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These pages collect together notices posted on the IUCr web site in past years. They are retained for archival interest, but there is no guarantee (or likelihood) that many of the web links found in these notices will still be active.

Formation of the 'Organization for Promoting Crystallography in Albania' (OPAL)

With a special contribution from Dr Dritan Siliqi of the Institute of Crystallography-CNR, Bari, Italy, a meeting was organized in the Polytechnic University of Tirana, Faculty of Geology and Mining, to establish a crystallographic association in Albania. The meeting included academic staff from the two main public universities in Albania (Tirana University and the Polytechnic University) who deal with techniques used in crystallography and with the didactic aspects of crystallography teaching.

Dritan Siliqi - an Italian crystallographer, but a graduate in Chemistry from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania - first presented the organizations of crystallography specialists in Italy (AIC), Europe (ECA) and worldwide (IUCr), and gave an overview of the crystallographic research topics in different Italian and European research centres.

Afterwards a meeting took place for the establishment of the "Organization for Promoting Crystallography in Albania" (OPAL) for crystallographers and users of crystallographic techniques.

The acronym OPAL was chosen because it is the October birthstone, coinciding with the birth of this Organization.

The first members of OPAL agreed unanimously that the creation of this Association was an immediate need within the knowledge and industrial market in Albania. OPAL will have the following goals:

Contribute to the advancement and dissemination of crystallography in Albania in accordance with the aims of the IUCr:

  • Promote the teaching of crystallography at all levels in Albanian-speaking universities in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia.
  • Promote the formation of a national association of crystallography in Albania.
  • Promote the participation of Albanian crystallographers at all levels of the ECA and IUCr, and collaboration with other national crystallographic associations in Europe and especially in the Balkan region.
  • Promote and organize various initiatives and activities in Albania during the year 2014 as the International Year of Crystallography.

The first members organized themselves as follows:

Name, Surname Institution Position in OPAL
Dr Dritan Siliqi Institute of Crystallography, Bari, Italy Honorary director
Prof. Agim Sinojmeri Faculty of Geology and Mining, Polytechnic University, Tirana, Albania General director
Prof. Ass. Enkelejda Beqiraj Faculty of Geology and Mining, Polytechnic University, Tirana, Albania Appointed for promotion of crystallography in universities
Dr Altin Mele Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania Appointed for foreign relations
Dr Arben Memo Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania Appointed for the planning of activities in 2014
Dr Arjan Korpa Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania Appointed for outer university market relations
Prof. Ass. Kledi Xhaxhiu Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania Appointed for crystallography curricula improvement in universities
Prof. Sokol Abazi Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania Membership promotion
 

All members of OPAL committed themselves to comply as best they can with the above mentioned tasks.

Polytechnic University of Albania
Faculty of Geology and Mining
Tirana, Albania
31 October 2013