On October 31, 2024, the first annual meeting of the consortium of the ERASMUS+ NEEDEDU4.0 project entitled “Enhancing Mechanical Engineering Education in Moldova for Industry 4.0”, funded by the European Union (EU) under the reference number 101128623, ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE-STRAND-2, took place. The project, coordinated by the Technical University of Moldova (TUM), is a strategic initiative for the modernization of engineering education in the Republic of Moldova, supporting the transition to Education 4.0 and aiming to increase the employability of graduates in the context of the contemporary challenges of Industry 4.0.
The ambitious goals of the NEEDEDU4.0 project include the development of an inter-university (UTM, USCH, USARB) Master’s degree program in mechanical engineering oriented towards digitalization and new technologies, so as to meet the requirements of Industry 4.0 and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. The project consortium brings together six partners: three from the European Union – Transilvania University of Brasov (Romania), RWTH Aachen University (Germany) and Dräxlmaier Group (Germany) – and three partners from the Republic of Moldova – Technical University of Moldova, “Alecu Russo” University of Balti and “Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu” State University of Cahul.
The meeting focused on analyzing the results of the first year of implementation, the lessons learned and the planning of activities for next year, providing a framework for constructive dialogue between the partners involved. The meeting was opened and moderated by Ms. Larisa BUGAIAN, the project coordinator, who presented a summary of the activities carried out and key achievements. Mrs BUGAIAN underlined the importance of the study visits organized at RWTH Aachen University, Transylvania University and Draxlmaier Centre which have an essential role in designing and building an innovative, pioneering inter-university Master’s programme in the Republic of Moldova. These academic exchanges have facilitated the transfer of expertise and the adaptation of European best practices to the national context, thus encouraging the modernization and increasing the quality of engineering education in Moldova.
Daniela POJAR, Pro-Rector for Finance and International Relations at UTM, highlighted the significance of the NEEDEDU4.0 project in modernizing mechanical engineering programs and adapting them to the requirements of Industry 4.0, a strategic step in strengthening UTM’s position as a leader in engineering education and technological research in the Republic of Moldova. International collaboration and integration of technological innovations are essential to prepare students to meet the challenges of a globalized and dynamic economy, and the NEEDEDU4.0 project is a catalyst for this transformation.
In her welcoming speech, Claudia MELINTE, Director of the Erasmus+ National Office in Moldova, emphasized the significant contribution of the project to the development of engineering education in the Republic of Moldova and its integration into European educational standards. She emphasized the importance of these regular meetings not only for reporting, but also for proactively identifying risks and challenges that may arise in the implementation, giving partners the opportunity to take corrective measures and prevent possible obstacles.
Rodion CIUPERCĂ, project manager, made a detailed presentation of the results of the surveys of skills needed by employers and of the training needs of trainers for the new inter-university Master’s program, highlighting the responsible approach and the impact of these activities on the reform of higher education in the Republic of Moldova. He also presented the first draft of the master program, with discussions on the duration, either 1.5 years or 2 years, and on the disciplines to be integrated. The European partners came up with suggestions on course content, taking into account Industry 4.0 requirements such as digitalization and process automation.
Paul Michael BAN, Institutional Coordinator from RWTH Aachen, RWTH Aachen, described the progress made on Work Package 2, addressing recent and planned activities and key deliverables associated with the work package as well as deadlines for reporting.
Similarly, Simona LACHE, institutional coordinator from Transilvania University of Brașov, presented work package 4, aimed at ensuring the quality, evaluation and sustainability of the project, emphasizing the importance of constant monitoring and evaluation for the success of the project.
Another key point of the meeting was addressing quality issues. Alice BUZDUGAN, representative of ISOP, presented the results of the surveys on the quality of project implementation and collaboration between partners, emphasizing the importance of open communication and effective cooperation. Also, Irina Tutunaru, Head of Academic Management and Quality Assurance, UTM, detailed the process of implementing the inter-university program in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Education, thus ensuring full alignment with national and European standards.
The institutional coordinators of the Moldovan universities, Valentina PRITCAN (USARB) and Marina BUNEA (USCh), presented the results achieved in the first year as well as the challenges encountered, highlighting the measures taken to meet the objectives set within the project. Other issues discussed included the financial management and dissemination strategies needed to ensure the visibility and broad impact of the project.
In conclusion, the key milestones of the first year of implementation were reviewed and the strategic directions for the following year were set, aiming at an efficient and sustainable implementation of the NEEDEDU4.0 project, for the benefit of engineering education in the Republic of Moldova and its integration in the context of European state-of-the-art education.
