Journal of Research in Higher Education, Jul 4, 2024
Inter-university cooperation has always been a desideratum of higher education institutions. It h... more Inter-university cooperation has always been a desideratum of higher education institutions. It has developed at a slower or faster pace, for different reasons, depending on the era. Gradually, this cooperation has become more complex, giving rise to a new concept-the internationalisation of higher education. Supported by the development of technology and the increasing liberalisation of borders, cooperation in education has evolved from bilateral agreements to consortia of universities and eventually to European universities. Created at the initiative of the European Commission in 2017, European Universities are transnational alliances that over the last four years have brought about a paradigm shift in inter-university cooperation. This paper aims to discuss the participation of the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (UTCB) in a European consortium, and its contribution to internationalisation at the institutional level. We will try to identify the advantages of being a member of this alliance, as well as the dif iculties encountered throughout the cooperation and the means to overcome them.
Inter-university cooperation has always been a desideratum of higher education institutions. It h... more Inter-university cooperation has always been a desideratum of higher education institutions. It has developed at a slower or faster pace, for different reasons, depending on the era. Gradually, this cooperation has become more complex, giving rise to a new concept-the internationalisation of higher education. Supported by the development of technology and the increasing liberalisation of borders, cooperation in education has evolved from bilateral agreements to consortia of universities and eventually to European universities. Created at the initiative of the European Commission in 2017, European Universities are transnational alliances that over the last four years have brought about a paradigm shift in inter-university cooperation. This paper aims to discuss the participation of the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (UTCB) in a European consortium, and its contribution to internationalisation at the institutional level. We will try to identify the advantages of being a member of this alliance, as well as the dif iculties encountered throughout the cooperation and the means to overcome them.
The teaching of Romanian as a foreign language follows current pedagogical trends, undergoing a p... more The teaching of Romanian as a foreign language follows current pedagogical trends, undergoing a paradigm shift from a teacher-centred to a learner/student-centred approach. In the present case, this shift is even more visible in specialised language courses, where mastery of the target language vocabulary is a direct indicator of learners' linguistic competence (Nyikos, Fan 2007). The pandemic context and the dynamics of the labour market have led to a shift away from the traditional role of the te'cher, who has also become a creator and provider of teaching materials, as well as a facilitator of their use when talking about digital teaching resources (Hall 2013). The present paper aims to discuss a number of innovative methods of review and assessment that could be used in the specialised languages course of the Preparatory Year of Romanian for Foreign Citizens.
For centuries, peregrination academica gave the possibility to students to experience from a cult... more For centuries, peregrination academica gave the possibility to students to experience from a cultural point of view. Given the times, the beneficiaries of this study mobility were very few. Today, in a globalized world, even the education became an intercultural experience, multiplying and diversifying these exchanges, leading to the internationalization of higher education. Although the internationalization is a very complex process, one of its aims is to give to students the possibility to acquire the necessary skills, attitudes and competencies in order to be able to participate to these intercultural interactions which became part of our daily life. This article has as starting point the affirmation of Simon Volet according to who one way to achieve the above is to start by reforming the curriculum, giving it a more cultural approach. Considering this, the aim of this article is to discuss the evolution of cultural studies as part of this process and its potential for internationalization of higher education. We will build our argument taking as case study the Romanian higher education and the academic offer during the university year 2016-2017.
Buletinul Științific al Universității Tehnice de Construcții București, 2022
This scientific study aims to identify the problems that foreign citizens enrolled in the prepara... more This scientific study aims to identify the problems that foreign citizens enrolled in the preparatory year of Romanian language at the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest encounter from a phonetic and lexical point of view. Applying the questionnaire method and the taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies proposed by Norbert Schmitt, we tried to analyze the students' ability of auditory differentiation of sounds and perception of phonemes in the sequentiality of their production for the purpose of correct reception for lexical awareness and to identify their inclination for using vocabulary-learning strategies. The study showed that phonetically, learners perceive Romanian as having a medium degree of difficulty, especially for sounds that do not exist in their own language. From a lexical point of view, we could observe that vocabulary-learning strategies are used by respondents with average frequency, but cognitive and memory strategies are preferred. Learners' predilection for a particular SIV category also varies according to the age of the respondents and their mother tongue.
