The Our Lady of Good Counsel Foundation gathered numerous friends and partners on January 28 to proudly celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Catholic University of Tirana. This significant milestone for the academic community in Albania received compliments and recognition from distinguished guests, including His Excellency the Ambassador of Italy Marco Alberti, the Deputy Secretary of State for Health of the Italian Republic Dr. Marcello Gemmato, Davide Rogai, President of Confindustria Albania, and Mr. Dëfrim Goma, President of the Order of Pharmacists.
The guests were welcomed by Fr. Ruggero Valentini, President of the ZKM Foundation, by the Rector of UKZKM Prof. Leonardo Palombi, and by the Dean Prof. Roberto Perrone. Two decades of the Faculty of Pharmacy at UKZKM also represent a moment of great importance for healthcare, as, according to President Valentini, ultimately the goal is to protect and serve human life, just as Father Luigi Monti did when taking the first steps of a modest pharmaceutical career.
During the conference, Ambassador Alberti noted that Italy is famous not only for its cuisine, fashion, culture, and art, but also as the leading country in the European pharmaceutical market and in scientific research in this field. He participated in the inauguration of the two modern research laboratories of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the ZKM Campus, also attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the blessing by Father Paschal.
Students at the Catholic University of Tirana now have access to additional study and experimental spaces, including laboratories for cellular and molecular virology and a laboratory for pharmaceutical chemistry and analysis.
What we celebrate with this 20th anniversary is not only commitment, dedication, pharmaceutical research, and innovation, but also the education of generations of highly qualified professionals according to European standards—young people who today serve in Albania and across Europe. This represents a path of important collaborations, initially with the University of Milan and later with the University of Bari. Some of the most talented professionals who graduated from UKZKM took part in the festive ceremonies on our campus. The young people who studied at UKZKM represent competent and passionate professionals, ready to contribute to the advancement of science and healthcare in Albania and beyond.
