Qendra e Studimit te Politikave Europiane per Zhvillimin Rajonal dhe Lokal

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Qendra e Studimit te Politikave Europiane per Zhvillimin Rajonal dhe Lokal

Qendra e Studimit të Politikave Europiane për Zhvillimin Rajonal dhe Lokal, është një organizate jo-fitimprurëse ne formën ligjore te “Qendrës”. CRDLS Al.

www.crlds.org

17/05/2026

CRLDS Launches CRLDS Academy – A New Strategic Step in Capacity Building
We are pleased to announce the establishment of CRLDS Academy, the newly formalised training and capacity-building arm of CRLDS.
Over the years, CRLDS has implemented a wide range of training activities, workshops, and capacity-building initiatives as part of its projects and partnerships. Building on this experience, we are now taking a strategic step forward by formalising and structuring these efforts into a dedicated unit.
CRLDS Academy will serve as a platform for:
• Professional training programmes in local and regional development
• Capacity building for municipalities, civil society, and young professionals
• Tailor-made learning initiatives in partnership with national and international institutions
• Knowledge exchange and applied learning based on real-world experience
This development reflects CRLDS’s commitment to strengthening its role as a regional hub for knowledge, learning, and sustainable development, while also contributing to more diversified and sustainable organisational models.
CRLDS Academy is not the beginning of something new — it is the formalisation and scaling of work already being done, now elevated into a structured and strategic function of the organisation.
We look forward to sharing more soon about our upcoming programmes and partnerships.

22/04/2026

Çdo vit, Dita e Tokës ofron një mundësi për të reflektuar mbi përgjegjësinë tonë të përbashkët për të mbrojtur planetin dhe për të njohur inovatorët që e shndërrojnë këtë përgjegjësi në veprim. Sigurisht që ndjejmë përgjegjësi për këtë pjesë të Tokës, të trashëguar nga e para: Shqipërinë!

Every year, Earth Day offers an opportunity to reflect on our shared responsibility to protect the planet and to recognize the innovators turning that responsibility into action. We certainly feel a responsibility for this part of the Earth, inherited from the first: Albania!

04/03/2026

I was honored to be invited to speak at the 11th European Congress of Local Authorities in the panel on:

**“Economic Development of Regions Through Infrastructure, Industry and Cross-Border Partnerships.”**

Due to an unexpected health condition, I was unfortunately unable to participate in person. I sincerely regret missing this important opportunity for dialogue among European local and regional leaders.

On behalf of the Centre for European Policy Studies – Local and Regional Development (FoRLED), I would like to share the core message I intended to convey.

Economic development must be addressed in an integrated manner, connecting regional strategies with local implementation. Infrastructure investments, industrial development policies, and cross-border partnerships are most effective when they generate measurable impact for municipalities, SMEs, and local communities.

At the regional level, infrastructure strengthens connectivity through transport corridors, energy interconnections, and digital networks. At the local level, it enhances market access, logistics capacity, entrepreneurship, and skills development.

Ongoing regional connectivity initiatives, including developments related to Corridor 8 and recent ministerial and forum-level engagements, demonstrate that infrastructure is not merely a technical investment. It is a strategic instrument for industrial integration, trade facilitation, and long-term regional resilience.

Cross-border cooperation becomes transformative when regional frameworks and local ecosystems operate in alignment. Sustainable economic growth requires coherence between policy, industry, infrastructure, and community-based development.

Without such alignment, infrastructure remains an isolated investment.
With alignment, it becomes a driver of opportunity and competitiveness.

FoRLED remains committed to contributing to constructive dialogue and practical cooperation that strengthens regional and local economic development across Europe and the Western Balkans.
My sincere appreciation to the organizers of the 11th European Congress of Local Authorities for the invitation and for fostering such an important platform for exchange and cooperation.

11/02/2026

On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we proudly present a new scientific volume developed within the framework of the Institute for Women in National and International Security Policy (IWNISP), an initiative of CRLDS.
This publication brings together the academic work of young women scholars, PhD candidates, and lecturers who are contributing with determination and expertise to a field traditionally perceived as male-dominated: security policy.
Through a multidisciplinary and gender-informed approach, the volume addresses key issues such as:
▪️ Migration and security
▪️ Women, Peace and Security
▪️ NATO–EU cooperation
▪️ Kosovo’s regional security dynamics
▪️ The rise of the far right in Europe
▪️ Security sector challenges in the Western Balkans
IWNISP was implemented in 2019 and 2021, inspired by Dr. Edlira Titini’s participation in the U.S. Department of State’s SUSI Program.
This publication is more than a book.
It is a statement.
A statement that women belong in security policymaking.
A statement that expertise has no gender.
A statement that the next generation of security scholars is already here.
Our sincere congratulations to the authors, the scientific and organizing committees, and especially to Dr. Edlira Titini for her visionary leadership.
The volume is available at the National Library of Albania and the Library of the Academy of Sciences of Albania.
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05/02/2026

