Raport România 2005

l have been created in order to fulfil the increasing need on the labour market for high-quality personnel with very good language skills. Curriculum development has been a priority of the universities, several of them participating in European thematic networks supported by European Commission through Socrates grants. Romanian universities have adapted their curriculum to the social and political context of EU enlargement by offering study programmes in European affairs. Through Jean Monnet programme 9 universities have developed modules and training programmes for students aiming to achieve a deep knowledge of European construction, institutions and policies. Within this framework, departments/centers of European studies offer possibilities of academic research in Euro-Atlantic relations. 12. Promoting the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area 12.1. Describe actions taken by your country to promote the attractiveness of the EHEA The ministry has promoted the attractiveness of EHEA through seminars, conferences and workshops, organized in order to disseminate European trends in HE. It has also encouraged an active participation of Romanian HEIs within the projects developed by European associations involved in Bologna process (2003 EUA meeting in Cluj organized by "Babes- Bolyai" University). CNRED, representing NARIC-Romania, has organized, with the support of NARIC Socrates, a Conference on Bologna objectives (May 2004) with the participation of all Romanian rectors. The new law no. 287/2004 on setting-up university consortia allows universities to voluntarily set up consortia, on the basis of a partnership agreement, in which they can include research and development units. These consortia should promote in a more efficient way an European and international attractiveness of EHEA in content of programmes and funding. 13. Concluding comments 13.1. Give a description of your national Bologna strategies 11  The multiplication of efforts in view of ensuring quality particularly with higher education institutions and through a national body, in the context of European recommendations and evolutions; To elaborate a national framework of qualifications in correlation with studies on the labour market and compatible with the future European Qualifications Framework; Monitoring of graduates’ insertion within the labour market; A full operationalization of European transfer credit and accumulation system; The participation of Romania in programmes and actions aiming at the internationalization of higher education. Following the meeting in Bergen, Romania will review these priorities, adding others, according to the recommendations that will be adopted. 13.2. Give an indication of the main challenges ahead for your country Romanian higher education system has to cope with the following challenges: - Candidates’ focus only on some higher education fields, which leads to a lack of correlation between higher education offer and current employment possibilities on the labour market; - A possibility that employers to fear about the relevance of first degrees on labour market; - To create new specializations in order to fulfil labour market demands; - The massification of higher education which will have to lead to the development and improvement of quality assurance procedures and funding mechanism; - Insufficient contribution of the private sector to lifelong learning; - Adult’s low participation in lifelong learning; - To create a better connection between the universities and socio-economic/cultural environment ; - Improvement of transfer mechanisms regarding scientific research outcomes. *Special mention This report was drafted just before the nomination of the actual minister of education and research. 12