Radio România Internațional

Tag: academic

  • A new academic year begins

    A new academic year begins

     

     

    Most academic centres in Romania hosted opening ceremonies on Monday. Attending the festivities, alongside students and teaching staff, were also representatives of central and local authorities. There are also universities, such as the National School for Political and Administrative Studies, which open their gates on October 1, as tradition has it.

     

    This year, many high school graduates have chosen business studies, administration and law, engineering, medicine, foreign languages and social assistance studies. The head of the National Alliance of Student Organisations in Romania, Sergiu Covaci, explained that young people’s preferences are quite diverse. In fact, he also explained, the number of youth who choose to go to university is on the rise.

     

    In the capital city Bucharest, among the universities that started classes on Monday are the University of Bucharest, the Polytechnic University and the Academy of Economics. Over 14,000 students started a new academic year at the ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, including around 3,000 freshmen. The new class of medical students is named after ‘Academy Member Ana Aslan’, a notable personality of Romanian and international medicine.

     

    At the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University in Iaşi (east), the academic year begins with record-high admission figures for the past 20 years. The number of applicants was substantially above the number of seats available, and the total number of students admitted here is over 13,000.

     

    Opening ceremonies were also held in military academies around the country, including the ‘Ferdinand I’ Military Technical Academy, the ‘Carol I’ National Defence University in Bucharest, the ‘Henri Coandă’ Air Force Academy in Braşov and the ‘Nicolae Bălcescu’ Land Force Academy in Sibiu (central Romania).

     

    Students will have a two-week break around the winter holidays, between Christmas and the New Year, and the first semester ends in late January-early February. After the exam session, the second semester begins, as usual, in February, with a one-week break for Easter. For most students, the semester will end in late May or early June, when the summer exam session begins. The longest and most eagerly awaited break, following the exam session, spreads the entire summer, until the next academic year begins in October. (AMP)

  • Awards for outstanding performances in education

    Awards for outstanding performances in education

    Proficiency in the
    education system is vital for the development of Romania, the PM Marcel Ciolacu
    said at the annual award gala for international Olympiad winners. In his
    opinion, a truly educated Romania cannot be achieved instantly, particularly
    since every education minister in the past 30 years tried to introduce their
    own outlook and sought to restructure the system fundamentally.


    The PM said that many of
    the changes made in the past were not preceded by thorough assessments, which
    contributed to declines in the quality of education. He told the participants
    in the event that next year, public education will have a 61% higher budget
    than at present.


    On the other hand, the PM
    also believes the performance of the teaching staff must be encouraged:


    Marcel Ciolacu: Apart from school
    buildings and equipment, more attention needs to be paid to evaluating and
    incentivising the teaching staff. Reality shows that we need performance
    criteria in the education system. an involved, responsible teacher must be paid
    more for their work. I have already spoken to Minister Ligia Deca about having
    talks with the professionals in the ministry and identifying solutions in this
    respect.


    I hope the unprecedented
    50% average pay raise in the public education sector within a year will attract
    growing numbers of young professionals towards a teaching career, the education
    minister Ligia
    Deca said in her turn.


    At the annual gala, as
    many as 138 students were awarded, who won 164 prizes, medals and honourable
    mentions at international and regional competitions in various academic
    subjects. Also awarded were their teachers and their schools. Romanian students won the
    maximum achievable score in 6 such competitions, as well as 51 gold medals, 55 silver medals, 30 bronze
    medals, and 22 honourable mentions in international academic events.


    The total award funds earmarked this year
    by the education ministry was around EUR 785,000. The awards amounted
    to EUR 4,000 for a maximum achievable score, EUR 3,000 for a gold medal, some EUR
    2,500 for a silver medal and around EUR 2,000 for a bronze medal. Honourable
    mentions were also awarded around EUR 700.


