Albana Shehaj is the program manager at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES). A political scientist by training, Shehaj specializes in international political economy and democratic developments. She has more than a decade of experience in organizing, executing, and managing social science research projects with concrete policy impact.
Through her academic work, conducted previously as a visiting scholar at CES and at the department of political science and the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan, Shehaj has collaborated with academics, students, and policymakers to develop and implement academic initiatives to support inter-university scientific research and to provide intensive academic leadership through university course instruction and student mentoring.
Shehaj also serves as the Co-Principal Investigator for the 8th Wave of the World Values Survey for the United States, at the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan.
In addition to her academic work, Shehaj’s professional experiences include working with policymakers, governmental and non-governmental agencies, and the United States Department of State’s National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) to evaluate and monitor policy initiatives focused on security, Artificial Intelligence, and economic developments. Her broader interests include accountability, economic reform, digitalization, migration, and democratization in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans Countries.
Shehaj holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan, where she also received an M.A. in international relations and methodology, and a B.A. in political science and computer science.
For additional information about Shehaj’s research and professional experiences, see her website and other works.
