Launch of fortification of education through medical research subproject at “Nicolae Testemitanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova has launched an investment subproject worth 2 million 150 thousand euros for the strengthening of education through research in medicine, money allocated by the Government of the Republic of Moldova under Higher Education in Moldova project implemented by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova in 2020-2025. The launch event took place on December 7, 2022.

Rector Emil Ceban mentioned that the FORCE-med project represented the implementation of the concept of education through research in order to improve higher medical education in accordance with the University's Development Strategy until 2030 and the Institutional Strategy for strengthening the field of research and innovation.

“The implementation of this project will contribute to significantly increasing the training capacity and the quality of medical education through research within the University, to the training of highly qualified doctors and pharmacists for the health system. At the same time, it will be possible to connect the purpose of studies and research skills of graduates in the field of Health to the current requirements of the labor market”, the rector emphasized.

Minister of Education and Research Anatolie Topala specified that the project supported the universities of the Republic of Moldova for the modernization of premises and study programs. “Through these sub-projects, four priority areas are supported – medicine, engineering, pedagogy, and the ICT sector. An extensive process of modernization of higher education was initiated this year, including through mergers, to direct and concentrate financial resources in fewer institutions, to ensure better conditions for university professors and students and to provide quality studies in universities”, the official stated.

According to Minister of Health Ala Nemerenco, the offered grant lays the foundations for a new direction in research – research in medical education. “Research used in the teaching process has been shown to greatly help students learn and pass tests and exams more easily. It is known that the focus is on evidence-based medicine, starting with diagnosis and ending with treatment, an element that considerably increases medical expertise. Thanks to the implementation of this sub-project, the skills of young people will be also developed- future doctors will acquire better skills in medical expertise”, specified the minister.

Academicianul Stanislav Groppa, prorector pentru activitatea de cercetare, a menționat că FORCE-med prevede crearea Centrului de Medicină Moleculară, ce va include compartimentele morfologie, culturi celulare, microscopie confocală, imunologie, biochimie, laborator de genetică și biobancă. „Vom avea posibilitatea să concentrăm tehnologiile avansate pe o platformă comună, să susținem programele de cercetare interuniversitare naționale în beneficiul sănătății populației pe termen lung, să creștem vizibilitatea Republicii Moldova la nivel internațional”, a accentuat prof. Groppa.

The project manager, Professor Olga Tagadiuc, has noted that under the FORCE-med project, the education plans and curricula of the disciplines will be improved, as well as new interdisciplinary curricula will be developed that will allow the cultivation of research skills and the application of scientific achievements of students, master's students, doctoral students, and resident doctors. “The allocated money will be used for the reconstruction of the rooms for the Center of Molecular Medicine and the customization of two underlying clusters with teaching and research equipment. Also, the Center will be equipped with didactic and research equipment, educational resources (biostatistics software), computer technology, and a telemedicine video transmission system, which will allow the remote transfer of data – high-resolution images, sounds, live images, recordings, etc.”, Olga Tagadiuc said.

Catalina Gutul, a sixth-year student at the Faculty of Medicine No. 1, highlighted that the launched project was an important one that would contribute to increasing the quality of studies within the University because students would obtain practical research skills, which they could later implement in the completion of undergraduate and doctoral theses. “Science and research can be carried out in the Republic of Moldova, but this requires investment and continuous development and the FORCE-med project contributes to the encouragement and implementation of a well-defined, well-established process to enhance research in our country”, concluded the student.

Finally, the rector thanked the Government of the Republic of Moldova for the grant offered and the officials for the support given in the development of higher medical education and the national health system for the benefit of the people.