By Nick Clark, Assistant Editor, WENR

Legal Framework

Since the overthrow of the Ceausescu regime in 1989 and the country’s transition to a market-based economy, many educational reforms have been implemented in Romania. However, these reforms have progressed relatively slowly and their objectives have changed over the years. The Law on Education (1995), the Statute of Teaching Staff (1997), the Law of Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions and Recognition of Diplomas (1993) and the relevant modifications and supplements to these laws constitute the current legal basis governing higher education in Romania today. Unfortunately, many observers agree the reform efforts undertaken from 1989 to 1997 were not followed through and resulted in little change.

However, starting in 1998 the reform process accelerated. It focused on encouraging universities’ academic and financial autonomy and accountability, decentralization of activities, improving quality and access to higher education, support for research and technological innovation and enhanced cooperation at the international level. Reforms were complemented by a dramatic increase in the number of institutions (both public and private, despite a lack of clear accreditation regulations) and in enrollment levels. The higher demand was created by the overly restricted numbers of students granted admission to tertiary education under the Soviet system.

Since 2002, the government has passed several provisions, among which the most important pertain to the accreditation of 20 and closure of 33 private universities. Currently, there are 108 institutions of higher education. A draft of a Law on Higher Education was presented in 2002 for debate, and its final form is due by the end of this year. The law will then need Parliament’s approval before being implemented.

1. Easily Readable and Comparable Degrees

• Romania signed and ratified the Lisbon Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in 1999.
• The diploma supplement was introduced in 2000 and is now issued upon request. Information on and about the supplement was published in a booklet and sent to all accredited universities as a reference guide.
• The National Council for the Recognition of Diplomas, functioning within the Ministry of Education, serves as the Romanian ENIC/NARIC body.

2. Degree Structure

• Higher-education programs are delivered through several types of institutions: universities, institutes, academies, polytechnics and university colleges (which are distinct from universities).

Stage I: The first stage of higher education is provided by universities, institutes, polytechnics and academies, offering long-cycle programs lasting four-to-six years or a shorter cycle of higher education lasting three years at university colleges. Short-cycle university education leads to the Diploma de Absolvire (diploma of graduation) while long-cycle university education leads to the Diploma de Licenta (licentiate diploma), the Diploma de Inginer (diploma of engineer), the Diploma de Architect (diploma of architect) and the Diploma de Doctor-Medic (diploma of medical doctor).

Stage II: Holders of a long-cycle first degree may continue their studies by taking a one- or two-year postgraduate program, which leads to either the Diploma de Studii Aprofundante (diploma of advanced study) or the diploma de master (master diploma). Students may also enroll in specialized programs (no less than one year) leading to the diploma de absolvire (diploma or certificate). Masters-level degrees are offered only at universities and build on undergraduate programs of four to six years in length. However, the relatively long undergraduate degrees prompt the majority of graduates to leave after the first degree, and usually result in an overall duration of study for a master’s degree well beyond the five years (300 ECTS credits) that has emerged as a standard in the Bologna Process.

Stage III: The Romanian doctorate, called the Diploma de Doctor, requires four -to-six years of study beyond the master’s level, which includes research and the writing and defense of a dissertation. This qualification is comparable to the Ph.D. in the United Sates. The final qualification in the Romanian education system is the Doctor-Docent in Stiinte, which is awarded after extensive periods of research and publication.

• Ongoing discussions taking place at workshops and at the National Council of Rectors have shown a consensus regarding a switch to the Bologna standard, most probably starting in the 2004-05 academic year. A ministry report quantifies the study cycles:

1. 1. 1. A first cycle of 180 to 240 credit points (three to four years) leads to a bachelor’s degree.
      2. A second cycle of 60 to 120 credit points (one to two years) leads to a master’s degree.

• The ministry report also states the two-tiered model is almost unanimously considered unsuitable for the medical and architectural fields; in the case of engineering sciences, many support the adoption of integrated study programs with a duration of five years or 300 ECTS credits and finalized with title of master.

3. Credit Transfer

• In the 1996-97 academic year, a number of classical and technical universities applied the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) on a trial basis. Before 1996, there existed no tradition of credit use in the Romanian educational system.
• The system is, in principle, based on student workload. There are, however, places where the student workload has been estimated on the basis of the number of contact hours. The system has elements of accumulation in some universities: Where the graduating examination is assigned credit, students who do not complete the examination in one year retain the credits already obtained for the next year(s). A minimum passing grade of 5 (10-point scale) is required to obtain course credits, or in the case of distance education, a 6 is required. New government legislation assigns a load of 60 ECTS credits and approximately 1,560 hours per year for full-time students.
• The maximum number of transferable ECTS credits is set by the board of each faculty. If a student has transfer credits from other institutions (domestic or overseas), the credits will be recognized by the home faculty according to the regulations set by each board. It is important to note that Romanian student mobility afforded by ECTS is far greater within Europe than inter-institutionally within Romania due to the fragmented nature of the faculties and institutions in the higher-education system.
• An order of the Ministry of Education passed down in 1998 enforces the use of ECTS in Romanian universities. Except for the basic ECTS rules, universities can adjust such features as the minimum number of credits to be obtained in one academic year, a maximum interval (e.g., four semesters) for obtaining the credits for a given course, etc. The ministry is now preparing the Law of Higher Education, and every effort is being made to ensure that ECTS basic rules are incorporated.
• The implementation of ECTS as a credit transfer system is completed in most universities (including all major universities). The formal implementation of the system as an accumulation one has not yet started.
• The University Bucharest offers the following ECTS grade equivalencies for international students:

