University admissions in the Republic of Moldova are no longer limited to local applicants. Five higher education institutions in Chisinau are actively working to attract international students through various recruitment campaigns. A World Bank-funded project also supports this initiative by helping develop academic programs in global languages.
The universities leading these efforts include the Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, the Moldova State University, the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, the Technical University of Moldova, and the Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University.
Speaking on the “National Consensus” program on Rlive, Adriana Cazacu, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Research, announced that Moldova is offering 126 scholarships this year to students from countries with which it has bilateral agreements. In addition, universities are collaborating directly with countries already familiar with Moldova’s educational offerings to boost recruitment.
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“Our universities have participated in an educational fair in India and continue to be present there through various initiatives, which gives us hope for increasing enrollment. While the University of Medicine and Pharmacy already hosts many international students, we’ve also succeeded in attracting them to other institutions, such as the Technical University of Moldova for veterinary medicine,” said Cazacu.
Alexandra Barbaneagra, Rector of the Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University, emphasized that internationalizing higher education requires upgrading curricula and offering programs in English. “We’ve partnered with recruiters to attract students from China and other countries. These students are particularly interested in programs taught in English or other international languages. Therefore, it’s not enough to offer such programs—we also need well-prepared support materials in English and qualified faculty. That’s why we’ve organized English-language training programs for our staff,” Barbaneagra explained.
Currently, over 5,000 international students are enrolled in Moldovan universities—more than double the number from a decade ago, when there were just over 2,000. Most foreign students come from Romania, India, Israel, and Ukraine. Annual tuition fees range from €2,000 to €8,000, with medical programs—Moldova’s most popular field among foreign students—commanding the highest fees.