Students across Albania rallied against the moves that were made by the Albanian government to increase the cost of university education, by introducing new fees for exams.

The aim of the protest was to pressure the government to ratify and fulfill the eight demands[2] proposed by the Albanian Student Council in order to alleviate the high cost of education and improve the miserable state in which the public dormitories are established and rest.

Thousands of students across Tirana boycotted the lessons and marched from their faculties towards the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports' Building demanding the Ministry to cut off the tuition fees and the annulment of the government's decision on the additional fee for resit exams, together with other requirements like better living conditions in dormitories and a bigger involvement of students in the decision-making process.

At first, the Prime Minister offered some concessions regarding the abolition of tuition fees for excellent students and those from families in need and also employment opportunities in the public administration, which were immediately rejected.

The denouncement of cases of plagiarism started in October, when Taulant Muka, a young epidemiologist educated in the Netherlands, has waged a crusade against the "fake" PhDs held by many politicians and government functionaries.

Officials accused of plagiarism: After resuming their protests in January, students decided to continue boycotting the lesson and to occupy their faculties, organizing debate forums and reading groups, until their requirements would be met.