In higher education, management is carried out at two levels: at the national level - by the Ministry of Education and Research and at the institutional level - by the management and administrative structures of higher education institutions.

Higher education institutions have university autonomy. This consists of the right of the university community to organise and self-manage, to exercise academic freedoms without any ideological, political or religious interference, to assume a set of competencies and obligations in accordance with national policies and strategies for the development of higher education.

University autonomy covers the areas of management, structuring and functioning of the institution, teaching and scientific research activity, administration, and financing and is achieved, including through:

• selecting and promoting teaching, scientific-didactic and scientific staff, as well as other categories of staff in the educational institution;
• establishing criteria for evaluating teaching and scientific research activity;
• granting teaching titles, etc. (Education Code).

Planning policy

The "Education 2030" Development Strategy provides as a general objective to ensure the education system of all levels and forms of education with qualified, competent, motivated and competitive teaching/scientific-didactic and managerial staff. Thus, among the priority directions of action in this regard are:

1) Development and implementation of programmes to promote and motivate young people towards teaching, scientific-didactic and research careers.

2) Improving initial professional training and ensuring the quality of teacher training programmes according to quality standards, including those for cooperation and collaboration in education and research.

3) Increasing the attractiveness and prestige of the teaching profession by revaluing it from a social and financial point of view and expanding professional insertion and support programmes throughout the career.

4) Restructuring the system and reconceptualising the continuous professional development of teaching, scientific-didactic and managerial staff from the perspective of sustainable development.

5) Developing a career guidance system for teaching professions by stimulating the academic performance of students in pedagogical institutions.

6) Development and implementation of an efficient performance management system in the teaching career from the perspective of promoting innovations, teaching excellence, and meritocracy.

Thus, it is planned that by 2030 the education system in the Republic of Moldova will be provided with at least 95% of the required number of qualified teaching/scientific-didactic (other categories of education specialists) and managerial staff, capable of providing quality, inclusive and equitable education for all, including through:

1) a 10% increase by 2030 in the number of students enrolled in pedagogical specialties;

2) a 10% decrease in the academic dropout rate in higher education with a pedagogical profile;

3) increasing the employment and retention rate of young specialists in the educational system up to 70% by 2030;

4) reducing the average age of teachers by at least 5 years by 2030.

Entry to the profession

The teaching, scientific-didactic and scientific positions in higher education are as follows:

1) didactic: university assistant, trainer, concertmaster, training foreman, coach;

2) scientific-didactic: university lecturer, associate professor, university professor;

3) scientific: intern scientific researcher, scientific researcher, senior scientific researcher, coordinating scientific researcher, senior scientific researcher, scientific consultant.

In accordance with the Framework Regulation approved by the Ministry of Education and Research, didactic, scientific-didactic and scientific positions in higher education, declared vacant, are filled through a competition, with the subsequent conclusion of an individual employment contract, in accordance with the legislation.

The responsibility for filling didactic, scientific-didactic and scientific positions in higher education, as well as for evaluation and dismissal of university staff, belongs to higher education institutions, which act on the basis of legislation, the University Charter and institutional normative acts.

The decision to organise the competition for filling didactic, scientific-didactic and scientific positions is adopted by the University Senate. The announcement regarding the organisation of the competition is published, at least 30 calendar days before the date of the competition, in the following ways: on the official website of the higher education institution and on the information board at the institution's headquarters. The institution may also announce competitions through additional channels, including mass media, national and international scientific publications, specialised websites for job postings (including EURAXESS), and others.

Any person meeting the minimum participation requirements, corresponding to the profile and requirements of the position, may participate in the competition for didactic, scientific-didactic, and research positions. In the case of candidates who have graduated from non-pedagogical higher education programmes, an additional condition for participation in the competition for teaching positions is proof of completion of the psychopedagogical module corresponding to a number of 60 transferable study credits or the equivalent psychopedagogical training programme.

