Besim Bokshi

Besim Bokshi (Serbian: Бесим Бокси, Besim Bokši; 1930–2014) was an Albanian poet, linguist and philologist. He served as the president of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo during 2008-2011.

Career

Besim Bokshi was born in Gjakova, Kingdom of Yugoslavia. His family moved to Albania when he was a child and he finished elementary education in a school in Dukat, a village near Vlorë. A few years later he studied in Tirana.

In 1945, he returned to Gjakova and studied at the Catedra of Albanology of the University of Belgrade until 1959, followed by post-graduate studies on linguistics still in Beograd. During 1961-63, he taught Albanian language in the Gjakova High School, being also its director. From 1967 to 1973, he lectured morphology at the High Pedagogical School in Gjakova, being also its director during 1967-71. During this time, he worked for the Albanological Institute of Pristina for a period of eight months. From 1974, he lectured the "Historical morphology" course in the Albanian Language and Literature branch of the Philological Faculty of the University of Pristina. In 1977 he finished his doctorate in philology in the University of Pristina. He was a member and president of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, while in the past he has served as its vice-president.