Government approved creation of Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu University Center of Cahul within UTM

Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu University Center of Cahul will become more attractive for students, and for its development and endowment the state will earmark over four years at least 10 million lei annually.

“Given the demographic challenges, as well as those currently faced by Cahul University, this decision is meant precisely to support the academic environment and to ensure that in Cahul there will be in 5 years and in 10 years a university center and a pole of intellectual life in the south of the Republic of Moldova,” Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun said.

Perciun noted that the integration of Cahul University into the Technical University of Moldova aims to create a strong and attractive university center in the south of the country, capable of offering modern study and research opportunities in the long term, and to allow the attraction of additional resources, major investments in infrastructure, and the development of competitive study programs.

It is important to emphasize that the Decision approved by the Government stipulates that the headquarters of the new center will remain in Cahul, that the new center will have a separate identity, broad autonomy, including its own competences in academic, scientific, organizational, and operational areas, as well as a distinct budget within UTM’s budget. The government decision also expressly provides for the establishment of a Vice-Rector position within UTM dedicated to the Cahul center, appointed from among the local academic community, and at least 10 seats in the UTM Senate, so that the University Center can actively participate in UTM’s decision-making process, including in the initiation and organization of study programs.

At the same time, the Government offers clear guarantees for students and staff. Currently, the university of Cahul has only 385 full-time bachelor’s students and 48 core teaching staff. All students enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs will be transferred to UTM in the same fields and study programs, under the same funding conditions.

The transfer will be carried out by 31 August 2026, and for the 2026–2027 academic year no tuition fees will be charged until the completion of the transfer process. Cahul University staff will be transferred to UTM by 1 September 2026, in compliance with labor legislation. In the first three years following the merger, there will be no staff cuts due to the reorganization process.