The individual who has passed the competition for a specific didactic, scientific-didactic and scientific position is employed in the respective position as a tenured staff member, through an individual employment contract, concluded with the rector of the higher education institution, as a representative of the employing institution, for a period of 5 years.

Professional status

The personnel in higher education consists of:

a) scientific and teaching (scientific-didactic) staff: university lecturer, associate professor, university professor;

b) scientific staff: scientific researcher, senior scientific researcher, coordinating scientific researcher, principal scientific researcher;

c) teaching/didactic staff: university assistant, trainer, concert master, training foreman, coach;

d) auxiliary teaching staff: librarian, computer scientist, methodologist, accompanist;

e) other categories of staff: administrative and technical staff, secretary-referent, technician, engineer-technician, doctor, medical assistant, as well as auxiliary and service staff.

In higher education, the following titles are available:

a) scientific - doctor and habilitated doctor;

b) scientific-didactic - associate professor and university professor.

The scientific-didactic titles of associate professor and professor are conferred by the senate of the higher education institution, depending on the scientific field, and are confirmed by the national authority authorised to confirm scientific titles (Education Code).

The occupation of all scientific and didactic positions in higher education institutions is carried out on the basis of an individual employment contract for a specified period, concluded according to the results of the competition. The regulation regarding the procedure for occupying these positions are approved by the Government. The positions of rector, dean of the faculty and head of department in higher education institutions are elective. The procedure for election to the mentioned positions is provided for by the statutes of the respective educational institutions (Labor Code).

The norms of academic ethics and deontology are mandatorily provided for in the University Charter of each higher education institution. The University Charter is developed and adopted by the senate only after consulting the university community. This is adopted after obtaining a favorable opinion from the Ministry of Education and Research.

Salaries

The personnel in higher education institutions are remunerated in accordance with the conditions established by Government Decision No. 1234/2018. The monthly salary of the staff of the institutions for the activity carried out during the normal working time consists of:

1) the fixed part, composed of:

• the basic salary;
• the monthly bonus in a fixed amount;
• the monthly bonus for holding a scientific and/or scientific-didactic title;
• the monthly bonus for holding an honorary title.

2) the variable part, which includes:

• the performance bonus;
• specific bonuses.

Additionally, the staff of the institutions benefits from:

• the compensation bonus for work performed under unfavorable conditions;
• allowances for overtime, night work, and/or work performed on public holidays and/or rest days;
• one-time bonuses;
• an annual bonus.

The basic salary corresponds to the work performed within the full work schedule during a month and is established according to the salary coefficients provided for in Government Decision No. 1234/2018, in relation to the position held, level of education, teaching degree, length of service or salary step, as the case may be, under the conditions of this decision.

The monthly bonus for the scientific and/or scientific-didactic title is granted:

1) in the amount of 4500 lei (228 EUR*), to scientific researchers and management personnel working in organisations in the fields of research and innovation, scientific-didactic and management personnel in higher education, who hold the scientific title of habilitated doctor and/or the scientific-didactic title of university professor and/or the scientific title of research professor;

2) in the amount of 4000 lei (202 EUR*), to scientific researchers and management staff working in organisations in the fields of research and innovation, scientific-didactic staff and management staff in higher education, who hold the scientific title of doctor and/or the scientific-didactic title of university associate professor and/or the scientific title of research associate professor;

3) in the amount of 550 lei (28 EUR*) to staff from other fields of activity who hold the scientific title of habilitated doctor in the specialty corresponding to the obligations of the position and in the amount of 300 lei (15 EUR*) to staff from other fields of activity who hold the scientific title of doctor of sciences in the specialty corresponding to the obligations of the position.

The monthly bonus for the honorary title is established for individuals awarded honorary titles ("People's Artist", "Master of Art", "Master of Sports", etc.) and is between 100 and 250 lei (5-12 EUR*).

