Albina Balidemaj-Basha has been appointed the fifth president of Rochester Institute of Technology Kosovo (RIT Kosovo). Her appointment is effective July 1.
RIT Kosovo (formerly known as the American University of Kosovo) is the country’s only private, nonprofit higher education institution awarding American degrees. According to its website, RIT Kosovo enrolls about 2,400 students.
Dr. Balidemaj-Basha has been a member of the RIT Kosovo community for nearly two decades. Most recently, she served as dean of faculty. In this role, she has worked to strengthen academic programs and the curriculum, advanced institutional development, support faculty excellence, and foster a dynamic and student-centered academic environment. Her scholarly and professional work has focused on resilience, community well-being, trauma-informed approaches, and the transformative role of education in individual and societal development.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Dr. Balidemaj-Basha earned her Ph.D. from Clemson University in South Carolina. After completing her doctorate, she served as a research affiliate at Yale University, where she studied higher education, mental health, and social impact.