WISH Romania

Information about the university:

Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara (UVT) / West University of Timişoara (WUT) is the main higher education institution and research pole in Western Romania. Its community comprises roughly 16000 students and over 700 academic staff. It is a comprehensive university in character and includes 11 faculties with their respective departments, as well as the Teacher Training Department. The faculties functioning within the framework of UVT offer nationally accredited study programmes at Bachelor, Master and PhD level in the following subject areas: Arts and Design; Chemistry, Biology, Geography; Economics and Business Administration; Law; Letters, History and Theology; Mathematics and Computer Science; Music and Theater; Physical Education and Sports; Physics; Political Sciences, Philosophy and Communication Sciences; Sociology and Psychology. The university’s strong focus on quality within an increasingly international and globalized academic world is endorsed by UVT’s affiliation to various regional, European and international higher education associations, as well as its’ position in rakings worldwide (for example, QS World University Rankings Top 701+ and QS Rankings by Subject Top 150 in field of Modern Languages, in 2015). West University of Timisoara offers students the opportunity to combine theoretical & practical knowledge, in a multi- and inter-disciplinary environment, preparing them to enter a globalized labor market. With more than 5% of the student body being international, the university is intensively involved in processes of internationalization with our faculties offering study programs in foreign languages (English, German, or French) at Bachelor, Master & PhD level.

The university’s strong focus on quality within an increasingly international and globalized academic world is endorsed by UVT’s afilliation to the European Association of Universities (EUA) and the International Association of Universities (IAU), as well as many other international bodies and associations (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, European Association for International Education, European Association of Erasmus Coordinators, etc). On a yearly basis, West University of Timisoara implements over 100 research projects, out of which around 25% have an international dimension.

West University of Timişoara is, thus, a comprehensive university fostering a multi- and inter-disciplinary approach to higher education and research, with a clear focus towards the internationalization. The university has over 350 bilateral agreements fostering exchanges in the Erasmus+ and EEA Grants programme and over 100 other bilateral agreements with higher education institutions worldwide. In 2015-2016, West University of Timisoara has over 270 outgoing students (studies and placement) pursuing a mobility abroad, as well as over 120 incoming mobility students. Also, 570 international students pursue a full degree programme (Bachelor, Masters and PhD). West University of Timisoara also hosts 15 study programmes taught in a foreign language (English, French and German) with around 15 full-time foreign lecturers and over 40 incoming short term teaching mobilities, yearly. With an estimated increase of 30% in international students numbers for the next academic year, our university is committed to supporting the personal and profesional development of students in an increasingly internationalized academic world. Highly focused on the internationalization of curricula, West University of Timisoara is more and more oriented towards opportunities for graduates’ absorbtion within an increasingly globalized labour market.

The university is part of a very multicultural and dynamic city that offers various options for work and leisure. Timişoara is not only a cosmopolitan city highly connected to the rest of Europe, but also the city with the highest internet speed in the world. Studying here, however, can benefit our students in other ways, too. For example, by opening up other possibilities for international study and travel. More than 400 bilateral agreements with partners worldwide offer our students the paid opportunity to study or work abroad as part of their curricula. Moreover, the university benefits from a modern and fully-equipped library, as well as language and culture centers (Chinese, Portuguese, French, German, Austrian, Italian, Spanish, etc). Last, but not least, the student campus is located in the heart of the city and is in itself an attraction, with various opportunities for leisure and living.

The Teacher Training Department offers 2 Teaching Certificate Programs available for undergraduates and graduates of various faculties and other eligible fields. The Teaching Certificate Programs include a transdisciplinary approach focused on the development of skills needed as a teacher. Having about 1000 students certified as teachers each year, the department has a strong contribution on shaping the Educational Landscape in Romania.

Responsibilities within the project:

– Developing measurement and qualitative research tools that will be used for formative and summative evaluation and creating a framework for statistical interpretation
(collab. with Turkey)
– evaluating and ongoing monitoring of the project with (collab.with Turkey)
– evaluating the design of the project activities regarding to improve the 21st century skills and key competencies of students before their implementation (collab. with Turkey)
– conducting the pilots study of the project in a local high school.
– writing a research paper about the project topics, process and results (collab. with Turkey)
– integrating project outputs and outcomes to teacher training curricula of the faculty, professional development trainings of teachers and school curricula of students for Romanian pilot study schools.