Author: Dallandyshe Xhaferri
No dormitories, no libraries, no public canteens
7%-10% of students studying in public universities are accommodated in dormitories. Some buildings are still in the process of reconstruction, while some are depreciated. The lack of large libraries and environments to spend free time is evident, while there is a lack of public canteens where students can spend less on food.
48 hours to register in the dormitory
On September 19, around 5:30 in the morning, Olta B. left the city of Prrenjas for Tirana to register in one of the state dormitories for medical students. Although he arrived in the capital before seven in the morning, he could not secure a number for the registration queue. The third-year medical student tells "Sinjalizo" that in order to secure a dormitory room for the academic year 2023-2024, she needed more than 48 hours of waiting in the capital.
"After I checked into the hotel on the 19th, the next day around 6:20-6:30 I went to the Student Residences and I saw many people, parents and students pushing each other to get a turn number and from the side other were some guards who threw the numbers in the middle of the crowd or passed the bunch of numbers to each other as if it were a game",- says Olta, who was in line number 160 and managed to register around seven o'clock in the afternoon on September 20.
"I made the payment to the bank on the 21st and I signed the contract the same day because I was afraid that I would be left without a room and I cannot afford a house for rent",- she says, indicating that she is currently housed in building number 1 of Student Residence number 2.
There are 2 buildings in RSU 8, of which 6 are new buildings, while buildings number 1 and number 2, according to Zhanina Dapit, Director of Dormitories in RSU 2, will undergo reconstruction next year. In the academic year 2023-2024, 1523 students have been registered in this residence, of which 772 are medical students.
According to director Dapi, there are 1933 beds available to students, while there is a closet in each room.
"We don't have any big space, I can't take all the clothes, I take a part and take another", - says student Olta B, asserting that in building number 1, one floor is closed for students due to moisture in the walls, while each floor has 27 rooms.
Another problem for students living in state dormitories is the lack of large libraries and collaborative environments. "Large libraries are missing, large study and interaction spaces between students, and sports spaces are missing. If we are to see it in the foreground, we are dealing with a student dormitory rather than a university campus as promised,"- says Rigels Xhemollari, executive director of the Citizen Center.
Delayed reconstructions
In Student City, the reconstruction of buildings started in 2019 with building number 6, work carried out in cooperation with the Turkish agency TIKA. Some buildings are still in the reconstruction phase, while others are depreciated and inhabited by students. In the answer that the Directorate of Student Residence number 1 gives to "Sinjalizo", it is stated that out of 29 buildings that are included in RSU1, 22 are used by students. "One is in the final stage of construction, as well as 5 dormitories under reconstruction within the German Government Program through KFW”, - is said in response.
Two of the buildings that are being reconstructed are building number 16 and the one with number 17. According to the data published on the information board near the buildings, the investment for each of them is over 9 million euros, while the deadline for completion is December 13 of this year. the year.
However, these buildings should be entirely for students. IN The Pact for the University, a plan of promises for the 8 demands of students made public during the protest of December 2018, announced by Prime Minister Rama in the same month at the University of Vlora, it is said that interventions for reconstruction with funding from the State budget would be realized within the 3-year term, 2019-2021. Also, by decision of Council of Ministers in 2020, for building number 16, the decision was taken for reconstruction by allocating the fund worth 311 425 288 ALL. A year ago "Signal" published the article where the dormitory administrator, despite the approved decision, was not informed about the works that could be carried out, although building 16 began to undergo reconstruction only in March 2023 with the financing of the German Government project.
The buildings planned to be reconstructed in the Student City are buildings 24-25, as well as buildings 27-28.
Anisa, a student of Social Work, says that in these buildings, "They only painted a few rooms". Coming from Kukësi, she says that she chose to stay in the state dormitories only because of the more favorable payment. "I pay 4300 ALL per month, and given the conditions, it can be justified." But the Sociology student in the second year of her bachelor's degree, Esmeralda Sherfi, who has decided to live in a rented house, thinks otherwise. "I share the rent with two other chicks and in terms of the monthly payment for the dormitory, it was almost the same as the house,"- says the student who came from Konispoli, emphasizing that in this way she manages to live in better conditions.
Xhemollari: 7%-10% of students in public universities are accommodated in dormitories
The Directorate of Student Residence number 1 says that the buildings have accommodation capacity for 4600 students, while currently 3974 students are accommodated. In the University of Tirana for the academic year 2022-2023, the number of students of the First Cycle, Second Cycle and Executive Master's study programs at UT is 22, of which 076, or otherwise about 13% of them come from the municipalities the other. Meanwhile, according to data from INSTAT for the same academic year in Tirana, the total number of students is 450.
"Regarding the accommodation capacities of student buildings, currently 7%-10% of the total number of students studying in public universities are accommodated in these residences", - says Rigels Xhemollari, according to whom the way of organizing university campuses in Albania lags behind Kosovo.
"None of the student residences in Tirana have a public canteen that offers food at a reduced cost to the students who are there, costing them half of the monthly budget. says Xhemollari, adding that all buildings are not surrounded or built within a "security zone". "They are accessible from cars, bars, hairdressers and many businesses that hinder normal student life or peace", - he concludes.
Students accommodated in old dormitory buildings pay about 4300 ALL per month, while household appliances such as cooking stoves and refrigerators are provided privately by them, not being considered by the dormitories as elements that are included in "accommodation capacities".
This article was created based on input provided by individuals who have chosen to speak up. Share your story, empower others and be an agent for change. Visit the website: www.acqj.al/sinjalizo-dhe-ti/