Teaching Romanian as a foreign language (RFL) to an often heterogeneous group is a challenge in i... more Teaching Romanian as a foreign language (RFL) to an often heterogeneous group is a challenge in itself. The COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the whole world has required a rethinking of methods and materials for teaching RFL with the imposition of the transfer of courses to the virtual classroom. This study will discuss the opportunities and challenges that both teachers and students have encountered in teaching and learning RFL. We will thus bring into discussion both theoretical aspects, such as the differentiation between online courses and virtual classroom courses, and pragmatic aspects such as the ways in which we have made the transition to the virtual classroom by adapting traditional teaching methods and materials. At the same time, we will also discuss the new role that the teacher has acquired in this new online teaching reality compared to his/her traditional role.
Charcula J., Sowa-Behtane E., Duraj-Nowakowa K (Eds). Studia Z Pedagogiki Spolecznej. Animation of Synergism of Educational and Prosocial Actions in the Face of Contemporary Challanges, 2018
In a globalized and interconnected world, multilingualism became essentialfor the enhancing ... more In a globalized and interconnected world, multilingualism became essentialfor the enhancing of the intercultural communication and understanding. Its significantimportance put it on the agenda of the European Union, which identifies the higher educationinstitutions as one of the main actors in promoting multilingualism. As a consequence, eachmember state of the European Union became responsible for including this priority on its ownagenda. The aim of this research project is to analyze the manner in which multilingualism ispromoted within the Romanian higher education institutions. Since there are many actionsthrough which multilingualism can be enhanced, we chose as case study the teaching of foreignlanguages in the Romanian universities. The hypothesis we aim to test is that the promotion ofmultilingualism is very much influenced by the developmenet and evolution of the studyprograms in the field of philology and applied modern languages. Keywords: multilingualism, foreign languages, higher education, university, Romania.
The spread of globalisation and multiculturalism has challenged higher education all over the wor... more The spread of globalisation and multiculturalism has challenged higher education all over the world. The intensification of the free movement of ideas, people and products has led to changes in the structure of academic staff, student's profile, content of the curricula and teaching methods, as well as in the criteria for developing academic cooperation projects. This dynamic perceived at the higher education level has acquired a name: internationalisation. In a context where everything has become interconnected, we see the need for a common language, able to enhance the internationalisation process in order for higher education to fulfil its new role in a globalised and multicultural world. Can English represent this bridging language in higher education, as it can in many other fields? Our hypothesis is that indeed, the English language can be considered a means of enhancing the internationalisation of higher education. In order to test our hypothesis, we will illustrate our assumption by using the Romanian case. In the first part of the article, we will present the historical background of the use of English in Romanian higher education institutions, while in the second we will focus on its present use as a means of enhancing the internationalisation process.
Iulian Boldea, Cornel Sigmirean (Eds), Debating Globalization. Identity, Nation and Dialogue. Section: Communication, Public Relations and Education Sciences, 2017
Globalization and multiculturalism have been manifesting since long time, but what differentiates... more Globalization and multiculturalism have been manifesting since long time, but what differentiates them today from other stages of history is their accelerated occurrence as a consequence of the development of technology, becoming the realities and the challenges of 21 st century. Both globalization and multiculturalism have affected also the higher education system over the course of time, having as result a set of activities which today is known as internationalization. The present article focuses on the internationalization of higher education in Romania. Its main aim is to identify the origins of this process, as well as its cultural implications on the Romanian society. Our starting point is an affirmation made in a public document named Analysis-Diagnosis (The Universities in the context of globalization and Europeanization) where the origins of the internationalization in Romania are identified during the communist regime. Considering this affirmation as inaccurate from many reasons, which will be presented within the article, our hypothesis is that the origins of internationalization of Romanian higher education can be identified at the end of 17 th century, when the first Romanian institution of higher education has been founded. While trying to test our hypothesis, following the periodization realized by Jane Knight and Hans de Wit for the internationalization of higher education globally, we will try to realize a similar periodization for the internationalization of the Romanian higher education. In this regard, we will take into consideration the historical and political aspects, but also the cultural implications that this process have had on the Romanian society at each particular period of time.