    A
    teacher received an incentive amounting to the highest award paid to any of
    their students, while the school attended by the student in question received an amount equal to the
    one granted to each winning student. In this case, the money must be spent primarily
    on school equipment relevant for the subjects in which the prizes have been
    received. (AMP)

  • September 14, 2020

    September 14, 2020

    COVID-19 The Government of Romania is to extend today for the 4th time the state of alert triggered by the COVID 19 pandemic. The National Committee for Emergency Situations is due to make final proposals on the measures to be implemented. The relevant government order will include measures concerning the local elections due on September 27. PM Ludovic Orban said authorities were considering bigger locations for polling stations and outdoor waiting areas, in order to comply with physical distancing requirements. Meanwhile, the Government is looking at easing some restrictions in the forthcoming period. The state of alert was introduced on May 15, after a 2-month state of emergency. The total number of coronavirus infections in Romania is over 104,000, with the death toll standing at 4,185.



    SCHOOLS An atypical school year has begun in Romania today, with special coronavirus protection measures in place. Education is a vital prerequisite for a civilised society, and children are returning to schools with one more lesson to learn—how to take care of ones health and of the health of others, said PM Ludovic Orban in a message on this occasion. He warned that the danger posed by the disease is not over and that the new school year is a challenge for children, their families, teachers and authorities.



    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had telephone talks with his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, following the political consultations held during his visit to Israel this month. According to the Foreign Ministry, the 2 officials reviewed the preparations for a new joint government meeting due next year. They also looked at the arrangements for the set up of a new expert group preparing the meeting, which will focus on mutually relevant topics like agriculture, water management, IT, cyber security and AI. The talk also occasioned an exchange of opinions on the Middle East peace process. “Romania supports the resolution of this problem based on international law and on the 2-state solution, Israel and Palestine, living next to each other in peace and prosperity, the Romanian foreign minister said. On September 2-3, minister Aurescu discussed with high-level political officials both in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and in Ramallah.



    PANDEMIC Many countries are reintroducing lockdowns in the context of a so-called “second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic. The World Health Organisation Sunday reported nearly 308,000 new infections for the last 24 hours, a new global record, Reuters reports. The most significant increases were in India, the USA and Brazil. The total number of cases worldwide is nearing 29.2 million, and the number of COVID-related deaths is 928,000. Israel reintroduced a 3-week lockdown in a move to contain the new wave. Strict restrictions regarding groups larger than 6 people have come into force in the UK today. And also as of Monday, face masks, already compulsory in supermarkets and public transportation, must be worn in all public buildings and shops in Austria.



    BELARUS The president of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko has a meeting in Russia today with his counterpart Vladimir Putin. This is the first meeting of the 2 officials since the start of large-scale anti-presidential protests in Minsk. Russia sent troops to Belarus to take part in joint military exercises. Scheduled to last until September 25, the drills take place amid extensive protests in Belarus following the August presidential election. The ballot was won by Lukashenko, but the opposition claims the election was rigged. Western countries have asked for a new election. On Sunday, tens of thousands took to the streets once again, across the country, asking for the resignation of Belaruss strongman of 26 years, largely seen as the last dictator in Europe.



    TENNIS The Romanian player Patricia Ţig won the first WTA title in her career on Sunday, in the tournament in Istanbul. She defeated Canadas Eugenie Bouchard, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) in the final, after a dramatic match. For Ţig (26, no 88 WTA), this was the 3rd WTA final, after the ones in Baku (2015) and Bucharest (2019). The Romanian player has also won the 2019 tournament in Karlsruhe. Meanwhile, the Romanian Irina Begu has qualified into the main group of the Rome tournament. She beat the German Anna-Lena Friedsam, 6-1, 6-1 in the qualifying round 2. Simona Halep is also seed no 1 in this tournament. She is to take on the winner of the match pitting Latvian Anastasija Sevastova against the Italian Jasmine Paolini. The Rome tournament begins today.


    (translated by: A.M. Popescu)