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ASU, Albania partner to advance nation's sustainability, education quality


Krrabe middle schoolers
November 10, 2014

To assist Albania’s transition toward a sustainable national education strategy, Arizona State University’s Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives were awarded a $100,000 grant from Open Society Foundation for Albania to research energy-efficient building methods that can be implemented in Albania’s public schools.

The grant was made possible thanks to a co-funding arrangement between Open Society Foundation for Albania and Good Ventures Foundation in California.

This study, conducted by the Walton Initiatives’ Global Sustainability Solutions Services in partnership with the East-West Management Institute will become the cornerstone of the Ministry of Education’s initiative to establish an Education Excellence Fund, a program to introduce and fund innovation in the Albanian educational system, transitioning the nation’s schools into centers for community development and innovation.

“Students not only learn better in energy-efficient school environments, they learn from them,” says Arbjan Mazniku, Albania’s deputy minister of education. “We want our energy-efficient schools to be an ideal place for students to learn and achieve, as well as an ideal resource for developing the social and economic vitality of our communities.”

The Walton Initiatives team will harness ASU’s extensive resources, including experts in green building and international development, to complete a cost-benefit analysis of energy-efficient schools in Albania.

“This project with the Albanian government demonstrates our commitment to meeting global sustainability challenges by leveraging the university’s intellectual assets to develop and deliver applied, tailor-made solutions,” says Fron Nahzi, global business development director for the Walton Initiatives.

The study will be shared with international donor organizations, private investors and the Albanian government to make a case for how and where to most effectively invest in retrofitting current schools in Albania as part of the nation’s efforts to improve energy efficiency, boost its economy and create a sustainable future.

“This research will help establish the financial model for how Albania can begin updating its schools,” says Andi Dobrushi of the Open Society Foundation for Albania. “We are pleased to provide this funding to Arizona State University’s Walton Initiatives because the development of Albania’s schools and education system is a vital component to the nation’s democratization.”

Improving energy efficiency is the next step for Albania to match the growing trend among countries worldwide, especially member countries of the European Union, to reduce their use of resources of all kinds and create innovative pathways to a sustainable, prosperous future.