Raport România 2005

towards the european higher education area bologna process NATIONAL REPORTS 2004 – 2005 Country: ROMANIA Date: 18.01.2005 Responsible member of the BFUG (one name only): Radu Mircea Damian, Official position: Secretary of State for Higher Education and European Integration Email address: [email protected],[email protected] Contributors to the report: Gabriel Blaj, Camelia Sturza, European Integration Counsellors 1. Main achievements since Berlin 1.1. Give a brief description of important developments, including legislative reforms Romania has made major steps towards the European Higher Education Area by reorganizing the entire higher education system. A new higher education structure has been adopted following the discussions that occurred within the National Rectors Council in November 2003 which have shown a general consensus regarding the adoption of this structure. The Declaration of the National Higher Education Conference released on 5 November 2003 expressed the commitment of all academic representatives (Universities, National Rectors Council and Ministry of Education and Research) to sustain the objectives stated in the Bologna declaration and in the Prague 2001, and Berlin 2003, ministerial meetings. The new legislation of June 2004 (law no. 288/2004) stipulates the reorganisation of university studies in three cycles (Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral). Starting with the academic year 2005-2006, Romanian higher education structure will be as follows: • First cycle (180-240 ECTS) – Bachelor degree; • Second cycle (90-120 ECTS, exceptionally 60 ECTS) – Master degree; • Third cycle (3 years and in special situations 4 or 5 years) - Doctoral degree. All candidates for the title of doctor must be graduates of master’s study programmes. According to the new law, the applying of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is mandatory to all universities and these will mandatory deliver for free, including in a foreign language of widespread circulation, the Diploma Supplement, whose content is in conformity with the European provisions, starting with 2005/2006 academic year. The provisions of the law 288/2004 shall apply to the public and private higher education, accredited or temporary authorized, according to the law, starting with the academic year 2005/2006. The studies leading to professions regulated by European Union sectoral directives are not subject to this law. As regard the quality assurance field there is a draft law available for public debate on the website of the Ministry of Education and Research (Ministerul Educatiei si Cercetarii- MEdC). At national level is the intention to set up the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education, under the coordination of the MEdC; its purpose shall be to develop and implement the national framework for quality assurance in the national education system. 2. National organisation 2.1. Give a short description of the structure of public authorities responsible for higher education, the main agencies/bodies in higher education and their competencies (For example, do higher education institutions report to different ministries?) Higher education in Romania is provided in higher education institutions: universities, institutes, academies, conservatories and colleges. Higher education institutions are coordinated, financed and supervised by the Ministry of Education and Research, which is the National Authority for Education. At the end of every academic year, rectors of higher education institutions must submit a report on the state of the higher education institution to the MEdC, which is a public document. Under the authority of the ministry a number of councils and agencies play a very important role in fields such as financing and scientific research. The National Rectors Council is composed by all rectors of accredited higher education institutions and is a very active body consulted by the ministry. Its role in adopting the new legislation regarding the reorganization of university studies was fundamental. According to the new law 288/2004, the length of study cycles on fields and specializations will be set by the Ministry of Education and Research, at the proposal of the National Rectors Council which will be approved by Government decision. The National Council for Higher Education Financing (CNFIS) is a consultative council constituted in 1994. Its main responsibilities are to present to the minister of education proposals regarding the financing needs of higher education, taking into account the objectives of the universities and national strategies in order to develop higher education system and to propose the distribution of the funds provided by the national budget to higher education institutions. The National University Research Council (CNCSIS) created at the end of 1994, has been an important part of the reform in higher education. CNCSIS is the main institution to finance scientific research in Romanian universities. It works as a consultative council under the authority of the MEdC and expresses the point of view of the academic community regarding scientific research. In order to promote a strong partnership between higher education institutions and socio- economic environment the National Agency for Partnership between Universities and Socio- Economic Environment (APART) has been established by Government decision (2001). The Agency has the mission to promote and support cooperation actions between higher education institutions, economic agents and other institutes and organizations, with the purpose to provide specific partnership development, in the fields of professional training and specialization, technology transfer, organizing of business incubators and technology parks, labour market research, academic opening towards the economic and social environment, facilitation of higher education graduates’ absorption by the labour market, development of entrepreneurial dimension of Romanian universities. 