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Five universities in the Republic of Moldova have been accredited at the European level, allowing recognition and compatibility of their diplomas in European Union (EU) countries. Accreditation was granted for five years to the State University of Moldova, the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, the State University ‘Alecu Russo’ of Bălți, the State University ‘Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu’ of Cahul, and the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts.
This accomplishment followed over two years of preparation as part of the ERASMUS+ project, QFORTE, co-funded by the European Commission. The universities learned from the good practices and experiences of QFORTE project partners: Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies (CEENQA), Leipzig University (Germany), Montpellier University (France), and the University of Salamanca (Spain).
To achieve accreditation, Moldovan higher education institutions developed and approved institutional quality assurance strategies, strengthening their quality departments. ARACIS also provided training for faculty members in institutional quality assurance departments to assist them in self-evaluation report development.
“The international accreditation of our universities is another step towards the internationalization of our study programs and attracting more foreign students. Universities need to be more appealing internationally, with greater resources to invest in better conditions and provide better quality of education,” said Minister of Education and Research, Dan Perciun.
In the evaluation process, ARACIS analyzed the activities of university leadership, teaching staff, and research. International experts provided recommendations, including enhancing institutions’ international visibility by increasing student and staff mobility, and strengthening language policies by offering foreign language courses in all faculties.
In 2019, the Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy received international accreditation from the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating in Astana, Kazakhstan (IAAR).