Etjen Xhafaj was born in Vlora, on April 6, 1982. After completing his early studies in Vlora and Tirana, he completed his high school at Southwestern Academy, CA, USA. He graduated with a Bachelor Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Schiller International University, Paris Campus, France, after having studied for two years in Philadelphia, PA, at the Community College of Philadelphia. In 2016 Xhafaj completed a Mid-Career Master’s degree in Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

After his university studies Etjen Xhafaj returned to Albania, where he began his career as Program Associate and then Program Officer with the Financial Services Volunteer Corps, a USAID funded project, delivering technical assistance to the financial sector. From 2008 and onwards he has been actively involved in politics in Albania and regionally, working with left wing parties. From 2006 until 2013 he was a columnist with Albanian Daily News, as well as contributor to other publications. From 2013 and onwards Etjen worked with the Albanian Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Entrepreneurship, first as advisor (Sep. 2013) and then as Chief of Staff (Dec. 2013 until June 2015). While pursuing his Master’s he worked as a research fellow at the Center for International Development, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Upon completion of the program Etjen Xhafaj returned to Albania, to work as the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Finance, until June 2017.

Over the years he has been involved in several studies and research projects, working with different institutes and organizations such as NDI, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Olof Palme Foundation among others, and has translated several texts, studies and research material from the UN, World Bank, the Institute on Media Research, Agenda Institute and others, and was the official translator for the Foreign Office records on Albania from its independence to the First World War, published as “Albania and Albanians in the official British documents”  by Prof. Valentina Duka, and TOENA.

Etjen is married and father to 3 wonderful children.