2.2. Give a short description of the institutional structure (For example, number of public/private universities/other HE institutions or numbers/percentage of students in public/private sector. To what extent are private and State higher education institutions covered by the same regulations?) The national higher education system comprises both state and private accredited education institutions and units. The state higher education sector in Romania includes 56 public higher education institutions and other 20 private accredited higher education institutions. In the academic year 2002-2003, there were enrolled 596.297 students in higher education institutions (source: National Institute of Statistics, Romanian Statistical Yearbook, 2003), of 2 which 462.293 at day education, 3006 - evening education, 70.778 - part-time education and 59.581 at distance education. In private higher education institutions were enrolled 139.038 students in academic year 2002-2003 of which 88.741 at day education, 254 - evening education, 27.281 - part-time education and 604 at distance education. According to education law no. 84/1995, private accredited higher education institutions are included in the national education system and are covered by the same regulations as public higher education. Private higher education represents an alternative and is complementary to public education. It is subject to an accreditation process. These institutions are autonomous in content of organizing and functioning in accordance with the education system legislation. In private higher education tuition fees are established by each institution or unit according to the law. 2.3. Give a brief description of the structure which oversees the implementation of the Bologna Process in your country (National Bologna group, thematic working groups, composition and activities, stakeholder involvement) The representative of Romania in the follow-up group is the secretary of state for higher education which works directly with the National Rectors Council. General Direction for Higher Education within the MEdC is in charge with the implementation of Bologna objectives and strategies. In June 2004 was created Romanian Team of Bologna Promoters with the support of European Commission through a Socrates grant. The main outcome of the Romanian Team of Bologna Promoters will consist in advising higher education institutions in order to fully implement the Bologna provisions in all Romanian universities starting with autumn 2005. The TBP members are directly implicated in Romanian higher education system having a long and fruitful expertise in higher education and an accurate knowledge of the requirements of the Bologna Process. Among them there are Rectors, Deans, Senior Academics, International Relation Officers, selected by the Ministry of Education and Research on the criteria of representative geographical distribution in order to cover all important academic centres (Bucharest, Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Timisoara). The Team is composed of three thematic groups acting in the fields of the Bologna Process’ priorities: Quality Assurance, the Three Cycle System and Recognition issues (ECTS and Diploma Supplement). Each group has four members with a deep knowledge of the specific theme (e.g. the Recognition sub-unit has among its members three former ECTS national counsellors and the Head of National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas Granted Abroad). TBP’s activities consist in: - Expertise and consultancy for HEI in order to modify the present curricula according to the requirements of the new three cycles structure (through “in situ” visits at universities). - Dissemination of Bologna Process objectives focusing on quality assurance (through regional workshops) and forms of mutual recognition (an ECTS guide). - Elaboration of the detailed structure of the Diploma Supplement. The first step, namely issuing the brochure has been done and, in this way, it offers relevant informations to all interested partners. 3. Quality assurance The following questions have been included in the template at the request of the Working Group on Stocktaking. 3 3.1. National quality assurance systems should include a definition of the responsibilities of the bodies and institutions involved. Please specify the responsibilities of the bodies and institutions involved. The Ministry of Education is responsible to account for the national education system evaluation. The National Council for Academic Evaluation and Accreditation (CNEAA) functions since 1993 and has been responsible, according to the law, for assuring the quality and the accreditation procedures for higher education institutions. CNEAA activity includes commissions for external evaluation of higher education institutions, in order to assure a temporary functioning authorization and of a later accreditation. Each higher education institution is responsible for ensuring quality for all activities and at all levels, in agreement with the standards of reference, which are being updated. The quality management system within the higher education institution has as its objective the internal processes for assuring quality, including self-evaluation at every level, in accordance with the standards of reference, including the requirements of the systems of external evaluation of quality. 