Dr. Arjan Xhelaj

Director General & Chairman of Governance Board at RASH -Academic Network of Albania

Founder of RASH (Academic Network of Albania) the Albanian NREN, experienced institutional Leader and Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the government, public administration and industry. Skilled in Management and Leadership, International Relations, Physics and Informatics, Research and Development. Business development Expert with an PHD in Applied Physics and Information Technology in Germany. Strong experience in European Commission as Member of different Boards with good connections to EU administrations and different professional networks. Innovator with long excellent experience in Projects from different research fields in Academia and Industry. RASH-Academic Network of ALBANIA is the National Research and Education Network (NREN) established in 2011 under my lead as Albanian NREN and member of TERENA Association (Trans European Research & Education Network). RASH own the Academic Network Backbone and Campus Networks e-infrastructure for universities. In international Level RASH is partner of GÉANT and implement different GÉANT services supporting all scientific and academic disciplines in Albania: Eduroam, EduGain, EduVPn,EduTurn, Up2U, Edumeet and more. In national Level RASH has developed in Hause software applications for Ministry, universities& research institutes as: UMS -University management system, U-Albania (national student admission portal), digital U-Library, Teachers for Albania portal (T4A), Trainings portal(TP), e- Research(statistics portal), Antiplagiat portal and plan to develop at next ACRIS (Alb. current research information system), U-report(Transparence portal) and more. Actually, RASH members are all 12public universities. 

Bernard Zeneli

Project Manager / Migration & Education Expert / Leadership Trainer

Bernard Zeneli is specialized in development work that leads to growth and advances policy processes and creativity in Southeast Europe by making use of people skills and engaging migrants and diaspora communities. He has managed capacity building programs taking stock of returning migrants and developed professional training programs for refugees and asylum seekers in Albania. He has researched the policy processes related to migration, return migration and diaspora engagement. Training of new and young political leaders, civil servants, teachers and university administrators is in the core of his professional activities.

He is also active and advises on issues related to public administration development in the Southeast Europe, educational policies and participates in accreditation processes for international pre-university education. While leading Adriapol Institute for Smart and Creative Development. Before joining Adriapol, Bernard worked for the E-On, German energy company –part of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline Consortium -the biggest infrastructure project in Albania that aims to bring Azeri gas into the European markets.

Bernard was also engaged in several regional projects related to development of student participation in higher education supported by the Open Society foundation. Civil society engagement is also a key area of Bernard’s activities. He seats in the management boards of several organizations and offers his expertise in preparing curricula and training programs related to leadership, policy making, political elections and campaigns, project writing and development. He set in different Soros Foundation boards and sub-boards dealing with student initiatives and gender issues. Bernard is a Fulbright Scholar, specialized in Political Science and Policy Analysis at Northeastern University in Boston. He is the youngest Albanian to have been awarded this prestigious scholarship. He has specialized training in teaching, policy analysis, and management and teaches courses and modules of comparative politics and methodologies of research.