The current state of albanology as well as a rising demand for research in this field revealed the need for the creation of an international coordinated scientific structure. This organization would play an active role in promoting albanology and would meet current contemporary demand. For this reason, on the 14^th of January 2008, a group of proactive albanologists, composed of Bardhyl DEMIRAJ, Wilfried FIEDLER, Zuzana FINGER, Georgia KRETSI, Erwin LEWIN, Elton PRIFTI and Maria ZANNINI created the scientific organization International Network of Albanology (INA) in Potsdam (Germany). On February 15^th 2008, the organization was registered in Potsdam’s county court. INA is a non-profit organization.

STRUCTURE

The organs of the organization are the Membership and the Directory Board.

The Directory Board is composed of the Dean, the Advisory Board and Scientific Board. The members of the Directory Board, as regular members of the organization, have rights and obligations.

The Dean is composed of the President and the Vice-President. INA is headed by Bardhyl DEMIRAJ (full professor for Albanology at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, Germany). The Executive Director and Financial Manager is Elton PRIFTI (PhD Fellow – Institute of Romance Philology, University of Potsdam, Germany).

The Advisory Board is composed of three members, who among other things, represent geographically the albanological sciences as a whole. These are: Francesco ALTIMARI (Pro-rector and chairman of the Department of Albanian Language and Literature of the University of Cosenza, Italy, chairperson of the Board), Rexhep ISMAJLI (Dean of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Full Professor at the University of Prishtina). [The third member will be published soon.]

Scientific Board is composed of 5 departments, each of which is represented by two members. By exception of its fifth department, this board represents the disciplines of the albanological studies as a whole. These are:

Department of Linguistics. Members: Giovanni BELLUSCIO (University of Calabria, Italy) and Monica GENESIN (University of Lecce, Italy).

Department of Literature. [The members of this department will be published soon.]

Department of History. [The members of this department will be published soon.]

Department of Ethnology. [The members of this department will be published soon.]

Department"Young Albanology". Member: Elton PRIFTI (University of Potsdam, Germany) [The other member of this department will be published soon.]