3.2. National quality assurance systems should include a system of accreditation, certification or comparable procedures. Describe the system of accreditation, certification or comparable procedures, if any. According to the law no. 88/1993 regarding the higher education institutions accreditation and the recognition of degrees higher education institutions are established only by law. Standards and criteria for accreditation are set down by this law. Quality assurance encompasses ongoing internal evaluation of higher education institutions and external assessment. The latter begins with a temporary authorization of new institutions, accreditation three years after the temporary authorization, and repeated assessment every five years. New programmes also must be initially temporary authorized. Accreditation is awarded after several assessments. The periodic institutional assessment covers all study programmes. The institutions that do not meet the required standards are given a year to improve. The reports of the initial review group are confined to facts and are first given to the university for verification. The next stage of the report is written by the expert committee and is based on the self-evaluation report of the institution and the review team report. The final report is discussed and approved by the full Council and may include recommendations for the university. The report is then submitted to the Minister who may return it for reassessment to the commission. The report of the Commission and the comments of the Minister are sent to the institution, and if the latter agrees, may be made public. The final decision on accreditation is made by the Government for programmes at accredited institutions or by the Parliament for new institutions. 3.3. National quality assurance systems should include international participation, co- operation and networking. Are international peers included in the governing board(s) of the quality assurance agency(ies)? The Ministry of Education and Research is financing CALISRO, a research programme on the quality of higher education in Romania, which constitutes the basis for the structuring bodies responsible for ensuring quality at the level of institutions and at national level. The project aims to find out and implement efficient mechanism of quality assurance based on detailed studies and discussions with academic representatives. 4 CNEEA activity regarding quality assurance doesn't include international peers. The future agency (Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education) will cooperate with higher education institutions from Romania and abroad, as well as with other European institutions (ex.: ENQA), in order to support the efforts of assuring quality of higher education in Romania at the level of European Union requirements. One of the main responsibilities of the Agency is to assure periodically, at request, external assessment of educational providers, independently or by association with other institutions and experts from abroad (Article 12 (g) - Draft Law regarding Quality Assurance in Education). Please add any general comments, reflections and/or explanations to the material on quality assurance in the stocktaking report. The draft law regarding the quality assurance in education is in final stage of public dicussions and will be submitted to the Parliament for approval. 4. The two-cycle degree system The two-cycle degree system is covered by the stocktaking exercise. Please add any comments, reflections and/or explanations to the stocktaking report. The existence of the two distinct forms of education has been an extremely favourable premise for the implementation of the cycles stipulated in the Bologna Declaration. Short- term education, present in many fields of university education with the purpose to train graduates with a great capacity of insertion on the labour market, can easily be transformed into a first cycle, granting the graduates the title of Bachelor. 5. Recognition of degrees and periods of study Recognition of degrees and periods of study is covered by the stocktaking exercise. Please add any comments, reflections and/or explanations to the stocktaking report. Romania has signed the Lisboa Convention, April 1997, on recognition of qualifications obtained in the higher education and has ratified this document through Law no. 172/1998. The National Center for Recognition of Diplomas (CNRED), a structure affiliated to the networks ENIC/NARIC, functions within the Ministry of Education and Research and it is in charge of the recognition of diplomas. Romanian Higher Education Institutions use as instruments for recognition of degrees and periods of study the European Credit Transfer System. Several official regulations of the Ministry of Education have gradually enforced the use of ECTS in Romanian higher education institutions – from ECTS as a recommended system (1998) to a compulsory system (the law of June 2004). Some Universities have been using ECTS since 1996. According to the law 288/2004, starting with academic year 2005-2006, the universities will mandatory deliver the Diploma Supplement free of charge to each graduate,in a foreign language of widespread circulation. These measures will facilitate the recognition of degrees and periods of study of students in Europe and worldwide. 5 6. Doctoral studies and research 6.1. Give a short description of the organisation of third cycle studies (For example, direct access from the bachelor level, balance between organised courses, independent study and thesis) Doctoral studies are regulated by the Education Law no. 84/1995 and the Government Decision no. 37/1999. Doctoral Diploma (Diploma de doctor) is the highest academic degree awarded in all fields after 4-6 years of study and original research. It is preceded by the first academic degree - "Diploma de Licenta" and requires the passing of examinations and the submission of an original thesis. University senates may require a mast