The GreenSCI project aims to increase the public recognition of science, promote young researchers and researchers with sustainable innovations, and show the impact that research and innovation have on daily life and social welfare. In this context, the 2022 and 2023 editions of European Researchers Night aim to increase the public recognition of science, promote young researchers and experienced scientists with sustainable innovations, and show the opportunities in research and STEAM for young people and pupils. The main idea of GreenSCI project is to bring together researchers, innovators, children, young people, adults from different regions of Moldova who have and who do not have a background in research in order to show the impact of RDI and STEAM disciplines on everyday life. The specific objectives of the GreenSCI project are: • Contribute to increased visibility and promotion of research and researchers among the general public; • Enhance communication between researchers and the general public, mainly young people, by encouraging citizens’ engagement; • Increase the public recognition of EU programmes and opportunities, including EU funded researchers from Moldova, as well as Moldovan scientific diaspora. • Promote innovations with social and business applicability via Open Science practices. • Emphasize the impact of research and innovation on daily life and social welfare.

Our project addressed one of the key priorities of targeted country (Republic of Moldova) with particular regard to new learning and teaching tools, modern pedagogical approaches and methodologies which facilitated certain changes at partners’ institutions levels toward modernizing master curricula in Business & Administration (B&A). Given the positive impact on direct TGs ( local master students, teachers and academics, business and public bodies, and civil society sector), our project tackled the needs of new skills and competences development, changed minds and mentalities towards greater productivity and a responsible climate in the partner country.The project surveyed entrepreneurship and digital learning needs of a wide range of local stakeholders and equipped local teachers and students with the right mixt of entrepreneurial and digital skills with the aid of 30 new and/or upgraded courses/disciplines in B innovative teaching and learning pedagogies, teachers trainings, career orientation services and development measures, and digital modules.The project fulfilled its wider objective guaranteed by the national accreditation decisions of modernized master programmes in B&A for each MD HEIs, and addressed the needs of students and teachers in B&A area from a wide geographical coverage from the Northern, the Central and the Southern parts of MD, as per following composition:•Involving local stakeholders (67 HE teachers, 203 students, 112 employers) in collecting relevant needs and better adapting the master curricula in B&A. •Upgrading facilities of 5 (five) MD universities that enabled a better exploitation of local ICT potential, online and blended courses, new pedagogical approaches for teaching and learning, and collaborative work ICT-based. •Training and upgrading entrepreneurial and innovation skills, and abilities for real and virtual communication for 60 teaching staff from MD universities. •Exposing 1661 MD master students to the suite of 30 new and upgraded courses in B&A (168 ECTS) covering all phases of entrepreneurial process (pre-start, start-up, and growth), with enriched teaching methods and new pedagogical approaches. •Informing 816 local beneficiaries about the opportunities of entrepreneurial education offers, by which 623 master students and 193 local teachers better aware of the benefits of innovative teaching and learning, and increased their positive attitudes for European projects. •Career guidance for 484 master students who received support from teachers and local business representatives, by which 311 received practical solutions for their professional careers; 247 local representatives were involved in the flow of career orientation sessions and 210 local teachers/academics have increased their capacity for mentoring students for entrepreneurial and business careers. •Engaging 537 local participants from Partner country (students, teachers, private enterprise, professional associations, civil society organizations, public entities) in spreading good practices and cooperation opportunities in entrepreneurship and digital education; by which 367 master students and 98 local teachers/academics with enhanced understanding of new approach in doing business in Moldova Partner country and 72 local business representatives with reinforced capacity of take-up an entrepreneurial culture in local economy. All of these fostered new forms of synergies and exchanges across disciplines through digital learning, increased the critical mass of local beneficiaries skilled in entrepreneurship and digital competences, changed minds and mentalities, and internationalized master program curricula in Business & Administration (B&A).

This project addresses the extant problem of student’s diminishing competiveness and diminishing employability rate as reflected in priorities of the Moldovan Government. This project responds to these needs by introducing innovative teaching methods: Problem Based Learning (PBL), Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) and Simulations (S). These innovative teaching methods contribute substantially to enhancement of students’ competitiveness and employability as witnessed in various universities across Europe. Each partner country university chose a study program to be re-designed based on these innovative teaching methods: MSc in Business Administration (AESM); MSs in Information Technology (TUM); MSc in Human Rights (MSU); MSc in European Policy and Public Administration (USARB); MSc in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration (USC); BA in Medicine (SUMPh). The following key outputs are envisaged: work plan; consortium agreement; training materials; roadmaps for change; training of trainers; roadmaps for content change; PBL/EBL/S based study programs/curricula; semester 1 and 2 learning outcomes; evaluation reports; project website; progress and final reports. The following impacts are expected: (1) short term - improved ability for academic staff to draw roadmaps for program and curricula modernization; improved skills of staff working with PBL/EBL/S teaching methods; improved support and access for disadvantaged students; improved participation of business communities; improved knowledge and competences expressed as learning outcomes; (2) long term – at involved Moldovan universities: improved available teaching methodologies that can be applied in other study programs; improved quality of education; improved participation and performance by disadvantaged students; improved cooperation with business communities; improved integration into the EU based excellence networks; at system level - improved quality of educational policy and modernized HE system in Moldova.

The need for reform and restructuring of the higher education (HE) system in Moldova is being held back by a lack of leadership and management capacity in the HE sector. To ensure that reform occurs, universities in Moldova need to build the capacity of their managers in relation to governance, strategic planning and management. Managers need to be able to drive through change and cope with the greater complexity that goes with increased size and independence. As part of this reform, leaders and managers need to ensure that their institutions are focused on the needs of the Moldovan economy and society.The project addresses the need for development for university leaders and managers in Moldova through the creation and implementation of a structured leadership and management programme, tailored to the specific needs of higher education institutions in Moldova. It will create structures and materials to support the programme as well as identify and equip dedicated facilitates where the training will take place. Learning will take place through lectures from visiting speakers, action learning sets, national management research projects, and exercises to strengthen professional networks. The project will ensure staff training workshops are developed and executed for the Moldovan university staff responsible for implementing the new programme. To support the ongoing sustainability of the programme, a cross university staff delivery network will be developed.During the life of the project, 208 Moldovan leaders and managers will have been developed through the programme with a demonstrable impact on their capacity to operate the governance, strategic plans and management of HEIs. In the year following the project, it is expected that a minimum of 128 managers will benefit from taking the programme in project institutions and that at least 14 additional Moldovan universities will have adopted the programme, thus enhancing the capacity for reform of HE nationally.