Fewer students and universities in Moldova

The number of universities in Moldova has decreased, but the number of students is decreasing at a faster rate, as more students opt to study abroad, and more universities will disappear over the next few years by merger or by closure, reports IPN.

Grigore Belostecinic, head of the Council of Rectors, said there were 54 universities in the 1990s, but their number has dropped to 29, of which 17 are state-run and 12 are private universities. The number of students, meanwhile, dropped from around 120,000 in 2007 to 60,000 currently.

“Among the causes is not only the demographic factor, but also the fact that the offer of the universities in Europe and over the ocean is tempting,” Belostecinic said, noting that investment in Moldova’s education system is required to halt the decline.
Full report on the IPN site