Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Republic of Moldova on his first official visit to Nicolae Testemitanu University

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy has been honored, on December 8, 2021, with the visit of His Excellency Rahul Shrivastava, Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Republic of Moldova, residing in Bucharest.

The visit aimed at strengthening the established bilateral partnership included a meeting with representatives of the University administration, which addressed issues related to enhancing bilateral cooperation between the University and the Indian state, as well as promoting interstate academic and professional mobility.

 The First Vice-Rector Olga Cernețchi, vice-rector for teaching activity, mentioned that the collaboration relations of Nicolae Testemitanu University with India were initiated about 15 years ago. During this period the University has been visited by Indian senior state officials, and university representatives have also paid working visits to India in the context of strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Nicolae Testemitanu University is a credible institution that operates according to the highest quality standards, authenticated by certificates of accreditation of all study programs at national level and an international institutional accreditation certificate, which led to the recognition of the University worldwide", noted the vice-rector. At the same time, Olga Cernețchi has emphasized that the University aims at internationalization and insists on the quality of studies: “We are responsible for the quality of teaching so that, at the end of studies, we can offer competent specialists”. In this context, the First Vice-Rector specified that the first graduation class of Indian citizens was registered, and all those who submitted the files for confirmation of their diplomas in India passed the NEXT bachelor's exam, which constituted an important qualification for our university.

 In his turn, Ambassador Rahul Shrivastava expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to study at Nicolae Testemitanu University offered to Indian citizens and for ensuring the continuity of this process. The Indian official announced the openness of the diplomatic mission to solve any issues that might arise. In other news, the ambassador has specified that 2022 will mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of India and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Moldova, which is why the embassy is interested in the organization of cultural and social events at our university on this occasion.

 Subsequently, the diplomat had a meeting with the Indian students who study at Nicolae Testemitanu University and assured them that he would support their projects, while also asking them to get involved in organizing the anniversary events. His Excellency Rahul Shrivastava reiterated that the Embassy would consider the possibility of facilitating access to consular services related to obtaining documents, confirming graduation diplomas, including by delegating a representative to Chisinau. Respectively, the Embassy of India will submit a request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova in order to open a diplomatic mission of our country in India, which would help facilitate these processes.

 Currently, 705 Indians study at Nicolae Testemitanu University, of which about 80% are from Kerala State. To date, 62 India