Brunilda Kosta
Ms. Brunilda Kosta is a lecturer in the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tirana in Albania. With over 4 years of working experience, Ms. Kosta is involved in applied research projects funded by national and international donors with focus on business environment, hidden economy, informal employment, corruption and good governance, public-private dialogue, etc. She holds a M.Sc. in business administration from the Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the same university.
Host Institution: Researcher at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. Ms. Kosta was involved with the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development and during her 6-month working experience she was able to be the author and co-author of several research papers.
Conducting extensive research on international development furthered my knowledge and widened my areas of interest. A profound leap in my professional career.
Erind Ndoj
Mr. Erind Ndoj is a Civil Engineer with experience on a range of construction projects with more than 14 years as a field engineer, supervisor, designer, and manager. He is skilled in AutoCAD, Construction Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Heavy civil construction, Construction management etc. Mr. Ndoj has a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Transport Infrastructure from the Polytechnic University of Tirana.
Host Institution: SKANSKA USA involved particularly with the construction of a new bridge in Boston, Massachusetts
If offered a development program to improve your professional skills and your language skills, to travel in another country, to experience another culture – don’t be afraid! Jump in and enjoy the trip. You will be changed, developed, improved.
Olta Prifti
Ms. Olta Prifti is an IT expert with over 8 years of work experience on both public and private sector. During 2010–2017 she has been in different IT positions in the Ministry of Finance, initially as a specialist and then promoted as the Director for the Information System and Technology. She has hands-on expertise in information and technology management policies and supporting modernization and extension of the Albanian Government Financial Information System. Ms. Prifti holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Economic Informatics from University of Tirana. Upon her return she was hired by a private informatics company.
Host Institution: ESET, San Diego, CA. During her 6-month working experience as IT Project Manager, Ms. Prifti leveraged expertise in software architecture, numerous programming languages and technologies, SDLC methodologies etc. Furthermore, she was able to pursue Project management certifications including the Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
The AADF Professional Internship Program gave me a willingness to get out of my comfort zone and explore the project management field in greater detail as well as develop new transferable skills
Valbona Seranaj
Ms. Valbona Seranaj is an Architect with a background in architecture, urban planning, real-estate evaluation. She has over 14 years of professional working experience in sustainable architectural/urban design, in both public and private sector. Her diverse experience includes projects ranging in scale from a civic building/block to the region. With a particular interest in Green Building, she is certified in Building Energy Audit and Environmental Impact Assessment. Ms. Seranaj holds a Master of Architecture Degree from Polytechnic University of Tirana, Faculty of Civil Engineering.
Host Institution: Architect at The Eisen Group ( TEG ) in Washington DC. At TEG, Ms.Seranaj was involved in master planning and mixed-use/ Transit Oriented Development (TOD) projects. During her professional internship, she has completed advanced post graduate studies at University of Maryland on Urban Planning and Historic Preservation.
I strongly believe that the impact of this program is great. It provides you with extra capabilities and necessary skill to become a leader and effect future change.