History

The University of New York Tirana - UNYT was inaugurated in September 2002, having received a license from the Albanian government [Government Decree Nr. 397] in August 27th 2004. It was founded in order to address the regional needs for an American educational system and to prepare future leaders and business executives with a liberal arts and business education, a cross-cultural perspective, and a competitive spirit. Its objectives are to implement flexible and innovative practices in teaching and learning in response to the globally changing face of higher education.


Its first Rector and co-founder, the late Prof. Dr. Gramoz Pashko has been amongst the leaders of the Albanian democratic movement of the early 1990s, a former MP, Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. A full-fee scholarship offered annually to a freshman student majoring in Economics or Business bears his name, as well as a grant offered annually by SUNY/ESC to one junior student moving to his senior year of studies. Today the post of the Rector is held by Prof. Dionysis Mentzeniotis.


Some of the achievements of the university include but are not limited to:

* Three generations of graduates (2006, 2007 and 2008), whose employment or graduate studies’ record is currently more than 93%;
* In the Spring 2007 academic semester UNYT’s SIFE Team was ranked second in the European SIFE Cup.


Currently, the University of New York Tirana offers dual Bachelor degrees conferred by the State University of New York / Empire State College and Universtiy of New York Tirana. Furthermore, as from September 2004, the UNYT, in collaboration with the Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch in Sion, Switzerland offers a Master’s programme in Business Administration (MBA) leading again to a dual degree (IUKB and UNYT).


Situated in the heart of the city of Tirana, the UNYT aspires to establish itself as a dynamic, multicultural and leading centre for higher education in the Balkans. To support the needs of its students, research, and scholarship, the university is expanding its library resources, organizes scientific seminars promoting research and scholarship, and engages into original research and promotion of highly scholarly works.


The UNYT is a fascinating blend of challenge and vision, in response to the needs of a global society and era. It is for this reason why the UNYT attracts students of high ability and employs academic staff of distinction, some recognized as international leaders in their fields.