*The University of Bucharest

4. Mobility

• Student and staff exchange programs were initiated in Romania after independence, in 1991, through membership in the TEMPUS program.
• Since 1991, several Romanian universities have offered complete study programs in foreign languages, with teaching staff and support material prepared with technical assistance from partner universities and with financial support from TEMPUS. Programs are increasingly being offered in foreign languages, especially English.
• Between 1991 and 1997, there were 17,397 participants in the TEMPUS program (5,551 incoming and 11, 846 outgoing).
• The National Office for Student Grants Abroad was created in 1998 to manage grants through which the government supports Romanian student-abroad periods for up to 10 months.
• Higher-education institutions in Romania have been involved in the SOCRATES-ERASMUS and Leonardo Da Vinci programs since 1997. During academic year 2002-03, 45 universities participated in ERASMUS activities involving approximately 2,400 students.
• Through the Da Vinci program, universities have promoted pilot projects or mobility projects in technical fields in correlation with essential features of the European labor market.
• The Black Sea Universities Network was created in 1997 through a Romanian initiative. The goal was to develop cooperation among universities from member states of the Economic Cooperation of the Black Sea area in the fields of education, science and culture. Today, the network includes more than 60 member institutions.
• Since 1998, Romanian universities have participated in Central European Exchange for University Students Program (CEEPUS) projects. More than 1,500 students and staff from Romania have participated in CEEPUS programs.
• Foreign students studying in Romania are required to pay tuition fees and take Romanian-language classes.
• The introduction of ECTS has generated substantial growth in the number of student-exchange and international agreements. Based on the use of ECTS, the number of students studying abroad and relying on ECTS grew from almost zero to 171 in 1998-99, 261 in 1999-00 and 289 in 2000-01. A slight drop in 2001-02 may be due to financial difficulties faced by students and staff. Similar growth is evident in the case of incoming students.
• It should be noted that the ratio between outgoing and incoming students remains approximately 5:1, an imbalance that is of concern for many universities in Romania.
• It should also be mentioned that the promotion of ECTS has proven to be an important catalyst for launching inter-institutional agreements, especially with European partners. Consequently, the number of international, inter-institutional agreements grew from 73 in 1996-97 to 141 in 2001-02.

5. Quality Assurance

• The problem of quality assurance in higher education became evident after 1990 with the explosion in the number of private universities and programs. There was a real need to establish a new legislative context. Two laws govern accreditation and quality measures of higher education in Romania: Law 88 of 1993 established the National Council of Academic Evaluation and Accreditation (CNEAA), which accredits new programs and institutions; and Law 144 of 1999 extended the role of the CNEAA.
• The system of quality assurance in higher education is undergoing a process of clarification and finalization. The Ministry of Education is working with international partners on CALISRO and MATRA, two research programs looking into the quality of higher education in Romania and measures for improvement and harmonization with the European model. That model will constitute the basis for quality-assurance structuring bodies at the national and institutional level.
• Each higher education institution has created or is finalizing its own internal system of quality management. The objectives for the internal process include self-evaluation at every level in accordance with national standards.
• Currently, institutional and program evaluations, if successful, lead to a provisional license from the government after recommendation from the CNEAA. After three years, provisionally licensed programs or institutions that meet all the standards required by law are then recommended by the CNEAA for accreditation. Parliament then determines, by an act of law, the establishment of a new university or program. Reassessment occurs every five years. In addition to the CNEAA, there are commissions for external evaluation.
• The ministry states in its latest Bologna progress report that because the main focus of CNEAA activities has been the evaluation of educational standards, research and management oversight has been neglected.
• Legislation related to the creation of a national system of quality assurance is being drafted. “It will define the general framework, promote advanced European systems of quality assurance and disseminate best practices,” according to the ministry. “The newly created structure will cooperate with higher education institutions in Romania and abroad, as well as with other European institutions in order to support the efforts of assuring quality of higher education in Romania at the level of EU requirements.”

6. Promotion of European Dimensions in Higher Education

• The Bulgarian/Romanian Interuniversity Europe Center (BRIE) in Rousse, Bulgaria, and Giurgiu, Romania, has been founded with Germany’s support. BRIE offers master’s programs in European studies and business informatics leading to a double degree awarded jointly by the University of Giurgiu and three German universities: the Center for European Integration Studies at the University of Bonn; Chemnitz University of Technology; European University Viadrina Frankfert.
• During the 1990s, when Romanian staff were earning doctorates through the TEMPUS program, they often studied at French universities under the supervision of French staff. This could be considered a precursor of sorts of jointly taught doctoral programs. There is continued cooperation with French universities in the field of civil engineering at the postgraduate level.
• The number of international, inter-institutional agreements grew from 73 in 1996-97 to 141 in 2001-02.

References

• Survey on Master Degrees and Joint Degrees in Europe, Christian Tauch and Andrejs Rauhvargers, September 2002
• The State of Implementation of ECTS in Europe, European University Association, October 2002
• Diploma Supplement – State of Implementation, European Commission, June 2003
• Lisbon Convention Status Reports, Council of Europe, Aug. 29, 2003
• Country Report Romania, Ministry of Education, September 2003
• ECTS Grading Scale, The University Bucharest ECTS grade equivalencies for international students
• Applying ECTS at Babes-Bolyai University, a case study, Mircea Miclea, 2003
• National Council of Academic Evaluation and Accreditation