Ilda Hoxhaj - candidate for new WBAA Board member - Albanian chapter

In preparation for the upcoming elections for a new WBAA Board member - Albanian chapter in June 2021, we asked our candidate Ilda Hoxhaj some questions regarding her application for this position. Check out her answers below:

What is your motivation to apply for becoming Board member for the Albanian chapter?

Four years ago, I had the opportunity to be an undergraduate exchange student within the Western Balkan Erasmus Mundus Program. It was an experience that changed my life and the starting point of a new pathway in science. During this experience, I met a lot of other students from Western Balkans, with whom we had an amazing time sharing our cultures. We became great friends and colleagues, since then we have been working in several collaborative research projects. Now, when I look back, I understand the huge impact it had in me personally and professionally. Therefore, by applying to this position, I would like to promote intercultural exchanges and mobility among Western Balkan countries and help other students to enrich their experience, increase their skills and knowledge, and improve their confidence and personality in different aspects.

What are your plans as a WBAA Board member? (What is your plan of action for the period during which you will be acting?)

I would like to organize events or to be involved in the projects that encourage youth active engagement, in order to understand their point of views towards the needed practical actions in improving the quality of higher education. Youth involvement is considered as a key element in planning and developing appropriate policies, for a better present and future. I would like to be part of the projects that promote intercultural exchange, networking and cooperation that would improve the students’ literacy and strengthen their capacity building that could contribute to increasing their employability.

What skills and qualities do you bring in for this position?

I have excellent organizational and management skills, being the coordinator of the Association of Albanian Doctors in Italy, and of several research international projects, that could be helpful in this position. I think also the leadership skills gained as the coordinator role of the “YouthCenter Borderless”, a youth non-profit organization in Albania, in which we organized several social activities in different fields might be useful. Furthermore, given my background in scientific research, I might contribute to the elaboration, statistical analysis and interpretation of the research projects with mixed-methodology. My experience on the evaluation of health policies at European level, focusing on the gaps in implementation, facilitators and barriers in collaboration at European level, might be valuable at the policy planning process across borders, for a fruitful cooperation among Western Balkans Countries.

Describe yourself in 3 words!

hardworking; energetic; communicative