Knowledge House promoting French language and culture opened in Chisinau

A modern training and communication center called the Knowledge House was inaugurated at the Academy of Economic Studies (ASEM) in Chisinau on January 29. The center includes a library with 15,000 book titles, a conference hall, mediatheque and rooms for training seminars, workshops and exhibitions, Info-Prim Neo reports. The inaugural ceremony was attended by the entire organizational committee that was created to ensure the functionality of the Chisinau Knowledge House. Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca said this project brought Moldova closer to Europe. '”More such projects are needed as they produce results. “It is a project devised and implemented in European style,” Chirtoaca said. ASEM rector Grigore Belostecinic said the project was developed from an initiative proposed by the mayor of Chisinau two years ago. “This Knowledge House created owing to this initiative and the partnership established by the International Organization of Francophonie, the International Association of Francophone Mayors and the Chisinau City Hall provides access to education information resources and to the French culture,” he said. The directors of 13 Chisinau education institutions, who were present at the inauguration, signed a cooperation protocol between the Chisinau Knowledge House and the institutions they represent. 'The Romanian-French high school “Gheorghe Asachi” focuses on the French language, civilization and culture. The high school will always support the initiatives of the organizations that promote the French language. This protocol will allow not only benefiting from this Knowledge House, but also contributing to the extensive studying of French, which is the language of the culture of the modern civilization,” said the school's director Boris Volosatyi. The Chisinau Knowledge House is a pilot project implemented by the Chisinau City Hall, the International Organization of Francophonie, the International Association of Francophone Mayors and the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova. Its budget was about 500,000 euros.