Vito Saracino (University of Foggia, Apulian Gramsci Foundation)
The paper examines Italy’s long-standing involvement in the reconstruction and transformation of the Albanian education sector from the late socialist period to the post-communist transition. It argues that the reconfiguration of Albanian schooling after 1989 cannot be understood only as an internal process of systemic reform, but also as the result of sustained trans-Adriatic cooperation in which Italy played a decisive role. Starting from the gradual cultural rapprochement of the 1980s, the paper traces the reintroduction of Italian language teaching in Albanian universities and schools, the expansion of scholarships and academic exchanges, and the circulation of books, teachers, and educational models after the fall of the communist regime. It then focuses on Italy’s humanitarian and institutional interventions in the 1990s, especially in response to the educational emergency created by the collapse of the school infrastructure and the wider political and economic crises. Particular attention is given to the Operation Pelican initiative, the support provided for textbooks, school materials, and teacher training, and the role of Italian universities in sustaining academic cooperation. The paper also analyses the Illiria Project as a case study of durable cultural diplomacy: through language teaching, curriculum support, and the building of school networks, the project contributed to the consolidation of Italian as a key foreign language in Albania. By combining diplomatic history, educational policy, and cultural transfer, the paper shows how Italy’s commitment helped to rebuild Albania’s educational landscape while also shaping a broader model of Adriatic cooperation in the post-totalitarian era.