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Globalization of Higher EducationExperience of

Free International University of Moldova ( ULIM)The Republic of Moldova

Andrei GALBEN, Academician, Rector

Shenzhen, ChinaAugust 12, 2011

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Factors of Globalization of Higher Education

• The process of globalization has changed the economic, political and cultural world structures.

• Human capital is becoming increasingly important to international competitiveness.

• Overcoming the effects of the global economic crisis.

• New knowledge and technologies and innovative model of economic development.

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Free International University of Moldova(ULIM),

• Created in 1992

• Private University

• 8500 students

• 420 faculties (academic staff)

• 53 programs for 3 cycles

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Internationalization Model ofULIM

• 3500 foreign students in all

programs from 36 countries

• More than 800 graduates each year from the CIS countries, Europe, Asia, USA, Africa

• Has the international quality certificate ISO 9001:2001, 05.06.2008

• More than 70 agreements on inter-university cooperation

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Internationalization Model ofULIM

• Membership in international organizations in the field of Higher Education– International Association of

Universities (IAU)– European University Association

(EUA)– Agence Universitaire de la

Francophonie (AUF)– International Association of

University Presidents , (IAUP)• WEB Ranking of World University 4398

from 12000• The promoter of the Bologna Process

(Bergen, Norway May 25, 2005)• Signatory of Magna Charta

Universitatum, (Bologna, Italy, September 21, 2007)

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Internationalization Model ofULIM

• Foreign students and academic staff, studies funding– Preparatory courses with a

focus on the future specialty– Training is conducted in four

languages (Romanian, Russian, English, French)

– The study of 28 languages of the world

– 30 foreign professors every year

• The problem - over regulation of the state of the internationalization process

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Study of the Chinese Languageat ULIM

Confucius InstituteLanguage courses with Chinese teachers

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The new paradigm of internationalization of higher education

• Update the list of specialties (nanotechnology, information security, oil and gas engineering)

• The modernization of the university curriculum and studing programs

• Joint degree• Geographical expansion of

international cooperation of ULIM • Agreements on cooperation with

the embassies of 58 countries and with 70 foreign universities

• Organization of International Conferences

• Monthly performed 5-6 international events

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ULIM experience of cooperation with the embassies

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Internationalization of doctoral degree programs

• Peculiarities of doctoral degree programs in the Republic of Moldova– 1 step to obtain a degree of Doctor of Science– 2 step (postgraduates) to obtain a degree of Doctor Habilitat

• The members of Specialized Councils in different fields of sciences are well-known scientists from foreign universities with which ULIM have signed the cooperation agreements

• Doctoral thesis may be defended in one of four foreign languages

• Publication of research results in international scientific journals

• Editions of our university has been qualified with mark off scientific significance

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Academic extension of ULIM

• A partnership agreement with oil companies from Moldova and France for developing new programs in engineering of oil and gas.

• The aim - enhancing cooperation with the universities of Asian-Pacific region.

• Deepening the relationship with universities from China and South Korea through the involvement of the best Moldovan Universities integrated in a consortium.

• Creation of the Moldovan-Korean university in the Republic of Moldova.

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Internationalization strategy in the ULIM’s vision

1. intensification of student and academic staff mobility, modernization of University programs

2. development of common criteria and principles for higher education (quality assurance, etc.)

3. promotion of public policies to promote the internationalization of education, such as co-financing projects, international programs, etc.

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Conclusions

• ULIM is not a simple consumer of values, but a generator, a creator and a producer of innovative forms and criteria in international higher education.

• The internationalization model of ULIM shows that the private institutions of higher education of a small country like the Republic of Moldova can become equal partners at global level in the process of internationalization and can contribute to the enhancement of the effects of this phenomenon.

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Conclusions

• The internationalization of the higher education system is the result of the human creation, so necessary for the present and the future of the world community.

• We cannot show countries and peoples with a bigger or smaller influence within this process. All the countries and peoples of the world must fructify their efforts in an equal way in order to achieve a noble purpose – the internationalization and the globalization.

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Conclusions

• The example of ULIM confirms the idea of promoting a new model of university management in terms of internationalization, even if there is an economic deficit of the democratic society.

• The internationalization and the globalization require the

adoption of a work program at institutional, national, regional, continental and global levels.

• The global economic crisis, the demographic turbulences in the world and media changes impose the community to take immediate decisions.

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In December 2011, ULIM will organize an International Conference on the problems of

Bologna Process in Eastern and Southeast Europe.

We invite all the participants to this event at Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova

Thank you !www.ulim.md