
Directors:
*Stefanaq Pollo 1972–1989
*Selami Pulaha 1989–1990
*Kristaq Prifti 1990–1993
*Kasem Bicoku 1993–1997
*Ana Lalaj 1997–2005
*
Marenglen Verli
Marenglen Verli (1951–) is an Albanian historian and scholar. Since 2009, he is a member of the Academy of Sciences of Albania.
Life
Verli was born in Tirana on 19 December 1951. After finishing the high school "Petro Nini Luarasi", he entered t ...
2005–
Periodicals:
*''Buletini i Shkencave'' (Bulletin of Sciences) magazine, before being restructured in 1957 as:
**''Buletini i Universitetit të Tiranës
eria e Shkencave Shoqërore' (Bulletin of the University of Tirana
ocial Sciences Series magazine, before being restructured in 1964 as:
***''
Studime Historike'' (Historical Studies) magazine, currently quarterly, ISSN 0563-5799.
*''Kosova'' (
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
) magazine.
Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Art Studies
The institute started in 1979 as a merge project between the Institute of Folklore and the Ethnography section of the Institute of History. It was under the umbrella of the Academy of Sciences and was named Institute of Folkloric Culture ( sq, Instituti i Kulturës Popullore). The Institute of Folklore itself had started in 1961, based on the Folklore Section of the former "Institute of Studies" (Alb: ''Instituti i Studimeve'') of 1947. The Ethnography Section was established in 1947 as well. In 2008, a special structure focusing in art studies was added, thus resulting in the current "Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Art Studies".
Its activity covers field research, collection, registration of different genres of ethno-folklore, archiving and filing, studies, publication of periodicals and scientific resumes, publishing of monographs and collections of materials, illustrative publishing, and in particular publishing the "Albanian Cultural Heritage" series.
In the beginning, its work focused on collecting the Albanian material cultural pieces in the terrain. It built a collection of songs, dances, musical instruments, prose and poetry, etc. As a result, the first six archives were created: the archive of the objects and material culture, the archive of written ethnography, ''photothèque'', sketch archive, archive of music, and the written folklore archive. The archive of the objects and material culture conserves about 33,000 objects representing various aspects of life such as
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
,
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
, crafts, folkloric art, traditional dresses, ornaments, work tools, etc. The archive of written ethnography conserves material noted by the researches during expeditions, materials and notes provided by the foreign collaborators, translations from the original materials of former travelers and researches during their expedition in Albania, etc. The ''photothèque'' conserves over 22,000 photo negatives and dispositives in different media depicting traditional dresses since the start of the 20th century, fragments from work, various ceremonies, folkloric activities, etc. The sketch archive conserves over 3500 sketches and planimetries of traditional home environments and constructions. The music archive conserves over 35,000 songs, melodies, dances, and ceremonials, while the archive of written folklore conserves over 1.5 million verses, and around 200,000 pages of folkloric prose.
Another field of its activity is the organisation of folkloric activities, the establishment of the ethnography museums, and ethnographic exhibits. A considerable number of exhibits have been gone through in Greece, Romania, Hungary, Italy, France, Austria, Nordic countries, former Soviet Union countries, China, etc.
Directors:
*Zihni Sako 1961–1979
*Alfred Uçi 1979–1988
*Ali Xhiku 1988–1993
*Beniamin Kruta 1993–1995
*Agron Xhagolli 1995–1999
*Afërdita Onuzi 1999–
Periodicals:
*''Etnografia Shqiptare'' (Albanian Ethnography), started in 1962. ISSN 0425-466X. It publishes researches and studies. 18 volumes published so far.
*''
Kultura Popullore'' (Folkloric Culture), semiannual, started in 1980. ISSN 0257-6082.
*''Çështje të folklorit shqiptar'' (Albanian Folklore Topics), collections, started in 1982. Covers problematic topics, studies and approaches on folkloric prose, poetry, music, dance, instruments, etc. OCLC 15404050.
Academic Senate
The Academic Senate as of 2015:
See also
*
List of universities in Albania
This is a list of accredited and non-accredited higher academic institutions based in Albania.
Public institutions
Private institutions
Closed institutions
Other institutions
* Quality Assurance Agency of Higher Education
* Academy of Sci ...
*
Quality Assurance Agency of Higher Education
The Quality Assurance Agency of Higher Education (ASCAL) () is an independent public agency responsible for promoting and ensuring the quality of higher education in Albania. ASCAL conducts a thorough, objective and independent evaluation of all hi ...
*
Albanological Institute of Pristina
*
University of Tirana
The University of Tirana ( sq, Universiteti i Tiranës, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the ''State University of Tirana'' in 1957 through merging of ...
*
Royal Institute of the Albanian Studies
*
Education in Albania
Education in Albania for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels are mostly supported by the state. The academic year is much similar to that as in the United States, classes starts almost in September or October and end in June or July. Alb ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Centre of Albanological Studies
Science and technology in Albania
Academy of Sciences of Albania
2008 establishments in Albania
Scientific organizations established in 2008
Albanian studies