Elvita Kondili, Ph.D. left Albania nearly 30 years ago, but that does not mean she has left her community behind.
Now, an Adler faculty member, Dr. Kondili is finishing a yearlong international collaboration to help future teachers in Northern Albania with something that is not always found in educational curriculum: how to hold a classroom together when culture, language, and regional identity threaten to pull it apart.
Dr. Kondili applied for and was awarded a Research Expert in the Academic Diaspora (READ) Fellowship in June 2025 — a program that matches diaspora scholars with counterparts in Albania to exchange research and training expertise. ‘Promoting Awareness in Intercultural Communication for Pre-Service Teachers in Northern Albania,’ is a project that aims to enhance intercultural communication competencies among pre-service educators in a region where cultural and linguistic diversity increasingly defines the classroom experience.
“Community shapes individual well-being. When teachers cultivate a sense of mutual respect in the classroom, they’re strengthening the social fabric far beyond school walls,” said Dr. Kondili.
Grounded in Adlerian principles of social interest, belonging, and the importance of community in shaping individual well-being, the project reflects the very framework that informs Dr. Kondili’s work as a faculty member. By bringing these principles into Albanian teacher preparation programs, she aims to equip educators with practical tools to foster inclusive classrooms rooted in mutual respect and shared responsibility.
“This project means a great deal to me. I attended college in Albania, and it is an absolute honor to give back — even in a small way — to the country that helped shape who I am today,” Dr. Kondili said. “My colleagues in Albania have been incredible partners. Their enthusiasm for this work has been inspiring and has only made me more excited about what we can build together in the years ahead.”
Dr. Kondili is part of an interdisciplinary faculty team from the University of Shkodra led by Dr Jonida Lesha, professor of psychology and including Bresena Kopliku, Ph.D., assistant professor of geography, and Alva Dani, Ph.D., assistant professor of Italian language and communication. Together, they developed a comprehensive training program for second-year master students in pedagogy and K-12 teachers over the course of 10 interactive sessions, the faculty team employed role-playing, group dialogue, and applied exercises to build students’ capacity to identify and address bullying, mobbing, and discrimination rooted in cultural and regional differences.
Drawing on her research on discrimination among refugee populations and cultural humility, Dr. Kondili contributed her expertise in global approaches to addressing bullying and discrimination by utilizing case studies from Albanian schools in remote and rural areas that highlight migration, identity, and sustainable practices. Her role also encompassed co-developing training modules, facilitating workshops, and integrating proposed activities.
“Creating these modules together allowed us to blend global research with local classroom realities. The result is something practical and built to last,” she said.
Dr. Kondili is currently co-authoring a final report and contributing to its presentation at conferences and seminars, with the broader aim of expanding the conversation around intercultural communication and inclusive teaching practices both in Albania and internationally.
__
READ was established by the Albanian American Development Foundation (AADF) in coordination with the Institute of International Education (IIE).