Transforming Moldovan Higher Education: Past, Present, and a Look to the Future

Introduction

As former Soviet republics gained independence in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union, many nations struggled with transitioning sectors such as higher education into newly transformed public and private-run enterprises. Over 30 years later, individuals continue to learn where and how educational institutions exist in more independent and democratic societies, and what that means for individuals - faculty, staff, and students, who are part of higher education. As most educational systems in former Soviet republics now part of Eastern Europe were created and modeled after a more structured and state-controlled Soviet system, many struggled with reform, casting about for their own identities amongst a landscape of societal changes.

One former Soviet sphere country is the Republic of Moldova. The country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. However, Moldova has been part of either Romania or the Russian empire in addition to the Soviet Union for its entire modern history (Chinn & Roper, 1995). It is a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society, with most Moldovans sharing some familial connection and language with both Romania and Russia. Much of the higher education system was and is borrowed from the former Soviet system of education, dominated by specific sectors of labor based on the control of institutions, faculty, and curriculum (Heyneman, 2010). This meant typical academic freedoms allotted to institutions and faculty such as curriculum development and most traditional academic structures were not present as these were dictated by the state (2010). However, as the Soviet Union fell, more democratic reforms and structures increased and began to influence various Moldovan state sectors. For example, in higher education areas like curriculum, structure, and student choice/demand began to experience the influence of these societal changes with an emphasis on individual freedoms (2010). However, the expansion of access to information and education became problematic as the country balanced increased individual freedoms with societal pressures to succeed in a developing democracy, and who are no longer supported by the government. With a population of just over 2.5 million people and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of just under 12 billion US dollars, the World Bank classifies Moldova as one of the poorest countries in Europe (World Bank, n.d.). This adds pressure on individual Moldovans to live and work in a country where access to education can be a way to increase economic security and even prosperity.

This chapter highlights the higher education system within Moldova as it relates to six areas: academic integrity and corruption, accreditation, scholarly collaboration, competition, funding, and technology. Each topic will reference information from previous scholars relating to how each topic influences higher education in Moldova and creates challenges and opportunities for the faculty, staff, and students. Guiding questions throughout each chapter section encompass how does higher education embrace more liberal and free-enterprise supports while not entirely abandoning foundational practices and aspects that helped establish and run institutions? How do governments increase support and maintain the relevance of higher education among populations that now have more options when considering learning and training beyond primary school years? What does the future of higher education hold for individuals and countries who have sought to confront the challenges of an increasingly diverse political landscape in Europe and beyond? If higher education becomes more accessible and necessary as a means of increasing individual success, do the systems and structures of higher education support, cultivate, and meet the demand while relying on Soviet-era foundations? In several areas within the chapter, the researcher addresses these specific questions from both a macro and micro level to encompass not only a systematic view but in some cases a more individual experience.

Using comparative analysis to understand more about post-Soviet era education systems and structures in countries like Moldova, helps broaden our understanding of what is possible and what might be problematic as sectors like higher education build and grow a culture of reform and renewal that supports increasing democratic freedoms and ideals.