We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Study on the implementation of the partnership principle within the EU Cohesion Policy in candidate countries.
We contributed to the study in the capacity of Luiza Hoxhaj, as National Expert for Albania and Executive Director of CRLDS, with responsibility for the development of the Albania country component across all analytical pillars. This included documentary research and policy analysis; an assessment of the national framework in the context of EU integration, with specific reference to Chapter 22 on Cohesion Policy; the design and implementation of qualitative interviews with a wide range of stakeholders — including civil society organisations, local and regional authorities, programme-level actors, and the EU Delegation — as well as the preparation of the Albania country fiche.
The study was officially presented on 4 February at the premises of DG REGIO in Brussels, with the participation of stakeholders from the nine candidate countries covered by the study, as well as representatives of the nine Interreg and cross-border cooperation programmes involved.
The study provides robust evidence to support the effective alignment of the partnership principle with EU Cohesion Policy objectives and the EU enlargement process.

02/12/2025

Thank you EU4Innovation for sharing our proposal and for continuously supporting climate-resilient and people-centered urban innovation in Albania.

It is an honour to collaborate with Prof. Dr. Zyhdi Teqja (Agricultural University of Tirana), Prof. Dr. Giulio Senes (Politecnico di Milano), the Albanian Association of Landscape Architects, CRLDS, and the Municipality of Vlora as a key partner and host of this initiative.
The proposal was presented with exceptional competence and professionalism by Prof. Dr. Zyhdi Teqja, whose contribution has been crucial in shaping the vision and depth of this project.

While the intervention seeks to improve the environment for patients, medical staff, and visitors of the Regional Psychiatric Hospital of Vlora, it is important to emphasise that the target group is much broader.
The selected site lies along one of Vlora’s highest-traffic corridors — a space heavily exposed to heat and currently underserved in terms of public-space quality. This makes the Green Mobility Corridor an opportunity with citywide impact, benefiting the wider community and strengthening sustainable mobility.

To fully realise this climate-resilient transformation, securing dedicated funding remains essential. We hope this proposal will be considered within upcoming financing schemes, enabling Vlora to advance a new model of humane, green, and adaptive urban development.

Grateful to EU4Innovation, GIZ Albania, the European Union Delegation to Albania, CRLDS, and the Municipality of Vlora for powering and hosting the CliMobility City Lab.

Tags:
Albania Union in Albania of Vlora

21/11/2025

Ready for Project Proposal Presentation!

08/09/2025

“We had the pleasure to have our Executive Director, Mrs. Luiza Hoxhaj, as a speaker at the 34th Economic Forum in Karpacz, in the panel ‘Why it is Worth Supporting Medium-sized Cities’.

The panel gathered high-level experts from across Europe for an in-depth discussion on the strategic role of medium-sized cities in fostering cohesion, innovation, and sustainable development.

In her interventions, Mrs. Hoxhaj addressed:
🔹 Why the importance of medium-sized cities differs across countries depending on geography, population, history, and cultural factors.
🔹 How the EU supports candidate countries such as Albania in regional development through IPA III, the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, and cross-border programmes.
🔹 The role of science and research in empowering medium-sized cities to become laboratories of innovation and inclusive growth.

We are proud that CRLDS was represented in such a distinguished debate, underlining once again our commitment to promoting sustainable and balanced development in Albania and the wider region.”

23/07/2025

FoRLED 2025 | 7th Edition
Building Cohesion for a Sustainable Future of Cities and Regions in the Western Balkans+
Bridging Social, Economic, and Territorial Cohesion towards EU Integration
📅 4-7 December 2025
📍 Vlora, Albania & Online (Hybrid Format)
Bringing together local authorities, academia, civil society, private sector, experts, researchers, and practitioners from the region to collaborate on sustainable development and regional cohesion in the Western Balkans+
Ac

16/04/2025

Yesterday during the second training of national experts from EU enlargement countries, engaged in the study: Implementation of the partnership principle of the EU cohesion policy in enlargement countries.

Address

Rruga Ymer Kurti, Qendra Olympia, Kat. II
Tirana
1019

Website

http://www.crlds.org/

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