On September 25, 2023, the Technical University of Moldova has recorded a premiere of particular importance for the development of the agri-food sector in the Republic of Moldova and the promotion of knowledge and skills needed to support and develop the agri-food sector – the launch of the MBA re-qualification program “Management in Agribusiness”.
The event was opened by UTM’s Vice-Rector for Finance and International Relations, Daniela POJAR, who conveyed the greetings and appreciation of UTM’s Rector, prof. univ., dr. hab. Viorel BOSTAN, and underlined the importance of the MBA retraining programme to contribute significantly to the increase of efficiency and sustainable development of agri-food industries in the country. She noted that this approach would not have been possible without the support of the European Union, which thus strongly supports the development of higher education in agribusiness.
Moldovan Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir BOLEA stressed the need for this programme for the future of the agri-food sector in Moldova and said that this initiative would train competent staff ready to contribute to increasing the efficiency of the agri-food business environment.
The event was also honoured by the presence of prominent personalities in the field, such as Nikola BABIC, Deputy Regional Director for Helvetas, Bojan KOLUNDZIJA, OPTIM Project Leader – Country Manager, and Maxim POPOV, Executive Director of the Agency for Development and Modernisation of Agriculture, who expressed their unconditional support for the success of the programme. The innovative nature of this programme was also underlined by Agata MALAK-RAWLIKOWSKA, coordinator of the project “Electronic Pan-European Learning System for Sustainable Agribusiness MBA Education (e-AgriMBA)”, and Wim Heijman.
Larisa BUGAIAN, Head of the ERASMUS+ University Centre, TUM, underlined that this programme is a real pioneer for the Republic of Moldova. With a duration of two years and a total of 60 ECTS credits, the programme aims to train essential skills to address the challenges of the modern agricultural industry and to contribute significantly to the sustainable development of the agricultural sector and the rural economy. Its innovative content modernises and digitises agribusiness education, promoting lifelong learning by training students’ and teachers’ digital and language skills.
Aurelia LITVIN, National Programme Coordinator, UTM, mentioned that this innovative programme was developed within the framework of the project 2022-1-PL01-KA220-HED-000086080 “Electronic Pan-European Learning System for Sustainable Agribusiness MBA Education” (e-AgriMBA), co-financed by the European Union and implemented by the Department of Economics and Management of the Faculty of Engineering in Economics and Business (FIEB), in collaboration with the Continuing Education Department of UTM. The programme partners include experts from life science universities in the Netherlands, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as important institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA), the Agency for Development and Modernisation of Agriculture (ADMA), the OPTIM Project, funded by the Swiss Government.
Last but not least, we would like to highlight the presence at the event of Mr Rodion CIUPERCĂ, Head of the Continuing Education Department of the Technical University of Moldova, and Mrs Ina GRIZA, Head of the Continuing Education Department of UTM, who played a key role in the implementation of this exceptional programme.
The courageous initiative and commitment that UTM is taking by launching the MBA re-qualification program “Management in Agribusiness” opens new opportunities for the development of the agrifood sector by increasing professional skills in this crucial industry for Moldova. At the same time, the support of local and international partners will significantly contribute to increasing skills and efficiency in the agricultural industry, thus strengthening Moldova’s position in agribusiness at regional and international level.