A dozen of representatives of the academic diaspora from a number of European states are taking part in a training seminar organized by the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Professional Education and the Center for Innovation and Policies of Moldova with support from the Bureau for Diaspora Relations. The organizers said it is a course for future external assessors who will be involved in the external assessment of programs of studies and higher education institutions of Moldova. For their part, the representatives of the diaspora – persons who study for their master’s or doctor’s degree and teachers from prestigious education institutions from such countries as France, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Scotland and Sweden, share the practices of the states from which they come, IPN reports.
National Agency for Quality Assurance in Professional Education director Andrei Chiciuc said that during two years of work the Agency centered its training activities on professionals from the country, such as teachers, representatives of employers and students and others. This event is different from others staged earlier through the involvement of citizens from the diaspora in it. “We managed to bring home 12 representatives of Moldovan diaspora. These are our partners whom we today form. By coming they showed their readiness to become involved in assessing programs of studies, specialties of higher education,” stated Andrei Chiciuc.
According to him, no program has been assessed in Moldova during over ten years and the diplomas issued in Moldova are thus less recognized abroad. A precondition for these to be recognized is to subject them to external assessment. The citizens from the diaspora expressed their willingness to share their experience obtained in European universities.
The participants in the three-day seminar are informed about the higher education system, provisions of the legislation on education and methods and procedures used in the assessment process. They also simulate the assessment process and examine real files.
Radu Moldovanu, of the Center for Innovation and Policies of Moldova, said that for the Agency to be able to achieve its goals, it must have a network of assessors. “For the first time, we decided to adopt an original approach by attracting representatives of the academic diaspora. It is an interesting experience through which the representatives of the diaspora can contribute to increasing the quality of professional education, especially higher education in the Republic of Moldova,” he stated.
Inga Savin, of the Moldovan diaspora in Switzerland, said it is important for the diaspora to become involved not only at emotional level, but also directly in doing reforms as it is a valuable academic resource. “We were formed outside and I think we can directly contribute to the planned education reform. The diaspora should be active not only in elections. I think we can become involved consistently and structurally,” stated Inga Savin.
The seminar continues on July 8 and 9. The project is implemented within the governmental thematic grants program “Diaspora Engagement Hub”, subprogram “Regional Thematic Partnership”, which is implemented in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration Mission to Moldova and is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
