The day of 19 July was entirely dedicated to an in-depth study of European Union law. In particular, in the morning round table, UNISA DSG Professors discussed with Albanian Professors from the Department of Law of EPOKA University of Tirana the interdisciplinary aspects of EU law, exploring its traces in ancient organisational models and looking at the imminent and future perspectives resulting from the ecological, digital, and energy transition process currently taking place at international and European level.
In the debate, interesting lines of research emerged that will be further explored in the next editions of the Jean Monnet Chair EUVALWEB and within the EUVALWEB Legal Observatory.

In the afternoon, the meeting with Italian and Albanian students allowed us to hear their views on the accession of the Western Balkans in general, and Albania in particular, to the European Union. Their desire to feel European emerged strongly from their reflections, promoting one of the main goals of the Jean Monnet EUVALWEB Chair: AWARENESS!

Pictures of the day available at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.780316260551592&type=3

Prof. Teresa Russo, as Chair Holder of the Euvalweb Jean Monnet Chair, expresses her heartfelt thanks to all the professors and students who took part, as well as her firm academic and scientific commitment to bring the peoples of the Western Balkans into the ‘mindset’ of the European Union.

During this week, the Albanian professors will be associated with all the activities of the Jean Monnet Chair EUVALWEB and the EUVALWEB Legal Observatory, sharing their experience and expertise in promoting the study of European Union law.

The first meeting to be held on 17 July will welcome the professors and will aim at promoting cultural exchanges between Italy and Albania through a guided tour of the territory of Salerno, its monuments and activities, in order to explore contextual opportunities for professional training.

A second appointment, scheduled for 18 July 2023 at 3.00 p.m., at the Alfonso Catania Lecture Hall, DSG UNISA, will concern the defence of the dissertation by the Albanian students Andrea Kokomeci and Egla Leci, in Erasmus mobility at the DSG, UNISA, with a commission composed for the first time of Albanian and Italian professors. The degree examination will then be recognised by the Department of Law of the EPOKA University of Tirana, Albania.

The third appointment, scheduled for 19 July, at 10.30 a.m. in the Alfonso Catania Lecture Hall, DSG UNISA, will be a seminar entitled Enhancing New Interdisciplinary Perspectives of EU Law with the participation, together with the Albanian professors, of Prof. Giovanni Sciancalepore (Director DSG, UNISA), Francesco Fasolino (President of the Teaching Council, DSG, UNISA), Giuseppe Fauceglia (Professor of Commercial Law, DSG, UNISA), Lucia Di Cintio (Associate Professor of History of Roman Law, DSG, UNISA). Also, on 19 July at 3.00 p.m. in the Catania Lecture Hall, a roundtable debate on the different (and controversial) aspects of the EU Enlargement, will take place, moderated by Prof. Teresa Russo, Holder of the Jean Monnet Chair EUVALWEB, with the participation of Gaspare Dalia (Lecturer of Comparative Criminal Procedural Law, DSG, UNISA) of the tutors of the EUVALWEB Chair, Dott. Stefano Busillo and Emanuele Vannata, some members of the EUVALWEB Legal Observatory Young Observers, Lisa Lambiase, Romano Maria Carabotta and Sara Chiariello, as well as Albanian students Egla Leci, Andrea Kokomeci and UNISA DSG graduate Angela Stoia.

Finally, on 20 July at 10.30 a.m., the meeting with the Staff of the Erasmus and International Relations Office of the University of Salerno will allow us to continue the discussion on the strategies that are being promoted in Albania in order to strengthen teaching by including EU law in all disciplines. The aim is to promote and strengthen the reciprocity of exchanges of teachers and students within the International Credit Mobility Programme.

We are really proud of all the planned activities and we are looking forward to having Albanian Professors at our Department.

Stay tuned for all our updates!

The third appointment of our activities was devoted to the scientific developments of the Jean Monnet Chair EUVALWEB and its EUVALWEB Legal Observatory, as well as the importance of scientific publications in the Italian and Albanian university system.

