QUALITY AND LEADERSHIP FOR ROMANIAN

HIGHER EDUCATION

Vision Romanian Higher Education 2025

Action lines

Values
and institutional framework

Preferred image
of higher education
in 2025
A world of ...

for which we believe in

and accordingly we act for

Vision Romanian Higher Education 2025

Identification of broad areas of interest

Three brainstorming sessions:

Students
Professors
Business representatives
(using i-Lab )

Vision Romanian Higher Education 2025

Identification of broad areas of interest

Semantic analysis of literature

600 titles on higher education are
now available in a structured
library

Areas and topics of interest

HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

KNOWLEDGE GENERATION

Correlation with the labor market

Life long learning
Certification of professional skills
Creativity,
skills for life and entrepreneurship
.
Inter-disciplinarity and flexibility of human
capital

Correlation of pedagogical and research

activities
Research universities
Particularities of basic, engineering and social
research
SOCIAL VALUES

... BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Universities and innovation clusters
Public-private partnership for innovation
IPR in university-business collaboration
Innovation infrastructures in universities

Universities
and

THEIR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS

Internationalization of higher education
Positioning on the global market of education
Positioning on the global knowledge market
European integration and national brand

University as promoter of social values

Accessibility of studies
Universities and local development
Universities and information society

Vision Romanian Higher Education 2025

Identification of relevant participants in consultations

Viral survey
Respondents were asked to
identify their competences and
interests in relation to the five topics

1932 respondents
nominated in several rounds
6353 more

Expert panels work on the topics of interst

May 2009 January 2010

15-person panels elaborate

An assessment of the state of affairs
Drivers of change 2025
Stakeholder mapping

Expert panels sketch scenario frameworks

Based on previous
work of the panels,
four scenario
frameworks emerge in
a series of creative
workshops involving
stakeholders.

University of career
and life

Knowledge
constellation

Athenaeum

Blue ocean

Vision Romanian Higher Education 2025

Stakeholders flesh out the scenarios
Bucharest, 25-29 January 2010

A one-day event for each scenario panel

40 stakeholders
World cafe combined with card game
and role-playing
Metaphors on future of HE are elaborated to
extend the scenario frameworks

Further developing the scenarios

7-10 cards from each scenario

3

Comuniti de practici

Asimilarea cunoaterii conduce la

integrarea individului n
comuniti tiinifice,
profesionale sau orientate spre
rezolvarea anumitor probleme.

31

Diferenierea
universitilor prin
misiune
Diferenierea universitilor se
face ntre universiti cu misiune
de creaie/cercetare la nivel
internaional i cele active la nivel
naional, local i regional.
Misiunile se difereniaz prin
componente ca instruirea i
nvarea, cercetarea i creaia,
serviciile pentru comunitate.

44 Provocrile mediului

8 cards describing
the 2025 context

Problemele legate de mediu

devin o preocupare ce vizeaz
toate aspectelor vieii economice.

29 Rspundere social

Universitatea -

12 conector n reelele
internaionale de
cunoatere

Sistemul de nvmnt superior

romnesc garanteaz oportuniti
egale pentru ceteni n privina
accesului la cunoatere. nvmntul
superior este responsabil n raport cu
societatea, iar instituiile sunt
respectate de ctre aceasta din urm,
bucurndu-se de vizibilitate i
prestigiu.

Universitatea atrage persoane

puternic conectate n reelele
internaionale de cercetare.

Jokers:
blank cards
for new ideas

Card game (examples from the Athenaeum

scenario)
1

A new brand in Higher

Education

Virtually yours

Innovatively open

Romanian Universities achieve excellence by offering good quality research, education and infrastructures with
programmes developed in foreign languages such as English, French and Chinese besides Romanian. Universities are
aggressively promoted and have now become highly attractive for foreign students.
Academics/students are maintaining open and continuous communication channels in global networks, creating
virtual spaces of collaboration, setting virtual meetings, and dynamically readjusting curricula and research priorities.