LiBRI. Linguistic and Literary Broad Research and Innovation, 2016
The aim of this article is to examine the role of the Romanian language in
relation to the discou... more The aim of this article is to examine the role of the Romanian language in relation to the discourse and processes of internationalization and globalization in the context of Romanian higher education system. More precisely, through this research project we analyze the way in which the Romanian language can be used as a tool through which the internationalization process accomplishes one of its goals, namely the promotion of the Romanian culture and civilization and the preservation of he country-specific. The approach of this subject exceeds the nationalist discourse and the cleavage unity-diversity, and uses instead the unity in diversity approach. The results of this project showed the potential that the Romanian language has in order to be successfully included in the process of internationalization of higher education and opens the door to a more extensive research aiming at identifying new ways of using it.
Journal of Research in Higher Education, Jul 4, 2024
Inter-university cooperation has always been a desideratum of higher education institutions. It h... more Inter-university cooperation has always been a desideratum of higher education institutions. It has developed at a slower or faster pace, for different reasons, depending on the era. Gradually, this cooperation has become more complex, giving rise to a new concept-the internationalisation of higher education. Supported by the development of technology and the increasing liberalisation of borders, cooperation in education has evolved from bilateral agreements to consortia of universities and eventually to European universities. Created at the initiative of the European Commission in 2017, European Universities are transnational alliances that over the last four years have brought about a paradigm shift in inter-university cooperation. This paper aims to discuss the participation of the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (UTCB) in a European consortium, and its contribution to internationalisation at the institutional level. We will try to identify the advantages of being a member of this alliance, as well as the dif iculties encountered throughout the cooperation and the means to overcome them.
Inter-university cooperation has always been a desideratum of higher education institutions. It h... more Inter-university cooperation has always been a desideratum of higher education institutions. It has developed at a slower or faster pace, for different reasons, depending on the era. Gradually, this cooperation has become more complex, giving rise to a new concept-the internationalisation of higher education. Supported by the development of technology and the increasing liberalisation of borders, cooperation in education has evolved from bilateral agreements to consortia of universities and eventually to European universities. Created at the initiative of the European Commission in 2017, European Universities are transnational alliances that over the last four years have brought about a paradigm shift in inter-university cooperation. This paper aims to discuss the participation of the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (UTCB) in a European consortium, and its contribution to internationalisation at the institutional level. We will try to identify the advantages of being a member of this alliance, as well as the dif iculties encountered throughout the cooperation and the means to overcome them.
The teaching of Romanian as a foreign language follows current pedagogical trends, undergoing a p... more The teaching of Romanian as a foreign language follows current pedagogical trends, undergoing a paradigm shift from a teacher-centred to a learner/student-centred approach. In the present case, this shift is even more visible in specialised language courses, where mastery of the target language vocabulary is a direct indicator of learners' linguistic competence (Nyikos, Fan 2007). The pandemic context and the dynamics of the labour market have led to a shift away from the traditional role of the te'cher, who has also become a creator and provider of teaching materials, as well as a facilitator of their use when talking about digital teaching resources (Hall 2013). The present paper aims to discuss a number of innovative methods of review and assessment that could be used in the specialised languages course of the Preparatory Year of Romanian for Foreign Citizens.
