Law No. 80/2015 ‘On Higher Education and Scientific Research in Higher Education Institutions in the Republic of Albania’, defines the categories of academic staff: a) professors; b) lecturers; c) assistant- lecturers. The first category includes members of academic staff, heads of courses or modules and leaders of scientific research related activities conducted by the institutions. Members of this category hold the title Professor or Associated Professor. This category is usually employed by undefined contract. Lecturers include members of academic staff that conduct teaching activities, scientific research activities. This category includes members of the personnel with the scientific grade of Doctor and with at least three years of experience in teaching before or after the achievement of the title. The members of these categories are employed usually by means of undefined type contract. Assistant lecturers include those members of academic personnel that conduct teaching and research activities and that have achieved at least the Master degree. Assistant lecturers are employed by means of contracts with limited duration. Academic personnel engaged in teaching must have at least one degree higher qualification in comparison with the degree of teaching. Reports between the three categories are defined by the higher education institutions. Teaching activities duration are defined by the institutions in compliance with legislation.
Conditions of service of the academic personnel employed full time is defined by the basic unit of the higher education institution based on the needs of the last and approved by the Rector. In non-public higher education institutions criteria, rules and procedure for employment are defined in the statute of the institutions. Personnel employed full time in a type of institution cannot be employed at the same time on another higher education institution inside the country of abroad. He or she can be engaged as part time staff only in another higher education institution by approval of their superior. It can be engaged in projects, consultancy and other types or research and services within the higher education institution and this is not considered as double employment within the institutions.
Retirement age for Professor and Associated Professors is 68 years old for the first category and 65 for the second. They can serve also after retirement age if they wish to do so by means of one year duration contracts for one year after retirement age only.
Career advancement for academic staff in higher education institutions is usually based on the categories mentioned above. Each higher education institution provides separately the further details on managing bodies’ selection, dismissal, responsibility and other service conditions in its statutes and regulations. Based on the same law the academic personnel is employed by means of defined time contracts or undefined contracts. Employment of academic staff in higher education institutions is done based on dispositions of institutions statutes and legal framework en force.
The academic personnel conducts teaching, research services for the support of the of the higher education institutions and services for student advising.