Launch of the MHELM project
The kick off meeting of the project was held on November 25, 2019, at TUM, which has the role of local coordinator. In its implementation, for which a grant of 844,453.00 euros is offered, the Technical University of Moldova will be accompanied by a consortium, which includes the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova, the Council of Rectors of the Republic of Moldova – as an associate partner, but also 6 other higher education institutions from the Republic of Moldova: Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, State Agrarian University of Moldova, State University “Alecu Russo” from Balti, State University “B. P. Hasdeu” from Cahul, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Nicolae Testemitanu”, and the State University of Moldova. It will also work closely to exchange best practices with partners in EU countries, such as the University of Gloucestershire, UK; Isob Institut fur Sozialwissenschaftliche Beratung, Germany, and Transilvania University of Brasov.
Representatives of all these institutions attended the project kick off meeting. Welcoming the attendees, univ.prof., Dr. Hab. Larisa BUGAIAN, vice-rector of TUM for Finance and International Relations, project coordinator, thanked the partners for joining and assuming the major objective of the project, which is to strengthen governance, strategic planning and management in Moldovan universities, to support sector reform by increasing the leadership and management capacity.
The importance and necessity of developing the spirit of Leadership and Management in higher education in the Republic of Moldova was underlined in their welcoming speeches by Claudia MELINTE – coordinator of the Erasmus+ National Office in Moldova, Nadejda VELIȘCO – head of the Higher Education Policy Department within the relevant ministry , acad. Grigore BELOSTECINIC – president of the Council of Rectors of the Republic of Moldova, rector of AESM; univ.prof., Dr. Hab. Viorel BOSTAN – rector of TUM. In this context, the steps to be followed for this purpose were elucidated: elaboration of a training program for the development of higher education management, focused on governance, strategic planning and management, suitable for delivery to universities in the Republic of Moldova; training the staff of Moldovan universities in order to deliver the program for management and leadership development; creating an infrastructure to support and support the leadership and management development program.
Making a brief summary of the project, David DAWSON, a project partner in the UK, pointed out that at the University of Gloucestershire, which he represents, HELM has been underway for 9 years. He mentioned that dissemination of information about this program, new to the Republic of Moldova, as well as best practices from EU partner universities in the design and delivery of professional development programs, should be a permanent objective in order to increase the leadership and management capacity of universities in the Republic of Moldova.
During the project kick off meeting, an overview of the project work package delivery plan, the responsibilities of the work package leaders and consortium partners was made, as well as the subsequent actions on piloting and implementing the new development program on leadership and management in Moldovan universities.
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