Gjergji Gjinko

Gjergji Gjinko holds an honour degree in life sciences from the University of Tirana. He started his career as university researcher and lecturer of biology and genetics in Korҫa University.

At the beginning of 1990, he entered local politics and served as Secretary of the Regional Pluralist Council and later on as mayor of Korҫa municipality(1992-96), elected in the first free local election. After this experience he worked as a consultant for UNDP in Albania in the decentralization and local governance program and as liaison officer for the emergency relief and food assistance at WFP. 

From 2005 to 2008 he served as policy adviser to the Minister of Education and Sciences covering also the duties of National Coordinator of Seventh Framework Program of the European Community for Research and technology development (FP7), COST Contact Point and member of the Board of Governors of the Joint-Research Centre of European Commission.

With more than 16 years engagement in the civil society sector, working with several not for profit organizations, he has managed projects dealing with education, decentralisation and local governance, sustainable development and green sector in Albania. 

Since 2016, Gjergji Gjinko is leading “Friends of Korҫa “Association, a dedicated group of friends and experts, who works towards solutions in the fields of environment protection, climate change, ecotourism, as well as on renewable energy as alternative solution for heating in the Korҫa region and beyond, in order to reduce the use of firewood and alleviate deforestation.