University of Korçë Honours Students for Contributing to Democracy Discourse Index
Korçë, Albania – 2 June 2026
Fifteen undergraduate and postgraduate students from the University of Korçë “Fan S. Noli” will be recognised on Tuesday, 2 June, for their contribution to a pioneering international research initiative examining the quality of democratic discourse in the digital age.
The students participated in the Democracy Discourse Index (DDI), an innovative project led by the Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy (GCRD) in partnership with Sensika Technologies. Over five months, they analysed more than 1,000 social media posts, coding patterns of empathy, civility, trust language, and democratic agency as part of a global effort to better understand the moral and informational health of democracy.
An Awards and Recognition Ceremony will take place at the “Congress of Monastir” Library in the Faculty of Education and Philology, bringing together university leaders, faculty supervisors, students, and representatives of GCRD. The event will celebrate the students’ successful completion of the Albanian pilot study and their contribution to building the democracy discourse index as part of an international consortium of universities, including from Bulgaria, Greece, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, and the United States.
Insights from the Albanian Pilot
The Albanian pilot analysed 1,066 public posts from X collected between March and May 2026. Researchers assessed discourse quality across four dimensions: empathy, civility, trust language, and democratic agency. Three trained student researchers independently coded each post to ensure methodological rigour and reliability. Each dimension comprises five indicators, making a total of 20 indicators across the four dimensions.
“This recognition ceremony celebrates more than academic achievement. These students have contributed to a growing global evidence base on what democratic discourse actually looks like in practice. Their work demonstrates the intellectual seriousness and civic commitment needed to strengthen democratic resilience in the twenty-first century. I strongly commend Professor Juliana Çyfeku, the Albania country Principal Investigator, for her rigour and outstanding leadership.”
Among the most significant findings was evidence that civility and empathy do not necessarily go together. Public discourse can remain polite and free from dehumanising language while still lacking emotional recognition, solidarity, and genuine understanding of others’ perspectives. The findings suggest that healthy democratic discourse requires more than the absence of hostility; it also depends on mutual understanding and recognition of others as democratic equals.
“This recognition ceremony celebrates more than academic achievement,” said GCRD Board Chair, Dr. Margee Ensign. “These students have contributed to a growing global evidence base on what democratic discourse actually looks like in practice. Their work demonstrates the intellectual seriousness and civic commitment needed to strengthen democratic resilience in the twenty-first century. I strongly commend Professor Juliana Çyfeku—the Albania country Principal Investigator—for her rigour and outstanding leadership.”
Part of a Global Initiative
The DDI is registered on the Doha Solutions Platform for Social Development, launched by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs with support from the Governments of Qatar and France. The initiative contributes to international efforts to strengthen democratic resilience, social cohesion, and evidence-based policymaking in support of Sustainable Development Goal 16.
The ceremony will run from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CET and include remarks from university leaders and faculty supervisors, student recognition, and certificate presentations. Visit our Events page for information on how to join. The DDI pilot dashboard is available at discourseobservatory.org. The Albania pilot observatory is available at discourseobservatory.org/albania.
