This open access book includes a series of relevant policy research articles elaborared in the
framework of the Quality in higher education: internationalisation and databases to enhance the
Romanian education system project implemented by the Executive Agency for Higher Education
Research Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI) together with the Ministry of
Education. The project aims to develop and implement systemic measures at tertiary education
level leading to an increased quality of the overall higher education system and universities
better prepared for labour market requirements and international standards. The book focuses on
areas of interest for Romanian higher education such as systemic measures to improve access
participation and completion for (vulnerable) students better promotion of the Romanian higher
education to attract students as well as instruments for a more efficient use of data at
higher education level. Each article includes evidence-based policy proposals that could
support new strategic initiatives in higher education including new legislation. Additionally
the collection of articles tells a comprehensive story about the audacity of a higher education
system which went through significant challenges to align itself with both European and
international trends as well as respond to national imperatives. Over the last three decades
since the fall of the Iron Curtain Romanian higher education has undergone significant
transformations aiming to align itself to the latest developments and trends at European and
international level. The National Law on Education no. 1 2011 has set the stage for a full
implementation of the Bologna Process action lines taking into account that Romania was
already a part of the largest European intergovernmental process - currently the European
Higher Education Area (EHEA) - as a founding member. However since the adoption of this
normative framework the law suffered numerous amendments making it challenging to observe and
achieve coherence in its implementation. Furthermore Romania is also currently redesigning the
strategy for the alocation of European structural funds 2021-2027 based on two strategic
documents - the new Education and Employment Operational Programme and the National Recovery
and Resilience Plan which highlight the reform and investment priorities at a national level.
At the same time 2021 is a good time to analyze the level of implementation for the objectives
and measures included in the National Strategy for Tertiary Education 2015-2020 the Europe
2020 Strategy and the Bologna Process action lines in the 2010 - 2020 timeframe. Therefore
the present moment may be an important time to assess the impact of strategic documents and
actions in the last decade and possibly to draft a new National Education Law better adapted
to current realities starting from the recent initiative by the President of Romania - the
Educated Romania strategic vision which was also politically assumed by the Romanian
Government.
