In two rapidly evolving countries such as Moldova and Armenia, modernizing higher education to support the green and digital transition is an essential priority. For universities to become engines of sustainable development and innovation, it is necessary to rethink programmes, teaching methodologies and skills, preparing students to meet the real needs of society and today’s labour market.
Building on this vision, RE-GRAD was launched as a European project aimed at reforming undergraduate programmes in partner universities in Moldova and Armenia to align them with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through a systemic transformation of higher education that, for almost two years now, has also strengthened collaboration between European, Armenian and Moldovan universities and organizations.
During the first year of activities, partner universities from the two non-EU countries focused their efforts on analysing the local context, exploring internal governance policies and processes, academic programmes, and existing teaching approaches. This phase was followed by joint work at the European level, during which universities shared best practices on sustainability policies, the redesign of study programmes to support the green and digital transition, and the adoption of innovative teaching methodologies
These experiences led to the creation of a training programme for academic staff, strengthened by two training cycles held in Strasbourg and Benevento and coordinated respectively by the University of Strasbourg and the University of Sannio in Benevento. These sessions focused on exchanging strategies to integrate environmental and digital dimensions into university programmes and to promote more interactive and participatory pedagogical approaches. We have previously discussed these activities here.
Building on the knowledge gained, Armenian universities subsequently redesigned the sectoral qualification frameworks for selected degree programmes, while Moldovan universities developed a national strategic document, the Concept of Education for Sustainable Development, both with the support of their respective Ministries of Education. These initiatives marked a decisive step toward a systemic revision of academic programs, integrating sustainability and digitalization-oriented content and practices in a more structured and coherent way.
To further expand the impact of the training and disseminate the skills acquired, an online training week was organized for the academic communities of both countries. The sessions addressed key topics such as Education for Sustainability, experiential and challenge-based learning, the use of artificial intelligence and digital tools in higher education, and the role of ESG standards and SDGs in the business world. In particular, CESIE, through its Higher Education and Research team, led a session focused on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in academic education, an area of growing relevance in today’s educational landscape.
With the conclusion of this phase, the pilot implementation of the updated degree programs has officially begun and will continue throughout the academic year. The next partnership meeting, scheduled for March 2026 at the Transilvania University of Brașov (Romania), will provide an opportunity to discuss intermediate results from the piloting process and share insights based on initial students’ feedback.
RE-GRAD thus stands as a concrete example of international collaboration driving change: a journey that brings together universities and institutions to rethink higher education as a catalyst for sustainability, and innovation.
About the project
RE-GRAD – Reforming Undergraduate Education for GReen and Sustainable Development in Armenia and MolDova è un progetto finanziato dal programma ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE-STRAND-3.
Partners
- Technical University of Moldova (Moldova, coordinator)
- The Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova (MER) (Moldova)
- Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu State University of Cahul (Moldova);
- Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia)
- Yerevan State University (Armenia)
- National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (Armenia)
- CCI France Moldavie (Moldova)
- Armenian Center for Education Policy and Management (Armenia)
- University of Sannio (Italy)
- University of Strasbourg (France)
- Transylvania University of Brasov (Romania)
- CESIE ETS (Italy)
For further information
Read more about the projec, visit https://regrad.utm.md/ and follow us on Facebook and Linkedin.
Contact Marika D’Angelo: marika.dangelo@cesie.org.
