Costel Negricea (Romanian-American University): Romanian employers understand the need to be involved in the education of students

Business Review sat down with Costel Negricea, Ph.D. Habil. Professor, Rector of the Romanian-American University (URA), to talk about the role of Romanian employers in the education of students, but also vice-versa, the role of Romanian universities in creating a new and valuable workforce for the future.

One of the challenges for the young workforce in Romania is the gap between the university curriculum and the requirements of the business environment. How do you comment on this, and what does URA do in this regard?

For us, ensuring superior educational experiences for students and their professional development directly linked to the demands of the job market, as well as their personal development aligned with societal developments, is a continuous concern. In other countries, too, there is often a gap between the demands of the job market and the preparation of graduates, with the size of this gap depending on the collaboration among all the actors involved in these processes – authorities who establish the legal framework, universities, employers, students, and their families, society as a whole, and its evolutions. Universities develop study programs based on the needs of the job market or future expectations during the implementation of the programs. However, as we know, in the Romanian educational system, a student who starts university this year will complete the first two cycles of training, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, in over five years. This means that it is essential to understand the competencies of employees and the job positions that will be sought after in five years, which is not an easy task given the accelerated transformations in the labor market. On the other hand, during their studies, students can engage in curricular or extracurricular activities that prepare them for the dynamic needs of the job market.

At the Romanian-American University (URA), we recognize and maintain a permanent connection with the business and organizational environment. We actively engage and constantly adapt the curriculum so that our university’s young graduates have practical knowledge in the field in which they intend to pursue their professional activity. In each field of study and even in each program, we have Advisory Boards, through which we engage in an open and ongoing dialogue with companies and public institutions. These advisory boards consist of labor market representatives, specialists, university alumni, and together we try to identify the defining elements of the labor market in the medium and long term for each field of study, so that students’ preparation is in line with these requirements.

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In addition to this, we organize RAU JOB FAIR for all students, regardless of their university of origin, which is a job fair where companies have direct contact with students and present their available positions. We are very involved in organizing events for the benefit of students, either as organizers or partners. At the beginning of March, we even organized a debate with HR representatives from top companies, students, and graduates of our university, discussing the needs of young people and their insertion into the labor market. The conclusions are available on our YouTube channel. We strive to support students through events such as workshops, conferences, special guests from both Romania and abroad, debates with representatives from business areas, and professionals in various fields. These events allow students and all of us to learn a lot, both professionally and personally. We also offer practical bases and numerous internships provided by our university’s numerous partners. By connecting students with the business environment, they can gain practical experience and develop the skills sought after by employers. The process of understanding the realities of different professional fields, the latest developments, and their trends is also achieved by inviting professionals from the business or organizational environment to various courses. In fact, for several years, our university has made continuous efforts to bring at least one professional from the respective field of activity to each semester’s course.

Alongside these activities and concerns that are beneficial for students and faculty, we can also mention the concentration of career counseling activities and raising awareness of the realities of various professional areas through the actions carried out by the Career Counseling and Guidance Center.

By actively collaborating with the business and organizational environment, revising and improving study programs, involving experts from different fields of activity, facilitating internships, and promoting continuous learning, the Romanian-American University aims to expose and provide its graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in today’s and tomorrow’s job market. We believe that beyond providing specialized professional competencies, we must educate and train individuals who can dynamically adapt to the job market and society of the future. Therefore, for us, at the Romanian-American University, it is crucial to create an appropriate framework for applied learning, multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural experiences through which students can develop, choose their interests, or be guided in finding their own professional path.

As we have seen, Romanian employers understand the need to be involved in the education of students. Employers who understand the dynamics of the labor market become proactive and realize that their involvement with universities offers them competitive advantages, as well as an understanding of Generation Z, the employees of tomorrow. Students from our university, the Romanian-American University (URA), are valuable due to the skills they acquire through their involvement in numerous applied educational projects.

In addition, URA stimulates and rewards the performance of its students through scholarships. We emphasize their personal development by providing them with numerous opportunities for knowledge and practical experience. All the activities mentioned above, along with other activities such as extracurricular courses with foreign professors held every autumn and spring, partnerships with over 200 universities and educational institutions worldwide, the multicultural environment on campus where students from over 30 nationalities study, volunteer projects, internship opportunities, and international studies through programs like Erasmus+ and others, exchange programs for students, make the Romanian-American University an educational platform that prepares students not only academically and professionally but also in terms of personal development.

