Dumitru Ciorba, Associate Professor, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Computers, Informatics and Microelectronics, participated on 2-3 June 2026 in the online SPHERE seminar “Values in higher education: challenges, practices and perspectives”. The event brought together HERE experts, university representatives and European institutions to discuss the values that support quality, autonomy and relevance in higher education.
FCIM’s participation in this international dialogue contributes to connecting the UTM academic community to European trends in university reform, academic integrity, freedom of research and teaching, participatory governance and responsible international partnerships.
“For FCIM, discussions on academic freedom, integrity and university autonomy are directly connected to the quality of education and to the way we prepare specialists capable of critical thinking, innovation and responsible contribution to society.”
Dumitru Ciorba, Dean of FCIM
The seminar addressed six fundamental values of higher education: academic freedom, academic integrity, institutional autonomy, participation of students and staff in higher education governance, public responsibility for higher education and the public responsibility of higher education institutions.
Special attention was given to how these values can be protected in a context shaped by technological change, geopolitical pressure and transformations in the labour market.
Among the topics discussed were the Academic Freedom Index, which monitors international developments in academic freedom, and the EUA University Autonomy Scorecard, a tool used to analyse university autonomy in areas such as governance, funding, staffing policies and academic autonomy.
The seminar also included discussions on ethical international partnerships based on transparency, trust, equity and respect for local contexts. These principles are relevant for universities developing academic cooperation and international projects, including within European programmes.
Claudia Melinte, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in the Republic of Moldova, coordinates the National HERE Team and actively contributes to promoting European opportunities for the modernization of higher education. Through the work of the National Erasmus+ Office, the academic community in the Republic of Moldova is connected to initiatives that support the quality of education, internationalization and the development of university partnerships.
“The National HERE Team facilitates dialogue between experts from the Republic of Moldova and the European higher education community, contributing to the promotion of reforms, partnerships and shared academic values.”
Claudia Melinte
Participation in the SPHERE seminar strengthens the presence of FCIM and UTM in European academic networks and supports a culture of dialogue on autonomous, responsible and future-oriented universities.
- Academic Freedom Index
- EUA University Autonomy Scorecard
- Oficiul Național Erasmus+ în Moldova | Erasmusplus
