Raport România 2003

the Romanian higher education are encourages to participate in post-graduate programmes, such as masters and joint doctorate degrees with foreign universities or with international research programmes. Students take part in summer training and Olympiads, international contests and festivals, and show the level of training, the diversity and quality of higher education programmes. Diplomas emitted by universities are, upon request of the beneficiary, written in one of the foreign languages. The introduction of the Diploma Supplement is a mechanism of implementation of the Lisboa Convention, promoted by Romania. The social dimension of higher education The state budget ensures most of the financial resources for university higher education and research, as part of education resources which represent 4% of the gross domestic product (as stipulated in the Law on education no. 84/1995). Aside from the budgetary resources, universities may mobilize additional sources of revenue within legal terms. Higher education is allocated a distinct research fund from the aggregate research budget. According to the law, funding for research by university is allocated on competitive criteria, and depends on national priorities, and past or expected performance. The funds allocated from the budget of the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth are utilized for basic and complementary financing, for investments in objectives, for funds for student scholarships, as well as for their social security. The level of funds allocated in 1999 from the state budget was 1.700 billion lei (110 million USD), and in 2003, it was 5.400 billion lei (160 million US dollars). Students at graduate and postgraduate level, including those enrolled in doctoral studies, benefit from the 75.000 places supported every year from the budget, and approximately 25% of the students are granted scholarships from the state. Within the structure of these scholarships : 5% performance scholarships, 25% merit scholarships, granted for outstanding results ; 30/40% scholarships ; 30/40% scholarships for social support. The reconsideration of the scholarship granting system lead to a slight increase of the number of scholarships for social support and merit scholarships, with a significant modification of study scholarships. Furthermore, students may receive scholarships on the basis of contracts signed with economic agents and other legal and natural persons, as well as study loans extended by banks on such terms as the law provides. In practice, the latter is at its beginning, and Romanian banks have not been too sensitive to existing requests so far. In order to train specialists in the rural area, students from rural areas are stimulated by granting 1000 scholarships per year (Government s Decision no. 1020/11.10.2001), each scholarship has a quantum that exceeds the average study scholarship. 11  Some students from underprivileged families, enrolled with tuition fees may be granted exemption or reduction of such fees, upon decision by the university senates. General eligibility criteria for scholarship are decides by the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth and by the Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family. The specific criteria for performance, merit, study and social support scholarships are determined by the university senates. These scholarships are subject to indexation. The minimal quantum of students scholarship shall cover the accommodation and meal expenditure. In order to support young doctorate students (up to 35 years-old), in view of reducing the process of « brain drain », Government s Decision no. 1004/17.09.2002 grants every year 100 specific grants allowing them an additional funding equal to minimum wage (2 million lei). Complementary funding conferred to universities by the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth consists of stipends for accommodation and meal expenditure, funds allocated based upon priorities and specific norms for equipment and other expenses for investments and capital repairs, funds allocated on a competitive basis for university scientific research. Every year, the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth confers scholarships for university and postgraduate study trips abroad on a competitive basis. Universities shall meet the food, accommodation and transport costs incurred by the students practical activities that are concentrated outside the university center. Students benefit, as well, by free summer and winter camps, free medical and psychological assistance in State/owned polyclinics and hospitals, as well as by half the regular fare rate on the local public transportation network and on the domestic motor, railway and naval transportation network, during the whole calendar year. Orphan students or those who have resided in orphanages benefit by free fares on the transportation categories mentioned above. Students enrolled in state as well as private education institutions benefit by half the regular fare rates to museums, concerts, theatres, operas, films, other cultural and sports events organized by public institutions. The representativeness of students in the university senates is ensured by law and the university charter. Life long learning Education and training two essential, priority concepts for the EU countries, are also priorities and main fields of interest in Romania. In Romania, carrying on lifelong learning programmes supposed the elaboration of a new legislation, of efficient policies and strategies, dynamics which involved numerous actors : young people, as well as older people, a population with professions that had become obsolete after 1989, unemployed people, but also education institutions, schools, universities, economic agents, commercial companies, foundations, associations, various social partners. The concept has become operational after the apparition of the legal frame, namely the Law on Education no. 88/1995, with further modifications and supplements, which stipulates at its chapter section IV that legal or natural persons may organize, together with education units or institutions or separately, adult qualification, further-training or professional reconversion courses. These training courses grant certificates of professional competence recognized on the labour market. The law stipulates facilities for those who follow further-training courses for professional training, namely the right to standard salary, for those issued from public institutions and the payment of housing, per diem and transport, for those who take courses in other localities than that of their domicile. 12  For the training of adults the same law stipulates the possibility of organizing institutions and networks of open or distance education, that make use of modern communication and information technologies. The provisions of the law apply in all universities in Romania. Priorities for implementing the recommendations from the Declaration of Bologna As a European country, Romania is very receptive to all changes occurring in the education system in the continent and promotes all necessary measures in order to harmonize the legislation in the field, to create the unique European space for higher education. Considering the progresses already made, we envisage the following for the stage immediately following the meeting of the ministers of education in Berlin: - the elaboration of a comprehensive legislation that would encourage university autonomy, as well as increased accountability at this level ; in this respect, debate on the draft of the law on higher education will be resumed and submitted to Parliament in the first half of next year; - the structuring of higher education in cycles, finalized by degrees (bachelor), dissertation (master) and doctorate thesis; - the multiplication of efforts in view of ensuring quality particularly with higher education institutions and through a national organism, in the context of European evolutions; - a full operationalization, at national and international, of transferable credit systems; - the support of student and teacher mobility through Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci programs, as well as through an active participation to the TEMPUS III program; - the participation of Romania in programs and actions aiming at the internationalization of higher education. Following the meeting in Berlin, Romania will review these priorities, adding other priorities, according to the decisions that will be adopted and will proceed to a more systematic schedule for their implementation. 13