Because we are aligned with trends in the HR field and companies’ desire to recruit individuals with real abilities in the area of soft skills, our students also benefit from personal development opportunities. Our study programs focus especially on business, finance, law, IT, management, marketing, tourism, as well as physical education, sports, and kinesiotherapy. Thus, URA offers its students valuable educational experiences in various fields, with great potential for development and social impact.

These three components are influenced by the use of technology. Currently, students have access to a wide range of digital resources, online learning platforms, and collaborative tools that enhance their learning experience. This has led to a shift in how they approach their studies, with many adopting digital learning methods and online collaboration. Students now place a greater emphasis on learning through practical applications and gamified experiences. They recognize the importance of acquiring not only theoretical knowledge but also practical experience. Therefore, they actively seek internship opportunities, business or organizational projects, and hands-on experiences that provide them with real-world skills and prepare them for the demands of the job market.

I believe that today’s students have a stronger desire for personal and professional development. They actively seek self-improvement opportunities, sometimes through interdisciplinary approaches, whether it be workshops, certifications, or networking events. They recognize the importance of lifelong learning and adaptability in a rapidly changing world, constantly searching for innovative solutions. The fact that young people now prioritize gaining practical skills, interdisciplinary learning, and personal development reflects an awareness of the evolving requirements of the workforce. It can be observed how they, through the characteristics of their generation, align with the changing nature of the job market, which requires us to be adaptable, innovative, and lifelong learners. Beyond the characteristics of a generation, it depends on each individual student, their personality, and values, on how they choose to invest their time and energy and how they wish to leverage the opportunities offered by the university and society.

I believe the pandemic has had a significant impact on education, and it is probably one of the areas where the echoes still resonate strongly. In the past, admissions were predominantly conducted in person at the university’s headquarters, but in recent years, admissions have moved online. This year, we have retained only a few days of on-campus registration so that those who wish to come and see the campus, talk to a consultant about the options and benefits at URA can do so. Within the admission platform, candidates can upload the necessary documents, choose the exam format (essay or interview), and then take the admission test according to their choice. We have plenty of options for those who hold certificates, diplomas, or are Olympiad winners, but complete information can be found at www.rau.ro.

For undergraduate admissions, online registration (https://admitere.rau.ro) is open until July 26, 2023, or on-campus from July 10 to July 27, 2023. Similarly, registrations for master’s degree admissions take place online on the aforementioned platform until July 24, 2023, or on-campus from July 10 to July 25, 2023. For us, creating the online admission platform also came as a strategic necessity because we enjoy increased interest from international candidates, and through this platform, they can easily apply from anywhere in the world they are located.

The Romanian-American University offers undergraduate and master’s degree programs, each with its own admission criteria. For undergraduate programs, the admission grade is composed of 50% high school average and 50% from the admission test (essay/interview, physical aptitude test for the Faculty of Physical Education, Sports, and Kinesiotherapy, or certificate equivalencies). For master’s degree programs, admission is based on a written exam – essay/project, developed according to the announced specialization theme, taking into consideration the undergraduate GPA, in descending order of final grades, within the limit of available places.

We offer education at international standards with corresponding opportunities. The recognition of the quality of academic processes carried out within our university comes not only from holding the highest rating in Romania offered by quality assurance authorities or achieving high rankings in national rankings conducted by the Ministry of Education with the support of the World Bank, but also from our international partnerships. We have ongoing double degree programs with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy. The newest double degree educational programs are in partnership with CITY College, University of York Europe Campus.

Starting this fall, we offer master’s degree programs taught in English in Digital Marketing and Social Media, as well as International Economic Relations and European Union Studies. These programs provide students with the unique opportunity to obtain a degree from the Romanian-American University and a degree from the University of York (UK) while benefiting from an international educational experience with a teaching staff that is half international and half from Romania, without any additional costs apart from tuition fees. These double degree programs complement the existing undergraduate double degree programs offered in partnership with St. Francis College (USA) and Northwood University (USA) or the double master’s degree program with the University of Siena (Italy). In addition to all these mentioned opportunities, I would like to add that 20% of undergraduate students and 10% of master’s degree students taught in Romanian, regardless of their chosen study program and form of education, learn for free based on performance criteria, without tuition fees. We are proud to have top professors who are involved in the students’ lives and concerned about their educational and professional paths. We take pride in the beautiful projects that involve the entire academic community, but I believe our strongest differentiator is our continuous commitment to developing projects and creating opportunities for our students.