!!Zymer Neziri - Curriculum Vitae
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Zymer U. Neziri, scientific advisor and professor of folkloristics, was born in 1946, in Siparant (Zahaq), Peja, Kosovo. He is a renowned collector and researcher of Albanian legendary epic songs, particularly the Epos of Kreshniks, with a primary focus on cultural heritage.\\
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Neziri attended the Higher Pedagogical School in Prishtina (1966) and pursued higher studies in the Department of Albanian Language and Literature at the Higher Pedagogical School in Prizren (1969). He completed his second degree in Albanian Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy in Prishtina (1971). He attended third-level studies in Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy, Prishtina (1972-1974), and defended his master's thesis, The Figure of Comparison in Our Lyrical Love Songs (1979), under the mentorship of Academician Prof. Dr. Rexhep Qosja. After overcoming years of political obstacles, Neziri defended his doctoral dissertation, Legendary Poetry of Rugova (1995), again under the mentorship of Academician Rexhep Qosja. Following the dissolution of the Federation of Yugoslavia, the Institute's governing bodies allowed him to return to his previous position of assistant in June 1992, after a 19-year absence. Neziri served as the leader of the Department of Folklore and a member of the Governing Council of the Institute of Albanology, Prishtina (IAP) from 1996 to 2003. He was also a member of the editorial board of the journal Gjurmime albanologjike, Folklor dhe etnologji from 2006 to 2013, having previously served as scientific secretary during the early stages of its publication (1972-1973).\\
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Neziri has held the following academic titles: Scientific Associate/Assistant Professor (1996), Senior Associate/Associate Professor (2000), and Scientific Advisor/Full Professor (2003-present).\\
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__Folklore Collector__
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*Since 1967, Neziri has been collecting folklore, with his works published in several volumes of the IAP. He primarily focuses on historical epic and legendary epic songs, continuing his research and collection efforts in Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro.\\
*In Rugova, he collected and recorded legendary epic poetry (1979-1988), self-financing a project that produced 15 separate volumes, containing over 100,000 verses. This collection is considered one of the largest archival collections of the Kreshnik Epic. Although only three of the volumes have been published, the collection is housed in the IAP Archives in Prishtina.\\
*Neziri also managed a project to collect 15 volumes of Kreshnik songs from five Balkan countries where Albanians live (Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia). This project, completed from 2012 to 2016, was financed by the Ministry of Education (MEST) and is part of the Epos of Kreshniks UNESCO file. The collection, containing over 100,000 verses, is stored in the IAP Archives and the Ministry of Education Archives in Prishtina, as well as in the QSA Archives in Tirana.
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__Researcher in External Archives__
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*Neziri has conducted several research visits in archives abroad, including two at Harvard University (2002, 2007) and one in Vienna (2005).\\
*At Harvard, Neziri worked with the Millman Parry Collection of Albanian Oral Epics and the Albert Lord Collection, focusing on epic songs from northern Kosovo, Sanjak, and Pazar, which are considered some of the largest collections of Albanian epic songs.*In Vienna, he researched the Maximilian Lambertz Folklore Manuscripts at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Austrian Federal Library.\\
*He co-directed an international project at Harvard in 2002 focused on preparing Albanian epic songs collected by Albert Lord.\\
*Neziri also contributed to the anthology Wild Songs, Sweet Songs: The Albanian Epic in the Collections of Milman Parry and Albert B. Lord, published by Harvard University in 2021.\\
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__Published Articles and Research Papers__
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Since 1969, Neziri has published over 500 bibliographic items in various fields such as folklore, literature, ethnology, and history, despite facing censorship for many years. His studies and articles have appeared in journals such as Gjurmime albanologjike, Studies, Philology, Kultura Popullore, Albanian Folklore Issues, and others, both in Kosovo and internationally (including Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Italy, Japan, Poland, the USA, and beyond).\\
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__Manuscript Works__
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*Neziri has several unpublished monographs and research works, including studies on folklore and the legendary epic of Rugova, as well as collections of oral epics and historical epics from Rugova.\\
*He has also compiled 12 volumes of Kreshnik Songs and Ballads from Rugova, and a 15-volume collection of Kreshnik songs from across the Balkans, completed for the UNESCO Epos of Kreshniks project.
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__International Scientific Conferences and Symposia__
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*Neziri has played a key role in organizing numerous international scientific conferences and symposia in Prishtina between 2008 and 2019, focusing on topics such as the Kreshnik Epic, historical events, and cultural heritage.\\
*He has been responsible or co-responsible for the organization of symposia covering subjects like the 1968 and 1981 demonstrations, Skanderbeg, and the Battle of Kosovo.
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__Member of International Associations__
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*Neziri is a member of the International Society of Ethnology and Folklore (SIEF), the International Association of Epic Studies, and the League of Writers of the World.
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__Awards and Acknowledgments__
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*Gratitude Award (2008) for his contribution to the 40th anniversary of the 1968 Demonstrations in Kosovo.\\
*Pjetër Bogdani Award (2009) from the League of Writers of Kosovo for his work Studies of Folklore II.\\
*Gold Medal (2012) from the American Biographical Institute for his research and scientific work.\\
*Special Opinion Award (2016) from Europa Nostra for his research efforts.\\ \\[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW edit zneziri}][{ALLOW upload zneziri}][{ALLOW comment All}]