Sotir Kuneshka

Sotir Kuneshka (15 July 1912 – 1991) was an Albanian physicist and academic. He is remembered as the first to perform physics studies in Albania, the founder of the Natural Sciences Faculty of the University of Tirana (UT), the first physicist to become member of the Academy of Sciences of Albania, and the author of the base academic texts of physics in Albanian. After finishing the elementary school in his village, he register in the Albanian National Lyceum (known as the French Lyceum) of nearby Korçë in 1924. There he would study for 9 years. Due to financial difficulties, he had to commute back and forth every day, a total of 14 km daily. This did not affect his passion of studying or his results. In fact, he stood out among the other students, especially in exact sciences. Despite the results, the Albanian government of that time did not assign him a scholarship for attending college. To his luck, the French scholar and slavist André Mazon visited his village for studying the local Slavic dialect spoken by some of the villagers. He was hosted in Kuneshka's home who actually interpreted for him. With the intervention of Mazon and the director of the French Lyceum, Kuneshka obtained half scholarship from the French government, and went to study physics in the University of Sorbonne in France. The first scientific article on physics written in Albanian Scientific Bulletin of the University of Tirana bears his name as author.

Awards Kuneshka did not engage in politics, and was not part of any political instance. Due only to his work and diligence, he received several titles and awards: