Moldovan president attends ceremony on 80th anniversary of State University of Moldova

President Maia Sandu has attended a ceremony dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the founding of the State University of Moldova (USM) and a century of Romanian-language university education in Bessarabia.

In her speech, the head of state referred to the journey of university education over the past century – from the beginnings of Romanian-language university education in Chisinau to the national revival, independence and the restoration of academic freedom. “First and foremost, we must learn from this history to value freedom. The freedom to learn and conduct research. The freedom to ask questions. To tell the truth. The freedom to think with our own minds,” said President Maia Sandu.

The head of state spoke about the role the State University had played in educating more generations of professionals and emphasized that the mission of universities is even more important today, in a world where artificial intelligence and new technologies are rapidly transforming the way we learn and work: “We need good teachers, researchers, lawyers and specialists in science and technology. But above all, we need people who think for themselves and use their knowledge for the good of society,” said the Moldovan president.

Maia Sandu noted that Moldova’s accession to the European Union opened up new opportunities for research, collaboration and academic exchanges, but also means greater competition. “We want universities of Moldova to be able to compete on an equal footing with European universities. We want our young people to choose to study at home. And we want young people from other countries to choose universities of Moldova,” said the head of state.

In conclusion, the president expressed confidence that USM would continue to educate free and highly qualified people who will contribute to the development of a European Moldova.

The State University of Moldova was founded in 1946. The tradition of Romanian-language university education in Chisinau dates back to 1926, when the Faculty of Theology of the University of Iasi was opened.