For centuries, peregrination academica gave the possibility to students to experience from a cult... more For centuries, peregrination academica gave the possibility to students to experience from a cultural point of view. Given the times, the beneficiaries of this study mobility were very few. Today, in a globalized world, even the education became an intercultural experience, multiplying and diversifying these exchanges, leading to the internationalization of higher education. Although the internationalization is a very complex process, one of its aims is to give to students the possibility to acquire the necessary skills, attitudes and competencies in order to be able to participate to these intercultural interactions which became part of our daily life. This article has as starting point the affirmation of Simon Volet according to who one way to achieve the above is to start by reforming the curriculum, giving it a more cultural approach. Considering this, the aim of this article is to discuss the evolution of cultural studies as part of this process and its potential for internationalization of higher education. We will build our argument taking as case study the Romanian higher education and the academic offer during the university year 2016-2017.
Buletinul Științific al Universității Tehnice de Construcții București, 2022
This scientific study aims to identify the problems that foreign citizens enrolled in the prepara... more This scientific study aims to identify the problems that foreign citizens enrolled in the preparatory year of Romanian language at the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest encounter from a phonetic and lexical point of view. Applying the questionnaire method and the taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies proposed by Norbert Schmitt, we tried to analyze the students' ability of auditory differentiation of sounds and perception of phonemes in the sequentiality of their production for the purpose of correct reception for lexical awareness and to identify their inclination for using vocabulary-learning strategies. The study showed that phonetically, learners perceive Romanian as having a medium degree of difficulty, especially for sounds that do not exist in their own language. From a lexical point of view, we could observe that vocabulary-learning strategies are used by respondents with average frequency, but cognitive and memory strategies are preferred. Learners' predilection for a particular SIV category also varies according to the age of the respondents and their mother tongue.
Teaching Romanian as a foreign language (RFL) to an often heterogeneous group is a challenge in i... more Teaching Romanian as a foreign language (RFL) to an often heterogeneous group is a challenge in itself. The COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the whole world has required a rethinking of methods and materials for teaching RFL with the imposition of the transfer of courses to the virtual classroom. This study will discuss the opportunities and challenges that both teachers and students have encountered in teaching and learning RFL. We will thus bring into discussion both theoretical aspects, such as the differentiation between online courses and virtual classroom courses, and pragmatic aspects such as the ways in which we have made the transition to the virtual classroom by adapting traditional teaching methods and materials. At the same time, we will also discuss the new role that the teacher has acquired in this new online teaching reality compared to his/her traditional role.
Charcula J., Sowa-Behtane E., Duraj-Nowakowa K (Eds). Studia Z Pedagogiki Spolecznej. Animation of Synergism of Educational and Prosocial Actions in the Face of Contemporary Challanges, 2018
In a globalized and interconnected world, multilingualism became essentialfor the enhancing ... more In a globalized and interconnected world, multilingualism became essentialfor the enhancing of the intercultural communication and understanding. Its significantimportance put it on the agenda of the European Union, which identifies the higher educationinstitutions as one of the main actors in promoting multilingualism. As a consequence, eachmember state of the European Union became responsible for including this priority on its ownagenda. The aim of this research project is to analyze the manner in which multilingualism ispromoted within the Romanian higher education institutions. Since there are many actionsthrough which multilingualism can be enhanced, we chose as case study the teaching of foreignlanguages in the Romanian universities. The hypothesis we aim to test is that the promotion ofmultilingualism is very much influenced by the developmenet and evolution of the studyprograms in the field of philology and applied modern languages. Keywords: multilingualism, foreign languages, higher education, university, Romania.
