Welcome to the Marshall Center

Valbona Zeneli, Ph.D.

Professor of National Security Studies
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

Valbona Zeneli is a professor of national security studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. 

Born in Albania, Dr. Zeneli is an economist with an interest in international economy, marketing and international security politics.

Her academic credentials are in the field of economics, and she holds a doctor of science degree in political economy from the University of Study of Bari, Italy. She earned a postgraduate diploma on international marketing from Georgetown University, Washington D.C. and graduated with honors in business administration from the University of Bologna, Italy.

She is a graduate of the Marshall Center's Leaders Program in International and Security Studies and is actively involved in the George Marshall Center Alumni Association, Albania as a board member. She is also a graduate of the Executive Education Program at Harvard Kennedy School.

Dr. Zeneli has served as economic advisor to the Albanian ministers of defense and economy, and as chief of protocol and economic advisor to the prime minister. She has also worked for several  Albanian private companies as an international relations adviser.

She started her academic career in 2003 as a part time lecturer at the Albanian-Italian University Our Lady of Good Council in Tirana; then at the New York University of Tirana and later as a full time lecturer at the European University of Tirana.

Dr. Zeneli's current research and writing interests are in the area of international economy, foreign direct investments, and the importance of the quality of institutions for development in the transition economies.

She is fluent in Albanian, Italian, and English and has good knowledge of German.

Publications

• "Marketing in the Banking sector under the effects of the economic crises, in Albania," in Economicus, Volume 3, March 2010. Published in Albanian.
• "The impact of Globalization on FDI in Albania," in International Scientific Conference and Journal, "Economic Policy and EU Integration," June 2010.
• "Determinants for the attraction of FDI in South-East Europe. The role of Institutions," in Economicus, Volume 5, June 2011. Published in Albanian.
• "The crises in Middle East and the International Business," in Panorama newspaper, March 2011.
• "Good luck, President," in Panorama newspaper, April 2011.