Meet Engelbert Zefaj, our PhD graduate!

Dear management of University of New York Tirana,

Dear Rector, Professor. Dr. Ismail

Dear professors and staff of the university

Dear representatives of governments, from Albania, from the Republic of Turkey

Excellency’s Ambassadors,

Dear representatives from Turkish Maarif Foundation

Distinguished guests

Dear students

It is a great honour for me to be here tonight in front of you on this floor, to give this speech. Why I’m here, this is a question that I’m making to myself all day. How I ended up on this floor today in front all of you! I was grown up in Peja (Kosovo). I remember from my childhood, Albania was a closed country. Our parents, my parents, parents of my generation, they taught us, we must do everything and to stay close to Albania. For them (us) was always hope that one day Albania will become a democratic country, as it happened. My father asked me always one thing, my dear son, one day you must go to Albania and you must get their best, education. They have the best education; you have to get that education. I approved his demand, I told him, I will do that, don’t worry, I will take the best values in Albania, especially education! But what happened? I came to Albania and I got the best value, but the best and first value that I got from Albania was my wife. And she is here tonight, she supported me all the time, I thank her so much. And, after that, in order to keep the word that I gave to my father, I decided to do high education in Albania. I ended up in the best university in Albania, University of New York Tirana. My father does not live anymore, he passed away but from here tonight I thank him so much for the message he gave to me.

To arrive at this point, to achieve this goal was not easy at all for me. As a person who is born in Germany, grown up in Kosovo in Peja, lived for ten years in Switzerland, building a family in Kosovo and working in Kosovo and doing high education in Albania it really was very complicated but reality.

But I’m so happy that I did my high education at this university, I’m proud of that. When people ask me where I’m graduated, I proudly replay to them, in the best university in Albania, University of New York Tirana. People do believe me.

The problem for me is how to maintain this quality in the future. How can I proudly represent in the future the values that I get here in this university! I will work hard as dear rector said before, being focused on academic research, focused on reading and be focused on students, to work together and to share with them my gained knowledge. I’m aware this is not easy work, but if I stay motivated as I was up to this point, this will happen. I’m mentioning motivation because it is very important, it was very important to me and my success. I had in my life a long break in high education. I lived in Switzerland for ten years, (and it was not possible to study) when I came back in Kosovo I continued to work in civil society organizations and never thought to continue studies. But one day, after 15 years break, somehow I decided to continue with high education. In the beginning, I had in my mind to make just a bachelor education, only to get any degree. But as it used to say “appetite comes while eating”, when I started studies, I noticed that I was missing things like reading, testing myself, research, analyzing, presentation and achieving good results. These things motivated me so much (and I just realized this is my world) and I have to continue with studies. Now that I finished with studies, I have to look for new motivation, to make much as possible, better as possible.

So, (I use this occasion) to wish all the best to the students (graduates) and I would like to tell them, Be every day, all the time motivated for the success in the next steps.

Thanks to everyone, thank you, professors, thanks to ones who helped me to achieve this point.

Engelbert Zefaj