Higher Education Reforms in Romania. Between the Bologna Process and National Challenges
Abstract
Romania is an active player in various international higher education areas, while undergoing a series of higher education reforms within its national framework. The Higher Education Evidence Based Policy Making: a necessary premise for progress in Romania project was implemented by the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI) in the timeframe February 2012 – February 2014, being co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Programme “Administrative Capacity Development”. The project aimed to increase the capacity of public administration for evidence-based policy making in the field of higher education, while focusing on good practices at international level and impact assessment. With the contribution of the national and international experts, the project has generated a number of analysis and studies on the existing higher education public policies (quality assurance, internationalisation, equity, data collection, the Bologna Process, financing of higher education). Based on the results of the project, the book will reunite a number of policy research articles which would tap into the innovative aspects of the project's activities and provide a concise overview of what good practices can be drawn from the empirical research conducted in this project. The book will therefore aim to improve the information on Romanian higher education reforms, as well as on the concrete evidence-based policy proposals which could be transformed into future policy solutions in the Romanian higher education system.
The present paper aims to provide up-to-date information on the internationalisation endeavours undertaken in the last five years by the Romanian topmost economic university – the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), based on ambitious goals set by means of its “Internationalisation Strategy” launched in 2016. We first briefly refer to key national and international literature on the internationalisation of higher education, and to the University’s international dimension since its establishment in 1913: the enrolment of foreign students, the presence of study programs in foreign languages, the existence of student exchange programmes, cooperation agreements with universities from abroad etc. Next, the paper illustrates the measures taken since 2016 in four priority areas, where constant progress has been recorded: in-house internationalisation; internationalisation abroad; internationalisation of research; and consolidation of international prestige. The analysed data are collected mainly from ASE’s International Relations Department, the Rector’s Annual Reports (2016-2019), but also from various pages of the institutional website. The discussion and conclusion sections highlight the contribution and limitations of this paper to the national literature in the field.
Studiul privind politicile de echitate deja implementate în sistemul de învățământ superior din România se adresează, pe de o parte, factorilor de decizie guvernamentali care dezvoltă politici privind echitatea în domeniul învățământului superior, pe de altă parte, factorilor de decizie de la nivelul instituțiilor de învățământ superior. Acestora din urmă, analiza le pune la dispoziție, posibilități și instrumente de îmbunătățire a modului în care se implementează, la nivelul universităților din care fac parte, politicile de echitate și instrumentele de creștere a accesului la învățământ superior. Prin politicile de echitate deja implementate analizate în cadrul prezentului studiu se înțelege: sistemul de acordare de burse sociale (forme de sprijin financiar), servicii sociale (serviciile de cazare, masă, consult și îngrijire medicală, consiliere și orientare în carieră) și ”locurile speciale pentru romi” (sprijin financiar indirect, prin acoperirea de către Ministerul Educației, de la bugetul de stat, a taxei de școlarizare pentru beneficiarii politicii).
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