Since knowledge is perceived as the main source of welfare, a culture of innovation and entrepreneurial behaviour is
on the rise. The bonds between the citizen and the education system are not broken through graduation. Universities
continuously offer life-long learning programmes.
Life-long empowerment Universities continuously empower students, graduates and citizens. Thanks to the Academic Promotion System, firms
can see the profile of learners in all areas and age and are able to offer funds for their ideas and projects.

Inclusive management

Excellence in research

EUROmania

Open labs

Socially responsible
Higher Education

Representatives of public and private sectors and socio-economic actors including NGOs enjoy being involved in
academic demarche by intervening in strategic decisions in education and research at the national and institutional
levels. Functional and effective communication channels are established between the parties.
Research Excellence Centres (RECs) have been created in collaboration with public and private organisations and
society. The university is the main driver of sustainable development. Romanian universities are glocalised in terms
of creating international RECs and networked research infrastructures while contributing to regional and local
development.
Romanian HE system is fully integrated in the European Research and Higher Education Area. Romanian universities
are desired partners for European programmes and projects, and Romanian graduates are regarded with trust.
Universities laboratories are designed by private companies, which also provide equipment on which education is
delivered. Thus, knowledge is continuously transferred between universities, economy, and society.

Romanian Higher Education system guarantees equal opportunities for citizens in accessing knowledge. Society has
gained full accountability from HE. In turn, HE institutions are highly respected by citizenry and government and enjoy
visibility and prestige in a society which is considerate towards its innovators
10 Supporting cutting edge Excellence scholarships are granted to students and researchers by technology developers who fund dedicated
research & students
programmes established through Public-Private Partnerships. The beneficiaries run research programmes and enjoy
the infrastructures provided by universities business incubators. The Student Loan Agency ensures equal access
opportunities to HE by ensuring that school fees do not drop under the expenditure per student allocated from the
state budget

Examples of metaphors
1) The hyperspace of 5D+ experience: freedom to create ones identity.
2) The nest: Universities are the place where universals are studied,
keeping people young at heart.
3) The spring: Society will reach a development limit should it maintain its current
worldview and value-system. Hence, the university should provide the abilities
to identify new objectives and development opportunities.
4) The mushrooms of knowledge: customised learning.

Diversity with 3 examples

Inovatio
University of
career and life

Knowledge
constellation

Blue ocean
Athenaeum

Regio

3 examples of universities
are developed based on
Scientia
the 4 scenarios so as to
reflect Diversity
and Personalization, two of
the principles highlighted
by the 2025 scenarios.

Policies are elaborated based on the scenarios

University of
career and life

Athenaeum

Knowledge
constellation

Diversity, with 3 examples of

universities out of a possible
multitude
Inovatio

Blue ocean

28 policies by 9 panels
Governance, leadership,
management
Research, Innovation and
Intellectual Property
Protection
Academic Profession

Regio

Regional and Local

Development
Knowledge Society
Ethics and Social Values
Globalization /
Internationalization

Scientia

Qualifications and
Competences
Quality of Education
Online consultation on
policy proposals

ELPHI 2.0 questionnaire

with dynamic ranking of the impact of policies

Vision 2025: Seeds for the future

The Green Paper

Directions of transformation
1. Personalization and diversity
Expansion of study program types (including short-term programs)
Diversification of existing programs
New sources of funding for university research
2. Increasing institutional responsibility
Clear information for all stakeholders
Strengthening reputation mechanisms
3. Improving the capability of universities in relation with their missions
Stronger orientation towards private financing
Improving institutional capacity
Reform of legal status of HEIs

The Green Paper

A possible transition scenario
A wave-based approach

based on the interest expressed by the universities

with financial support for transition
oriented towards autonomy, leadership and responsibility
with the option of changing the legal status of participating
HEIs