The spread of globalisation and multiculturalism has challenged higher education all over the wor... more The spread of globalisation and multiculturalism has challenged higher education all over the world. The intensification of the free movement of ideas, people and products has led to changes in the structure of academic staff, student's profile, content of the curricula and teaching methods, as well as in the criteria for developing academic cooperation projects. This dynamic perceived at the higher education level has acquired a name: internationalisation. In a context where everything has become interconnected, we see the need for a common language, able to enhance the internationalisation process in order for higher education to fulfil its new role in a globalised and multicultural world. Can English represent this bridging language in higher education, as it can in many other fields? Our hypothesis is that indeed, the English language can be considered a means of enhancing the internationalisation of higher education. In order to test our hypothesis, we will illustrate our assumption by using the Romanian case. In the first part of the article, we will present the historical background of the use of English in Romanian higher education institutions, while in the second we will focus on its present use as a means of enhancing the internationalisation process.
Iulian Boldea, Cornel Sigmirean (Eds), Debating Globalization. Identity, Nation and Dialogue. Section: Communication, Public Relations and Education Sciences, 2017
Globalization and multiculturalism have been manifesting since long time, but what differentiates... more Globalization and multiculturalism have been manifesting since long time, but what differentiates them today from other stages of history is their accelerated occurrence as a consequence of the development of technology, becoming the realities and the challenges of 21 st century. Both globalization and multiculturalism have affected also the higher education system over the course of time, having as result a set of activities which today is known as internationalization. The present article focuses on the internationalization of higher education in Romania. Its main aim is to identify the origins of this process, as well as its cultural implications on the Romanian society. Our starting point is an affirmation made in a public document named Analysis-Diagnosis (The Universities in the context of globalization and Europeanization) where the origins of the internationalization in Romania are identified during the communist regime. Considering this affirmation as inaccurate from many reasons, which will be presented within the article, our hypothesis is that the origins of internationalization of Romanian higher education can be identified at the end of 17 th century, when the first Romanian institution of higher education has been founded. While trying to test our hypothesis, following the periodization realized by Jane Knight and Hans de Wit for the internationalization of higher education globally, we will try to realize a similar periodization for the internationalization of the Romanian higher education. In this regard, we will take into consideration the historical and political aspects, but also the cultural implications that this process have had on the Romanian society at each particular period of time.
LiBRI. Linguistic and Literary Broad Research and Innovation, 2016
The aim of this article is to examine the role of the Romanian language in
relation to the discou... more The aim of this article is to examine the role of the Romanian language in relation to the discourse and processes of internationalization and globalization in the context of Romanian higher education system. More precisely, through this research project we analyze the way in which the Romanian language can be used as a tool through which the internationalization process accomplishes one of its goals, namely the promotion of the Romanian culture and civilization and the preservation of he country-specific. The approach of this subject exceeds the nationalist discourse and the cleavage unity-diversity, and uses instead the unity in diversity approach. The results of this project showed the potential that the Romanian language has in order to be successfully included in the process of internationalization of higher education and opens the door to a more extensive research aiming at identifying new ways of using it.
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relation to the discourse and processes of internationalization and
globalization in the context of Romanian higher education system. More
precisely, through this research project we analyze the way in which the
Romanian language can be used as a tool through which the
internationalization process accomplishes one of its goals, namely the
promotion of the Romanian culture and civilization and the preservation of he country-specific. The approach of this subject exceeds the nationalist discourse and the cleavage unity-diversity, and uses instead the unity in diversity approach. The results of this project showed the potential that the Romanian language has in order to be successfully included in the process of internationalization of higher education and opens the door to a more extensive research aiming at identifying new ways of using it.
relation to the discourse and processes of internationalization and
globalization in the context of Romanian higher education system. More
precisely, through this research project we analyze the way in which the
Romanian language can be used as a tool through which the
internationalization process accomplishes one of its goals, namely the
promotion of the Romanian culture and civilization and the preservation of he country-specific. The approach of this subject exceeds the nationalist discourse and the cleavage unity-diversity, and uses instead the unity in diversity approach. The results of this project showed the potential that the Romanian language has in order to be successfully included in the process of internationalization of higher education and opens the door to a more extensive research aiming at identifying new ways of using it.