Prof. Ferdinand Gjana is the President of Western Balkans University in Tirana, Albania. Previously he has been the founding rector and the rector from 2011-2022 of University College Beder. Dr. Gjana is a senior analyst and high expert of Strategic Planning and Geo-Political issues and he has been part of many international academic activities as visiting scholar, guest professor, keynote speaker or external reviewer at Harvard University, Temple University, University of Northern Iowa, Zhejiang Normal University, Albanian Armed Forces Academy, United Nations, European Union Institutions and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.