On September 19 and 20, 2023, the First Higher Education Reform Experts Networking Meeting took place in virtual mode. The team of Higher Education Reform Experts (HERE) from the Republic of Moldova, as well as the representatives of the National Erasmus+ Office in Moldova (NEO) participated at the event organised by SPHERE Consortium. It includes experts from the European University Association (EUA), that involves more than 800 universities from the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), as well as 33 national rectors councils.
HERE Networking meetings aim to provide a space for exchanging practices, gathering information, and brainstorming across the entire HERE network. More specifically, HERE networking meetings:
● bring together all members of HERE in an online forum to offer networking and discussion opportunities;
● enable HERE teams to assess progress towards their work plans, share results, and receive feedback;
● offer HERE the opportunity to showcase and discuss best practices;
● facilitate reflection on the SPHERE Programme (Centralised Support to the Network of Higher Education Reform Experts) and activities organized to date, as well as the next steps;
● provide an opportunity to learn about the EC priorities, policies, and programs.
The first online HERE networking meeting has focused on the following themes:
● organising the HERE team for impact, designing national work plans and submitting successful technical assistance missions (TAM) proposals;
● the upcoming SPHERE programme (next seminar and conference);
● current EC priorities and programme updates, including the Erasmus+ mid-term assessment;
● tips for a successful TAM;
● input on the forthcoming SPHERE publication on greening in higher education.
It is the third HERE event organized this year, which reunited experts from more than 20 countries participating at the Erasmus+ Programme. The first virtual event, on May 3-4, 2023, with the topic “Learning & Teaching in a Post-COVID Context: the Status Quo” involved the participation of all five team members of the Higher Education Reform Experts from Moldova, as well as the representatives of NEO Moldova. The second event was a study visit with the topic “Learning and teaching: innovation, digitalisation, and international collaboration” was hosted by Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, and involved the participation of the HERE team member from Moldova Dumitru Ciorba, dean at the Technical University of Moldova, as well as the National Erasmus+ Office coordinator.
Overall, it has to be mentioned that in the Partner Countries from Western Balkans, Neighborhood East, Southern Mediterranean and Central Asia, the National Teams of Higher Education Reform Experts (HERE) provide a pool of expertise to local authorities and stakeholders to promote reform and enhance progress in higher education. They participate in the development of policies in higher education in their respective country. HERE activities are based on "peer to peer" contacts. The HEREs are experts in the field of higher education (rectors, vice-rectors, deans, senior academics, international relations officers, students etc.).
Moldovan HEREs are being systematically involved in the policy reform process at the national level, as they hold key-positions in different academic institutions and have significant experience in developing international projects in higher education area. Moreover, HEREs are contributing at the selection of the thematic for the Technical Assistance Missions offered to Moldovan higher education institutions, and are contributing at their organisation.