AADF Invests $2.7 Million in New Facilities for the National Agency for Educational Services

A new project to develop modern facilities for the National Agency for Educational Services aims to upgrade Albania’s national examination infrastructure and strengthen transparency, security, and assessment standards across the education system.

Tirana, October 12, 2026 – The Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, marked the symbolic launch of a project to develop new facilities for the National Agency for Educational Services (AKSHA), located near the Agricultural University of Tirana. Construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

The $2.7 million investment, funded by AADF, will support the construction of new facilities, their installation with modern technological infrastructure, and the creation of appropriate conditions for administering national examinations and professional licensing examinations for regulated professions.

This investment builds on AADF’s previously approved support for strengthening the institution’s capacities, processes, and operational standards.

“The reform of this institution aims to strengthen public trust in institutions at a time when distrust is growing worldwide, across all sectors. Through the new AKSHA, examinations and certifications will come with stronger guarantees of authenticity. We will be confident that a teacher or a doctor has genuinely earned the state certification required to practice their profession. The same principle applies to every profession for which AKSHA administers licensing examinations.” – Michael D. Granoff, Chairman of the AADF Board of Trustees.

The ceremony took place at the site of AKSHA’s future headquarters and was attended by AADF Chairman Michael D. Granoff, Minister of Education Mirela Kumbaro, members of AADF’s Board of Trustees and leadership team, as well as representatives and senior officials from AKSHA.

“Strengthening AKSHA is an important commitment to ensuring public trust in public services. We will reassess the range of services we provide, focusing not only on their scope but also on their quality. Just a few years ago, we could hardly have imagined state examinations moving from paper to screen, and from doubt to trust. We chose to undertake this transformation with AADF because you have provided us with the right model. AADF’s approach is built on knowing how to translate investments into meaningful results.” – Mirela Kumbaro, Minister of Education.

From Modern Infrastructure to a More Reliable Assessment System

The project forms part of a broader institutional reform supported by AADF, aimed at strengthening the capacity of the agency responsible for administering national examinations and examinations for regulated professions in Albania.

Building on strategic assessments and needs analyses conducted by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, the reform recognizes that institutional transformation requires more than improvements to operating models and governance structures. It also calls for modern infrastructure capable of ensuring high standards of security, integrity, and transparency.

The new building will cover approximately 3,500 m², compared to the current premises of 740 m². Digital examination capacity will increase from 57 to 213 testing stations, while the expanded workspace will accommodate institutional growth from 35 to approximately 90 employees.

The facilities will include five digital examination rooms, five monitoring rooms, dedicated areas for the secure preparation and storage of examination materials, training rooms, supporting facilities, and accessible infrastructure for people with disabilities.

These improvements are designed to support more efficient, secure, and reliable examination administration, bringing Albania’s assessment system closer to modern international standards.

Investing in the Quality and Integrity of Education

Support for the new facilities reflects AADF’s long-term commitment to institutional reform in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

The broader reform program, with a projected budget of $4.15 million, encompasses institutional capacity building, improvements to examination administration processes, technological infrastructure development, and progress toward a more professional and autonomous institutional model.

Through this investment, AADF seeks to help establish an assessment system in which the credibility of examination results, the integrity of procedures, and equal opportunities are central to the institution’s operations.

The technical design of the new facilities has been completed and submitted to the Ministry of Education and AKSHA. Construction and implementation are expected to take approximately 12 months, with the institution scheduled to move into its new premises by the end of 2027.

The investment represents another important step toward modernizing Albania’s education system, moving beyond infrastructure improvements to support lasting institutional transformation and higher-quality public education services.