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Nepotism at "Eqrem Çabej" University/ DP: Family and friends seize every link

2026-04-01 12:53:00, Aktualitet CNA

Nepotism at "Eqrem Çabej" University/ DP: Family and friends

"Eqrem Çabej" University in Gjirokastra faces accusations of nepotism and clientelism.

In a statement to the media, the head of the Education Department at the Democratic Party, Lili Sula, stated that from the sanitary inspector to the vice-rector, a close family and political network has captured every link in this university.

Sula raises accusations that this situation has replaced merit with clientelism and corruption, transforming the university into a network of family and political interests.

She has called for in-depth investigations by the Ministry of Education, the Supreme State Audit Office, and justice institutions, to restore transparency and integrity to the Albanian university system.

FULL DECLARATION:

During these thirteen years of Edi Rama's government, the university with the great name of Albanological sciences, Eqrem Çabej, in Gjirokastra, has become a symbol of the disintegration of public higher education in Albania.

Unbridled nepotism, the creation of family and political dynasties, rules every link in the university: from employment to phantom diplomas; from emptying auditoriums to the nebulous financial funds, disbursed without transparency and often in function of the narrow interests of the leaders, which go to the point of not paying internal lecturers in return for salaries for external lecturers.

Media and field reports prove that nepotistic groups have usurped every university structure:

– The curriculum office houses the former University nurse, although this position requires professionals with real expertise.

– It doesn't happen anywhere in the world that the vice-rector and head of external relations of the university, simultaneously the president of the municipal council of Gjirokastra, baptized with the title 'University's Lover', the MI English pedagogy, also has two sisters-in-law and two first cousins ??who are teachers.

– The former rector of BM has a son and daughter-in-law, a professor, and a close person, a secretary.

– Another former rector, GS, currently vice-rector, has a wife who is the head of the history department and a son who is a professor.

– The chairman of the university board, the lecturer, Th. T. has also taken the two sisters, lecturers.

– The Dean of Natural Sciences, SM, has two daughters who are professors and his nephew's daughter-in-law who is a laboratory technician.

– In the Greek language department, there are 5 professors in very close marital and family relationships.

– Chancellor and SG administrator, has 2 female teachers, brother and sister, 2 cousins.

– Nepotism that has spread throughout all academic structures at this university has found it easier to occupy the administration: five members of the Shehu family work in the administration.

This is just part of the panorama of the University of Gjirokastra, which from a center of knowledge and research has turned into a network of intertwined family and political interests, while merit has been replaced by clientelism and corruption.

In this difficult reality, the Ministry of Education, Ms. Mirela Kumbaro, as if living on an island, ironically talks about drafting the 2027-2032 strategy with quality as a priority; about creating mechanisms to control quality in higher education and for the internationalization of higher education; about reviewing law 80/2015, 11 years after its entry into force, without mentioning the complete university collapse, which does not characterize just one university, but for years has engulfed the entire public university system in the country.

I call on responsible institutions such as the Ministry of Education, the Supreme State Audit, the High Inspectorate for Declaration and Control of Assets and Conflict of Interest, as well as judicial bodies to immediately initiate in-depth and independent verifications on the phenomenon of conflict of interest and nepotism in all public universities in the country.

Only through transparency, impartial investigation and punishment of any legal violations can public trust be restored and the functioning of a university system based on merit and integrity guaranteed. / CNA