Armed Forces Academy (Albania)

The Armed Forces Academy (AFA) (Albanian: Akademia e Forcave të Armatosura) is a military education institution which trains military officers (for the army, navy and air force) in Albania.^[1][2][3][4]

Armed Forces Academy

Akademia e Forcave të Armatosura
Type	Military Academy
Established	May 10, 1958 (1958-05-10)
Rector	Ruzhdi Kuçi
Students	Officers of the Albanian Armed Forces
Location	Tirana , Albania
Website	www.tradoc.mil.al

History

The Academy of the Armed Forces was established decision of the government on 10 May 1958, in the Rrapit i Treshit District of Tirana, initially with the name Military High School.^[3] The school bore the conventional number of Military Department No. 2002.^[3] The Council of Ministers, on October 28, 1961 decided that on the basis of the Military High School to establish the "Military Academy of the People's Republic of Albania" with a three year educational program accredited by the Ministry of Education.^[3]

By a special decision of the Council of Ministers, on 5 January 1963, the Military Academy was renamed to the "Mehmet Shehu Military Academy",^[3] honoring the 50th birthday of the then-Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu.^[5] Years later, in December 1992, the institution was renamed the General Staff Academy.^[3] The Academy was in 1994 renamed to the Defense Academy of Albania.^[3] In 1998 the Defense Academy was accepted as a full member of the council of military academies of NATO.^[3] In 2004, the Defense Academy was renamed the Spiro Moisiu Defense Academy. In early 2012, the Academy was renamed the Academy of the Armed Forces. It consisted of 2 Faculties:^[3]

• the Faculty of Security and Defense (remnants of the former Spiro Moisiu Defense Academy)
• the Center for Foreign Languages and the Faculty of General Education (remnants of the former Skanderbeg Military Academy)

Leaders

The leaders of this unique institution over the years have been:^[3]

• Major General Thoma Xhixho (1958–1961)
• Major General Spiro Shalesi (1961–1964)
• Major General Ernest Jakova (1964–1967)
• Colonel Koli Mborja (1968–1970)
• Lieutenant General Vaskë Gjino (1970–1974)
• Colonel Mendu Tetova (1974–1975)
• Major General Vehbi Hoxha (1975–1977)
• Prof. Spiro Adhami (1977–1981)
• Major General Kostaq Karoli (1982–1991)
• Colonel Halim Abazi (1991–1993)
• Brigadier General Ali Koçeku (1994–1997)
• Major General Ruzhdi Gjatoja (1998–2000)
• Colonel Flamur Skrapalliu (2000–2001)
• Colonel Selim Shiroka (2001–2003)
• Colonel Dhori Spirollari (2003–2005)
• Rear Admiral Kudret Çela (2005–2008)
• Colonel Nexhbedin Shehu (2009–2010)
• Colonel Kristaq Xharo (May 2010-July 2011)
• Colonel Perikli Koliçi (August 2011-September 2012)
• Colonel Agim Sula (September 2012-September 2014)
• Colonel Idriz Hazhiaj (October 2014-November 2015)
• Colonel Ruzhdi Kuçi (January 2016-December 2017)

See also

• List of universities in Albania
• Quality Assurance Agency of Higher Education
• List of colleges and universities
• List of colleges and universities by country

References

1. "55 Vjet, Akademia e Forcave të Armatosura". Archived from the original on 2017-12-14. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
2. Akademia e Forcave të Armatosura nis vitin e ri Akademik
3. "Historiku i Akademive dhe Shkollave Ushtarake". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09.
4. Zotaj, Bernard; Cani, Ylvie (2008). 50 vjet Akademi e Mbrojtjes [50 years of the Defense Academy] (in Albanian). Tiranë: Akademia e Mbrojtjes.
5. Agency, United States Central Intelligence (1963). Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts.