October 3, 2025
Tirana, October 3, 2025 — Epoka University, as a partner of the GENERATE (Gender and Precarity at the Energy Frontier) project, represented by Prof. Dr. Sokol Dervishi and Dr. Ina Dervishi, hosted a regional workshop dedicated to energy efficiency, gender, and inclusive urban transformation.
Organized within the framework of the international GENERATE project led by the University of Manchester, the workshop explored the intersections between renewable energy, housing retrofits, gender, and inequality across Southeast Europe. The event brought together academics and professionals to discuss how energy transitions can foster both social inclusion and environmental sustainability.
The workshop opened with welcoming remarks by Dr. Armando Demaj, Head of the Research and Project Office, followed by a presentation of the GENERATE initiative by Dr. Giulia M. Mininni (GENERATE UKRI ERC).
Two panel discussions formed the core of the event. The first, “Legal Framework on Energy Efficiency in Albania,” featured Dr. Eng. Besim Islami, Dr. Boriana Golgota, and Dr. Heliona Bellani, who discussed Albania’s policy context and legal mechanisms for sustainable energy. The second panel, “Experiences and Impacts,” included Dr. Klodjan Xhexhi, MSc. Mirjana Pali, and MSc. Besalda Hysa, who shared professional and academic perspectives on practical challenges and the gendered dimensions of energy transitions.
A concluding group discussion on “Just and Inclusive Urban Renovation” encouraged participants to reflect on existing barriers—technical, social, and gender-related—and to propose strategies for more equitable and sustainable urban development.
The workshop reaffirmed Epoka University’s commitment to advancing sustainable and socially inclusive research in collaboration with international partners across Southeast Europe.
