National course - Ethics and Academic Integrity to be implemented in universities

Over 13,500 students from all higher education institutions in the country will be trained by the end of this year in a new course - Ethics and Academic Integrity. It was recently developed under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Research (MEC), following the recommendation of the European Union Commission, in the context of the country's accession to the European community.

This initiative is part of the reform agenda related to the Growth Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2025-2027, the sectoral anti-corruption Plan in education for 2025-2026, the National Development Strategy 'European Moldova,' and the National Development Plan for 2025-2027.

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy (USMF) hosted an information session for trainers from Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University and Technical University of Moldova for teachers who will conduct the 'Ethics and Academic Integrity' course.

Adriana Cazacu, State Secretary of MEC, emphasized that the actions aim to promote an institutional culture based on integrity and encourage meritocracy in the academic environment, reducing plagiarism and academic fraud.


'Concrete measures have been taken to implement these actions. A working group was set up by order of the Minister of Education and Research, which developed a curriculum for the Ethics and Academic Integrity course to have a unified vision on this discipline. At the same time, each university, based on the specificity of the institution, has the freedom to teach this subject,' emphasized Adriana Cazacu.


The official said that universities are to ensure the training of 50% of undergraduate students, which amounts to a total of 54,000 students. This year, about 13,500 students will be trained, and a similar number in 2026. Financial resources are provided for these actions, and a rigorous documentation and reporting mechanism is set up.

At the same time, activities regarding academic integrity involve not only student training but also organizing information and awareness actions, including a national conference on 8 December 2025, the campaign 'Integrity is Your Choice,' and a flash mob on 9 December, organized on International Anti-Corruption Day. The conference will present the results of the second survey on academic integrity conducted in the country's universities.

According to Natalia Gavrilan, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law at Moldova State University, the curriculum includes four modules, equivalent to four pairs of courses (8 hours), which can be undertaken in any order as each topic is designed to be independent.


'The completion of the four modules aims at forming the necessary competencies to strengthen the culture of integrity at the university level, with the curriculum adapted for all specializations,' she noted.


Associate Professor Tatiana Novac, head of the Legal and Human Resources Department at USMF 'Nicolae Testemitanu,' spoke about the methodological resources for the course 'Ethics and Academic Integrity,' which include PowerPoint presentations, case studies, tests, and bibliography for each of the four modules. Each university and teacher can adapt the materials, change the order of topics, and add relevant case studies, provided the approved curriculum is respected. At the end of the course, students will receive participation certificates, indicating the respective qualification.

At USMF 'Nicolae Testemitanu,' the 'Ethics and Academic Integrity' course will be held on 27 November starting at 8:00 AM, for all students enrolled in bachelor's and integrated study programs.