VIRTUAL ROUND TABLE ON “UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT”, ORGANISED AS PART OF THE MHELM TRAINING PROGRAMME
On February, 15, 2023 was held a virtual round table on „University Management”, as a part of Module I of the Management and Leadership in Higher Education (MHELM) continuous training programme.
The event was organized in the context of the study theme “University Management”, which aims to train professional competences with reference to:
- duties, competences, skills, responsibilities, rights and obligations of the manager, stages of the managerial process, university governance/autonomy, management strategies;
- identification of principles and mechanisms of managerial performance, managerial styles, different categories of beneficiaries/target groups.
The round table was moderated by Mrs. Otilia DANDARA, Vice Rector of the MSU, trainer of MHELM module I, with the guests Mrs. Nadejda VELIȘCO, general secretary of MER, Mr. Grigore BELOSTECINIC, academician of the ASM, former rector of ASEM and Mrs. Valentina PRIȚCAN, Vice Rector of USARB.
The topics proposed for discussion were approached through the prism of reforms in the national Higher Education (HE).
Each of the guests at the event made a brief presentation of their experience as university managers and as experts in various national and international projects dedicated to university reform.
The experts then spoke about the evolution of the national HEI, the adherence of Moldova to the Bologna process: attitudes and perceptions, challenges and benefits, successes and failures in the implementation process, new approaches to university management.
The experts also referred to the process of implementation of the Educational Code (2014), modernization/adaptation to new organizational trends (organizational structure) of higher education institutions, establishment of Institutional Strategic Development Councils, creation of doctoral schools, new approaches to training in higher education – dual education, HEI’s cooperation with the business environment, the place of the university in society, etc.
Mrs. Nadejda VELIȘCO mentioned that all the results obtained after the implementation of these reforms were used to complete the two chapters, 25 and 26 (out of 33), dedicated to education and research, of the questionnaire in relation to the achievement of the EU candidate country status. In these chapters RM was appreciated and had the fewest comments from the European Commission, which analysed this report.
Discussions also focused on the current image of the national HEI as part of the Single European HEI Area, the modernisation of university management and university governance mechanisms. At the same time, the experts also referred to some “backlogs in the implementation of the Bologna Process”, unfinished activities related to the quality assurance system, qualification standards required for international recognition of diplomas, insignificant number of academic mobility of students and academics, etc.
The participants of the round table talked about the strengths and difficulties of the managerial activity in HEI during the implementation of the reforms and nowadays, as well as the current problems faced by the national HEI.
The guests then answered questions from the trainees of the Management and Leadership in HEI programme.
The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.