On this jubilant day marking the 80th anniversary of Albania’s liberation, construction begins on the College of Europe campus in Tirana—a powerful symbol of Albania’s role as the gateway to Europe in the Balkans.

Prime Minister Edi Rama visited the construction site to personally oversee the progress, alongside the Director of the Albanian Development Fund and the Rector of the College of Europe in Bruges, Federica Mogherini.

“Today marks the first day of construction work. The project is highly interesting, not only from an architectural standpoint but also for its functionality and the services it will offer. It consists of four buildings: the library building and several facilities for young people and students. The second building will house classrooms and learning spaces. The third will accommodate offices and other support services for the College, while the central building will feature a large hall and an expansive atrium for students, as well as spaces for various meetings,” said the Director of the Albanian Development Fund.

The campus will be integrated into the Student City (Qyteti Studenti) and will provide a new, modern space with optimal facilities. “This space will primarily serve the College of Europe campus, but it will also benefit the students of Student City, who will have access to student services such as the library, a museum that will be built, and sports facilities that are part of the campus. Additionally, we will have more opportunities to collaborate with the University of Tirana, as some of the spaces will be available to students from this university as well as those residing in the dorms,” said Minister of Education Ogerta Manastirliu.

The campus is expected to be ready to welcome a larger number of students once it is completed.