Mark Camaj, a retired university teacher and diplomat and one of the most prominent Albanian intellectuals in Montenegro, died this morning at the age of 78, according to a statement from his family to Vijesti.
Camaj was born on October 4, 1947, in the village of Vuksanljekaj, in Tuzi.
After elementary school, he received his secondary education in Split and Trogir, at the Franciscan high school.
He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy, Classical Philology group, at the Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje.
He completed his postgraduate studies - "Cultural History of the Eastern Adriatic Coast" in Dubrovnik, and received his master's degree at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, with the topic "Language Contacts and Characteristics of Malisor Speech".
He defended his doctoral thesis - "Onomastics of Malesia" at the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade.
During his career, he worked as a Latin language professor at the "25. maj" Gymnasium in Tuzi (1974–1976) and at the Medical School in Podgorica (1976–1982).
From 1982 to 1995, he worked as a research associate at the Historical Institute of the Republic of Montenegro, and at the same time, as a scarce resource, he also taught Latin at the "Slobodan Škerović" Gymnasium in Podgorica, the "Petar I Petrović" Gymnasium in Danilovgrad, the Gymnasium in Cetinje, and at the Institute for Education and Professional Rehabilitation of Disabled Children and Youth in Podgorica.
From 1995 until his retirement in 2015, he worked at the University of Montenegro – at the Faculty of Philosophy in Nikšić and at the Faculty of Medicine in Podgorica, where he taught Ancient Greek and Latin.
He also taught the same subjects in Albanian at the University of Pristina and the Diocesan Seminary "Our Lady of Good Counsel" in Shkodra.
He was an associate of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (CANU), a member of various professional bodies in the field of education, and the main initiator of the opening of the Philological Gymnasium.
He wrote textbooks, and was a member of the jury for the Thirteenth of July Award and the Oktoih Award.
He remained engaged as a professor at the University of Montenegro even after his retirement.
He temporarily interrupted his work in education by being appointed to the diplomatic service (2004-2006) - as the Ambassador of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro to Albania, from the ranks of non-partisan personnel.
Camaj will be buried on Saturday in Tuzi.
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