About OPAL

OPAL: Open Albanian Research Map

The primary objective of the OPAL platform is to foster networking among the Albanian scientific diaspora and to promote its intellectual potential through an open, transparent, and inclusive digital platform.

Over the past years, numerous lists and databases containing information on experts and researchers from the Albanian scientific diaspora have been compiled. However, most of these repositories remain confined within the organizations, public institutions, university departments, or other entities that created and administer them. The lack of transparency and the limited accessibility of these data significantly reduce the potential of an open and inclusive scientific network. Such an approach is also inconsistent with the fundamental principles of modern science, which emphasize collaboration, knowledge exchange, transparency, and open access within the academic community.

Maintaining these databases as closed resources prevents the registered researchers themselves from becoming aware of one another, their areas of expertise, and their research interests. Consequently, valuable opportunities for establishing new collaborations, developing joint research projects, and building sustainable professional networks remain largely untapped. In some cases, these databases are treated as exclusive organizational assets and are used solely to identify individuals for participation in specific events or initiatives. Such practices substantially diminish their strategic value and prevent the full realization of their potential to facilitate scientific and academic cooperation.

Transparency, collaboration, and networking constitute fundamental pillars of scientific progress. Within this context, the strong>OPAL platform seeks to establish an open environment where Albanian researchers, regardless of their country of residence or employment, can identify suitable partners for research projects, exchange knowledge and expertise, develop long-term collaborations, and contribute to strengthening the Albanian research ecosystem. Furthermore, the platform serves as a mechanism for knowledge transfer and for coordinating scientific and academic cooperation between the Albanian scientific diaspora and higher education and research institutions throughout the Albanian-speaking region.

The initial idea of creating a registry of researchers from the Albanian scientific diaspora, originally envisioned as a network of approximately one hundred researchers, emerged from discussions held during the "Munich Meetings". These discussions focused on identifying effective approaches for strengthening the Albanian scientific diaspora and establishing a sustainable infrastructure for collaboration between Albanian researchers abroad and their colleagues at universities and research institutions in Albania, Kosovo, and the wider Albanian-speaking region.

OPAL is a project supported by the Council of the Albanian Scientific Diaspora. It is developed and coordinated by the Society of Albanian academics DIJA e.V. in collaboration with the Nationwide Institute of Albanian Researchers "Alb-Shkenca". OPAL is a joint initiative and product of the DIJA Society and the Alb-Shkenca Institute.