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The pathway of young Moldavians who came to study in Romania
Carmen Munteanu - Communications Coordinator
26 May 2014
The research report "Traiectoria tinerilor basarabeni veniţi la studii în România – între mit şi realitate" ("The pathway of young Moldavians who came to study in Romania - between myth and reality") (2012), prepared by the European Centre for Ethnic Studies of the Romanian Academy in partnership with "Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi" Institute for Romanians Worldwide within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tried to describe the route and perspectives of young people from Bessarabia who study in Romania.
According to official data, the number of young people from the Republic of Moldova who study in Romania was about 10,000 in 2011, of whom about 7,000 students. The research focused on Bessarabian students and high-school pupils who came to study in Romania. Data were collected between May - October 2012 through self-managed questionnaires and focus groups, in the large university centres in Romania: Iaşi, Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Timişoara, Galaţi.
The scholarship: a bridge to Romania, a chance to Europe
The study included most organisations which represent Bessarabian students in Romania, particularly those located in the important university centres. More than half of the young people interviewed stated that they are EU-oriented and that they believe there is a common destiny of all Romanians, supporting the unification. For some respondents "the scholarship is synonymous to resuming the relationship with Romania". Romania represents the chance of a better life through a better education. In the opinion of young Bessarabians, the qualification provided by the scholarship helps them find a job more easily in Romania or in the European Union in general. "The scholarship also means better chances for employment in the European Union, that is, hopes for a better life" (student in Economic Studies, Iaşi).
Problems and recommendations from the young people from Bessarabia
According to the report, scholarships should be granted not only on ethnic grounds but also based on the students’ interest for culture, science and their own identity. Romania should also develop other relations with the Republic of Moldova so that the scholarship project would be part of a complex of policies for the unification of the labour market, trade and for improving the capital circulation. The young people from Bessarabia pointed to the need to improve communication between the Ministry of Education and universities, so that the latter should know in real time the number of places reserved for students from the Republic of Moldova. Actually the number of places in universities for students who graduate from high-schools in Romania is extremely low, considering that one third of the young people in the Republic of Moldova benefit from places with scholarships in the pre-university education system. The society’s preconceptions about the young Moldavians who in some cases are considered foreign students or "Russians" is another problem which impacts on finding a job. According to the research these students find it much more difficult to find employment as they are considered foreigners, and once employed they get lower wages. Employers generally avoid the complicated procedure of hiring aliens; for this reason many young people from Bessarabia get to work on the black market, the research also shows. One recommendation made in the report is to encourage the institutions in charge with integrating youth in the Romanian society, by funding projects which promote the youth’s adaptation to Romanian society and their integration. The report is available at http://www.cespe.ro.
Source: http://www.cespe.ro
According to official data, the number of young people from the Republic of Moldova who study in Romania was about 10,000 in 2011, of whom about 7,000 students. The research focused on Bessarabian students and high-school pupils who came to study in Romania. Data were collected between May - October 2012 through self-managed questionnaires and focus groups, in the large university centres in Romania: Iaşi, Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Timişoara, Galaţi.
The scholarship: a bridge to Romania, a chance to Europe
The study included most organisations which represent Bessarabian students in Romania, particularly those located in the important university centres. More than half of the young people interviewed stated that they are EU-oriented and that they believe there is a common destiny of all Romanians, supporting the unification. For some respondents "the scholarship is synonymous to resuming the relationship with Romania". Romania represents the chance of a better life through a better education. In the opinion of young Bessarabians, the qualification provided by the scholarship helps them find a job more easily in Romania or in the European Union in general. "The scholarship also means better chances for employment in the European Union, that is, hopes for a better life" (student in Economic Studies, Iaşi).
Problems and recommendations from the young people from Bessarabia
According to the report, scholarships should be granted not only on ethnic grounds but also based on the students’ interest for culture, science and their own identity. Romania should also develop other relations with the Republic of Moldova so that the scholarship project would be part of a complex of policies for the unification of the labour market, trade and for improving the capital circulation. The young people from Bessarabia pointed to the need to improve communication between the Ministry of Education and universities, so that the latter should know in real time the number of places reserved for students from the Republic of Moldova. Actually the number of places in universities for students who graduate from high-schools in Romania is extremely low, considering that one third of the young people in the Republic of Moldova benefit from places with scholarships in the pre-university education system. The society’s preconceptions about the young Moldavians who in some cases are considered foreign students or "Russians" is another problem which impacts on finding a job. According to the research these students find it much more difficult to find employment as they are considered foreigners, and once employed they get lower wages. Employers generally avoid the complicated procedure of hiring aliens; for this reason many young people from Bessarabia get to work on the black market, the research also shows. One recommendation made in the report is to encourage the institutions in charge with integrating youth in the Romanian society, by funding projects which promote the youth’s adaptation to Romanian society and their integration. The report is available at http://www.cespe.ro.
Source: http://www.cespe.ro
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