Merger of Cahul State University with Moldovan Technical University; Moldovan culture minister says it is important for openness to exist for this option

The decision to merge the Cahul State University B.P. Hasdeu with the Technical University of Moldova (UTM) will be taken with the support of the academic community, but also of the civil society in this region. Education and Research Minister Dan Perciun has made statements to this effect, during the show, Good Evening, at the public television station Moldova 1. The minister said that he had had more meetings with teachers, students and representatives of local authorities of the Cahul municipality, during which proposals and solutions for the university's problems were analyzed.

Dan Perciun noted that he had just returned from a discussion with the academic environment in Cahul, this being the second meeting where a string of proposals were formulated, in order to strengthen the university center of Cahul.

"We come with Mr. Bostan from a discussion with all the teaching staff, with the entire society of Cahul, which was attended by the district president, the mayor of the municipality. We don't have a government decision; we are in the stage of discussions, identifying solutions. What the University of Cahul wants is to be a university center with wide autonomy, the guarantee of investments, job guarantees, research support, the development of a doctoral school; these are concrete things that we will enshrine in the government decision. For us, it is important that the people of Cahul are open to this option," the education minister also said.

At the same time, Perciun provided information on the situation in the region and the difficulties faced by the University of Cahul. He said that, at present, the institution had approximately 1,000 students, of whom only 320 are full-time students, and at most 55 teaching staff, 20 per cent of whom are retired or nearing retirement age.

"We thank them for being there today and continuing to provide quality education in the region, but we need to prepare for what will happen in five or ten years. At the same time, the teachers in Cahul work more than any other teacher in our country, but are paid less. The university has certain financial difficulties, and so it has decided to increase the teaching norm from available resources. The government, with the support of Romania, has made substantial investments. The question we have to ask is how do we keep the university center for the next ten years, given that Cahul is the district from which the most young people leave to study abroad," Perciun said.

The minister specified that, in case of merging with the Technical University, the university campus and teaching staff would be maintained. The government will allocate 10 million lei annually for the next four years; new specialties will be opened, opportunities for research and project attraction will be offered, so that the University of Cahul will be integrated into a larger academic community. Perciun also said that the university center in Cahul would benefit from investments from both the government and UTM, one of the institutions with the largest own revenues.

UTM Rector Viorel Bostan said that this merger would strengthen the university center of Cahul and would consolidate cooperation with the university of Galati, which is specialized in engineering and food technology.

"There is a consolidation of university capacities. A small university, like Cahul's, cannot cope with challenges. It will be much stronger in cooperation relationships with the university in Galati. We plan to develop the university center in Cahul, to create this axis Chisinau – Cahul – Galati. The university in Galati is very strong in engineering, food technology and naval transport; we see only opportunities, and the University of Cahul, on its own, cannot survive those challenges. Students from Cahul will use UTM labs; for us, it is also an interest to be present in the southern region, to have access to the Danube," said Viorel Bostan.

The UTM rector noted that the merger of the two universities and the opportunity to take over a third term as rector were two completely different issues. According to the education minister, if a university has absorbed another university, the rector of that institution is entitled to a third term. At the same time, Perciun emphasized that the teachers would decide who would lead UTM after this organizational change.

Igor Sarov, Rector of the State University of Moldova (USM), declared for maintaining the University of Cahul, noting that events are happening too quickly. The University of Cahul has a newly elected rector who should be given time to implement his managerial program, Sarov says.

"I believe that the University of Cahul must be maintained, and I will bring more arguments. In 2020, when the university reform process began, in May, it was based on three pillars: student-based financing methodology; the absorption of the Institute of International Relations and the Dimitrie Cantemir University; and the signing of the Agreement with the World Bank of 35 million dollars, which was invested and changed the landscape enormously. In the IMF report, rationalization in vocational, technical and university education, overloading universities and maintaining regional higher education institutions were discussed," said Igor Sarov.

At the same time, Sarov spoke out against the holding of three terms by the same rector, noting that two terms represent a European practice.

According to the Minister of Education and Research, if the merger decision is approved, the University of Cahul will become the B.P. Hasdeu University Center of UTM, with wide autonomy, teachers' jobs will be maintained, and local authorities will be represented in the UTM Strategic Development Council.