Prof. Dr. Florije Miftari is a prominent economist and full-time professor at AAB College in Prishtina, Kosovo. Born in Tetovo on June 30, 1968, she has built a distinguished academic and professional career across Kosovo and North Macedonia, specializing in fiscal decentralization, local economic development, and public financial management.
She holds a PhD in Economic Sciences from the University of Prishtina (2009), with a dissertation on “Fiscal Decentralization and Local Economic Development.” Her academic journey began with a degree in Economics from the University of Prishtina in 1990, followed by a Master of Science in Monetary Economics from the University “St. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje, North Macedonia (2002), where her thesis focused on the financing of local self-government units in the Republic of Macedonia.
Prof. Miftari’s academic progression includes titles of Assistant Professor (2010–2015), Associate Professor (2015–2020), and Full Professor (since 2020). Since 2016, she has served as a full-time professor at AAB College, where she contributes to teaching, curriculum development, and scientific research. She has also held visiting professor positions at the “Mother Teresa” University in Skopje (2024–2025), the Southeast European University in Tetovo (2011–2013), and the University of Tetova (2009).
Prior to her full-time academic career, Prof. Miftari held several senior public administration roles in the Municipality of Tetovo. From 2000 to 2009, she served as Head of the Department for Budget, Finance, and Local Economic Development, and earlier as an Economic Development Advisor (1996–2000). Her private sector experience includes financial management roles in the early 1990s.
In addition to her academic duties, Prof. Miftari has been actively involved in numerous professional development and international projects. She contributed as a trainer and consultant in USAID-funded programs on decentralization, transparency in local governance, and participatory planning. She has also coordinated translation projects of key economic texts from English into Albanian for the Government of North Macedonia.
Her research focuses on fiscal policy, public finance, economic growth, and development strategies in the Western Balkans. She has authored and co-authored numerous articles published in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals such as the International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, Journal of Governance and Regulation, Corporate & Business Strategy Review, and Economics, Management and Sustainability. Her empirical work includes studies on FinTech and financial inclusion, the impact of trade on GDP, and the role of public expenditures in national growth.
Prof. Miftari is also a frequent speaker at international academic conferences across Europe, including Montenegro, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has participated in debates and interviews on public television in North Macedonia, addressing critical issues such as fiscal decentralization, inflation trends, and regional economic cooperation.
She is multilingual, with fluent proficiency in Albanian (native), Macedonian (C2), Croatian (B2), and English (B2). Her international engagement, combined with decades of experience in academia, public administration, and policy consulting, makes Prof. Miftari a key contributor to economic thought and reform in the Balkans.
