The largest universities in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, united under the umbrella of the University Consortium, submit to the Romanian Government and Parliament a series of firm requests regarding the financing of education, the evaluation of research and the use of artificial intelligence in the teaching process.
The eleven universities, which represent over 40% of the students, teaching staff and researchers in the Romanian university system, are asking the Bucharest authorities to sign an Education Pact that guarantees compliance with the legal provisions regarding the allocation of at least 15% of the general consolidated budget for education.
The Consortium also requests the acceleration of the research performance evaluation process and the encouragement of the formation of national consortia that allow access to Horizon Europe programs and European university alliances.
Universities demand more money for education
Universities are calling for funding based on quality and performance, unlocking positions and attracting young researchers, as well as a common framework on the use of artificial intelligence. At the same time, it announces the completion of studies on the relationship between university training and the insertion of graduates on the labor market.
During the meeting held in Tulcea, the participants analyzed the main challenges and opportunities in higher education and research, emphasizing the role of universities in regional development, knowledge transfer and human resource training.
In terms of funding, the universities request compliance with the legal provisions regarding the allocation of at least 15% of the expenses of the general consolidated budget for education and the distribution to the universities of the amount of 229 million lei retained at the level of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Research.
Research evaluation and access to European funds
Following the debates, the University Consortium agreed on several common directions, including speeding up research evaluation, supporting internationalization and accessing European funding, consulting universities in the process of amending the ARACIS standards and expediting the development of standards for distance and postgraduate study programs.
The consortium also calls for changes to the funding methodology so that additional funds are distributed based on clear, transparent and predictable criteria of academic quality and performance.
Who is part of the University Consortium
The Universitaria Consortium includes the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, the University of Bucharest, the “Babeș-Bolyai” University in Cluj-Napoca, the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University in Iași, the University of the West in Timișoara, the University of Craiova, the “Dunărea de Jos” University in Galați, the “Lucian Blaga” University in Sibiu and the “Ovidius” University in Constanța. The State University of Moldova and the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova participate as associate members.
