Najada Quka

Najada Quka is an Associate Professor at the Department of Education and Health within the Faculty of Movement Sciences at the University of Sports in Tirana, Albania. She has served as a full-time academic staff member since 2013 and was awarded the title of Associate Professor on June 1, 2023. She also serves as a member of the Permanent Commission for granting the Doctor scientific degree at FSHL since October 2023.

Her educational background includes:

• Bachelor's degree in Physical Education from the Academy of Physical Education and Sports "Vojo Kushi" (now University of Sports of Tirana), specialized in Gymnastics (2003-2007), equivalent to a Master of Science
• European Master's degree in "Physical Activity and Health" from Rome (2009)
• Doctorate in Sports Sciences with maximum results, defended in July 2017, with the thesis "Postural deviations and improvement of posture in children aged 10-13 years"

Professor Quka's research focuses on the critical relationship between physical activity and health, with particular emphasis on how physical activity impacts various aspects of young generations' lives. Her work investigates motor behavior, development, and education, with postural alignment serving as a key indicator of human development. She has conducted significant research on the positive effects of physical exercises on children's posture, factors influencing postural behavior changes, and the educational value of physical activity across all age groups and genders. Her research demonstrates a strong commitment to promoting the educational, instructional, and developmental values of physical activity.

As an educator, Professor Quka teaches across both Bachelor's and Master's programs at the Faculty of Movement Sciences. Her courses include Motor Behavior, Didactics of Physical Education and Sport, and Organization and Management of Sport at the Bachelor's level, and Movement Education, Movement Games, Teaching Methods, and Pedagogical Practice in Health and Physical Education at the Master's level. She has published numerous scientific studies as first author and co-author in national and international journals, including prestigious Scopus-indexed publications, and has regularly presented her work at national and international conferences within Albania and EU countries.