Launch of the investment sub-project "Modernisation and strengthening of education through research in pharmacy and medicine at Nicolae Testemitanu university FORCE_Farm"

On January 16, 2024, at Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova, the investment sub-project "Modernization and strengthening of education through research in pharmacy and medicine at Nicolae Testemitanu University FORCE_Farm" was launched. The given sub-project, worth 2 million euros, is included in the second round of the call for sub-projects within the framework of "Moldova Higher Education" Project (MHEP), implemented by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova (MER) and financed by the World Bank.

In the opening of the event, rector of the University Emil Ceban emphasized that, while applying the latest achievements of science and technology in all areas of social life, including medicine and pharmacy, the updating and continuous development of the educational offer and the remodeling the university curriculum by integrating education with research and cultivating qualified clinical and pharmaceutical skills in future specialists to enable them to face the challenges of time and the new requirements of the national and global health system, is imperative. That is why one of the main strategic objectives for the development of Nicolae Testemitanu University until 2030 is based on the implementation of the principle of training through research.

 "By implementing the FORCE_Farm project, we expect to ensure an integrated training of doctors and pharmacists from the perspective of drug knowledge, as well as the development of collaboration skills in interprofessional teams, which would allow for a multilateral assessment of the patient and making therapeutic decisions based on evidence, in the context of applying the principles of personalized medicine, the purpose of which is to ensure the right treatment for the right patient, at the right time", emphasized the rector.

Adriana Cazacu, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education and Research, stated that, given the modernization of higher education in Moldova, the MER suggested to achieve several objectives, including the consolidation of the university and research system by concentrating human and financial resources, as well as bringing scientific research closer to students by integrating research institutions within universities. "We are witnessing a change in our universities’ , this change must be related to the content, and we believe that this is also possible through the implementation of such projects as the one launched today", stated the MER representative.

The Secretary of State appreciated the fact that at Nicolae Testemitanu University financial resources are invested to create study conditions, learning environments are changed, students benefit from modern laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, hostels, and modernized sports fields, etc. "We know that a lot of work is being done in the internationalization area, you are even leaders in some positions in terms of attracting foreign students, developing the capacities of human resources, including knowledge of the English language by teaching staff. We are happy for these achievements, we will continue to support the universities, including your institution", concluded Adriana Cazacu.

For his part, Alexandru Gasnaș, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Health, highlighted the role of fundamental and applied research in the economy, but especially in medical training, noting that recently many investments are made in research and there is a need for involvement. The Secretary of State mentioned a project of the Ministry of Health on the creation of start-ups in the form of medical parks. Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy needs space for a start-up – a proper environment to grow. We must develop the culture of research in the institution, and we need this environment. Together with the University, we will open this start-up park, where we can focus on various research activities in the given ecosystem", said Alexandru Gașnaș.

Sergiu Harea, "Moldova Higher Education" World Bank project manager, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova, emphasized that the project was initiated by the government at the request of the business environment, because universities must train specialists needed by companies. This project has 3 dimensions: improving the quality assurance mechanism, orientation towards the labor market and management of state resources and investments. "Dear students, the business environment in the country, in this case in the medical consulting field and beyond, is constantly developing. I recommend that you take all the knowledge that the bright specialists in the field of medicine offer you and implement it successfully at home, in the Republic of Moldova", added the MHEP manager.

 According to Associate Professor Livia Uncu, manager of the "FORCE_Farm" subproject, the "Modernization and strengthening of education through research in pharmacy and medicine" subproject within the Nicolae Testemitanu University is complementary to the "FORCE_Med" subproject and is oriented towards the implementation of the principle of training through research: from obtaining of the drug until its use in therapy. "This project allows the expansion of research activity from the creation of the infrastructure, study contents, to the implementation in the entire health area. Thus, the process of modernizing and strengthening the teaching and research platform in the development of medicines provides for the management of the educational process at the Faculty of Pharmacy from the perspective of the research methodology of medicines, but also the familiarization of students from the Faculty of Medicine with this process, to initiate the activity of integration of studies of the two faculties. To facilitate the learning of the process of development and rational use of medicines, measures will be taken for developing interdisciplinary courses, which will allow both the use of the latest biopharmaceutical technologies in pharmaceutical and medical practice, as well as the improvement of students' skills in research and application of their results", noted Livia Uncu.

For this purpose, the following entities will be created: the Laboratory of Plant and Pharmaceutical Biotechnologies for studies in the field of basic and specialized pharmaceutical sciences, the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnologies and Drug Design, which will ensure the experimental and research approach to pharmaceutical disciplines, but also the clinical ones, the laboratories of the Scientific Medicine Center will be equipped with modern equipment, a study and research room will be created, equipped with specialized educational systems, which will ensure the participation of students in the process of simulating experiments and at various stages of developing medicines. The creation of this infrastructure will contribute to the biotechnological education of students, by acquiring advanced practical skills in the field of physico-chemical analysis and bioanalysis, as well as the application of various modern research methods of the drug properties.

University professor Olga Tagadiuc, manager of the FORCE_Med sub-project, presented the results obtained by the University up to the current stage under the first sub-project Strengthening of education through research in medicine at Nicolae Testemitanu University, that has been implemented for 1 year and 3 months. "So far we have managed to obtain two evaluation reports with proposals for improving the education plans in the Medicine program from a national expert and an international one. The Molecular Technologies in Health study program is also in the process of evaluation by a national and an international expert. Two integrated studies and two master's curricula have already been approved, and the others are in the evaluation process. The "Adaptation to Climate Change" curriculum was initiated, so that starting from the current semester, students can opt for this discipline that will be studied in the new academic year. Basically, the next academic year will start with new education plans and 8 improved curricula, as well as two new ones", the sub-project manager specified.

 The largest funding component was intended for the strengthening of the research infrastructure by creating new medical scientific laboratories and equipping the existing ones with modern furniture and devices, intended for students and other categories of beneficiaries. For this purpose, two procurement rounds were organized. 35% of the allocated budget was capitalized for the purchase of high-performance equipment, such as: a device for photometry through absorbance, fluorescence, luminescence, and framed microscopy, which allow the analysis of live cell cultures, a liquid chronometry device focused on the study of proteins, as well as equipment for performing experiments on animals.

 At the same time, major repair works were carried out on the 6th floor of the Study Block no. 1 "Leonid Cobâleanschi", redesigning the ventilation system according to the requirements for laboratories, furniture design, etc. The platform is expected to be 80-90 percent equipped by the end of this semester. "We hope that thanks to the implementation of the two sub-projects, the students will be able to develop their working skills in the laboratory, which in the future will allow them to be even more in demand on the labor market, which, in turn, will become more diversified as it will not include only the pharmacy, but also to the advanced pharmaceutical industry in the Republic of Moldova", concluded Olga Tagadiuc.

FORCE_Med and FORCE_Farm sub-projects are part of the Higher Education Improvement Program and  of the objectives of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, of the interventions of the Ministry of Education and Research aimed at improving, modernizing and increasing the quality of the educational process at all levels of studies, by maintaining and developing the educational offer, reconfiguring training from the perspective of skills training and enhancing attractiveness and competitiveness both at the national level and in the European context.