Prof. Miço, with her experience at the Albanian Ministry of Education, illustrated the right to education in international and European law, explaining the reforms adopted in Albania to adapt to EU standards. She then explained the activities being carried out at EPOKA University in Tirana in professional training also in collaboration with ELSA Albania. The participation of student Chiara Mainenti, both as a Young Observer of the EUVALWEB Legal Observatory and as the future President of ELSA Salerno, fostered the discussion on the initiatives to be planned for the second edition of the Jean Monnet EUVALWEB Chair and to involve ELSA Albania and other Balkan countries in our activities.

Prof. Francesco Buonomenna, also in his capacity as Vice-Coordinator of the Italian National University Council, outlined the proposed changes under discussion in the Italian university system. The occasion gave rise to a very fruitful discussion on the recruitment systems for teaching staff in the Italian and Albanian systems and the importance of scientific publications. The participation of Prof. Lucia Di Cintio also enriched the debate with some interesting proposals on the historical reconstruction of the legal institutions of international and European law and on the relationship between citizen and foreigner in the ancient world, highlighting interesting insights into current migration phenomena.

The participation of other members of the Young Observers of the EUVALWEB Legal Observatory, and specifically students Ilaria Boccia and Sara Chiariello, responsible for updating the EU Values and Fundamental Rights section of the EUVALWEB Bulletin, made it possible to highlight the contribution of the European Union to the modernisation of the national education system of the Balkan countries.

Prof. Teresa Russo, as Chair Holder of the Chair and Editor in Chief of the online journal EUWEB Legal Essays. Global & International Perspectives, moderated the meeting and outlined the didactic and professional training activities of the first edition of the Jean Monnet Chair EUVALWEB, which registered excellent results in terms of participation of students, graduates, professionals, civil society and political representatives, with an active role in the involvement of Italian, foreign and Albanian students, in particular. She then recalled the scientific results achieved during the first edition of the Jean Monnet Chair EUVALWEB, pointing out that these will be summarized in her editorial of the next issue of the online journal EUWEB Legal Essays. Global & International Perspectives currently being published.

For further information, see the flyer available at the following link: http://euvalweb.euweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/EUVALWEB-Locandina-incontro-13-7-2023.pdf

This brings to a close the first day of EUVALWEB work with Prof. Heliona Miço, which saw an initial meeting with the staff of the Erasmus and International Relations Office of the University of Salerno in which we discussed the possibility of promoting international exchanges and good practices between the universities of Salerno and EPOKA University of Tirana.

As a member also of the External evaluation expert for higher education at the Board of Accreditation and of the Permanent Commission of Quality Assurance at “Epoka” University, Prof. Miço shared her professional experience by pointing out the changes in Albanian legislation to create training courses of excellence in accordance with European Union standards in the adaptation of teaching programmes. Apart from the EUVALWEB Chair Holder, Prof. Teresa Russo, the EUVALWEB Tutors Dr. Stefano Busillo and Dr. Emanuele Vannata, and the Younger Observers’ Supervisor of the EUVALWEB Legal Observatory, Dr. Elisabetta Lambiase, the meeting was attended by Maria Rizzo, Office Manager, Marco Salemme, Responsible of outgoing staff mobility MON-TUE, Silvia Governatori, Responsible of Incoming mobility for studies, cooperation agreements and international degree mobility and Macarena Escobar Fuentes, Responsible of UNISA Scholarship Programme and bilateral agreements.

This was followed by a meeting with Albanian students Andrea Kokomeci and Egla Leci to discuss their degree dissertations respectively on the impact of EU commercial law on Albania’s economic transformation and the evolution of Albanian data protection legislation in comparison to the EU GDPR.

As supervisors of the dissertations of the two Albanian students, Prof. Miço and Prof. Russo discussed the contents of the works in detail, providing hints and suggestions to highlight how Albania is dealing with the adaptation to the EU acquis in these two areas. Also participating in this meeting were Dr. Busillo, Dr. Vannata and Dr. Lambiase, who were involved in peer education activities with two Albanian students supporting them in their scientific research activities .