The bonus for performance aims to individually stimulate the institution's staff to achieve optimal results in their activities. The necessary means for granting the bonus for performance are planned annually within the limit of 10% of the annual amount of basic salaries at the institution level. The bonus for performance is granted monthly according to the individual performance obtained and is paid simultaneously with the salary.

Institutions have the right to establish and grant bonuses of a specific nature. The mechanism for granting bonuses of specific nature is regulated by an internal administrative act of the institution, approved based on the decisions of the Senate and the Council for Strategic Institutional Development.

*According to the exchange rate of the National Bank of Moldova on 1.08.2025.

Working time and holidays

The scientific and didactic workload of academic staff in the Republic of Moldova consists of:

a) classroom teaching activity (direct contact with students), carried out through:

• lectures;
• seminars, laboratory work, practical exercises, design projects, teaching/clinical internships, and other forms approved by the senate;

b) non-classroom teaching activity, carried out through:

• supervision of internships;
• oversight of didactic-artistic or sports activities;
• supervision of bachelor's, master's, doctoral projects or theses;
• monitoring the individual activity of students;
• evaluation and monitoring activities;
• consultations, direct guidance of the individual activity of the student;
• other activities provided for by institutional regulations.

c) research, technological transfer, sports and artistic creation activity, carried out through:

• conducting scientific research or carrying out artistic creation;
• developing curricula;
• developing programme products;
• publishing scientific articles;
• patenting research results;
• developing and editing monographs, scientific collections;
• writing doctoral theses;
• creating compositional, literary, plastic, decorative or design creations;
• staging performances;
• playing central roles in theatrical, cinematographic and/or television productions;
• participating in scientific projects and coordinating scientific projects;
• participating in scientific conferences, artistic festivals and sports competitions;
• other activities provided for by institutional regulations;

d) methodical activity, carried out through:

• preparing for lectures;
• developing lecture materials;
• designing teaching activities, including individual activities; 
• developing curricula;
• developing methodological recommendations for students;
• developing methodologies and tests for evaluating learning outcomes;
• leading methodological seminars;
• other activities provided for by institutional regulations.

In higher education, the unit of time for courses, seminars, laboratory activities and practical work is 2 conventional hours. The conventional hour in higher education is 45 minutes.

The total amount of working hours in a scientific-didactic norm, achieved by cumulating the aforementioned activities, is 35 astronomical hours per week.

Teaching and scientific staff of higher education institutions benefit annually, at the end of the academic year, from a paid holiday of 62 calendar days. Auxiliary teaching staff and administrative staff in education and in the field of science and innovation benefit from an annual paid holiday of 28 calendar days (Education Code).

Teaching staff in educational institutions are also granted, at least once every 10 years of pedagogical activity, a leave of up to one year, under the terms and conditions, including payment arrangements, established by the founder and/or the statutes of the respective institution (Labor Code).

Promotion, advancement

Higher education institutions in Moldova have academic autonomy in terms of promoting didactic, scientific-didactic and scientific staff, as well as other categories of staff.

In addition to holding a doctorate for accessing an academic career, there are specific criteria for promotion to the position of associate professor and university professor, with indicators relating to the number of articles published in international journals, participation in international projects, development of monographs and course materials, etc. The evaluation of staff involved in teaching and research activities in higher education is part of the quality assurance system and is carried out periodically, in accordance with institutional regulations. The evaluation of teaching and research staff in higher education is carried out on the basis of teaching performance, research performance, participation in academic life and other criteria established in institutional regulations. The evaluation of teaching and scientific staff is carried out by:

• the management of the institution;
• the head of the department or chair;
• the quality assurance committee;
• colleagues and experts;
• students (MEC Questionnaire, part 2, Chapter 26, Education and Culture).

The operational management of the higher education institution is ensured by the rector, assisted by the vice-rectors, with the support of the administrative council.

The rector is elected by the general assembly of tenured didactic, scientific-didactic, and research staff, including deans and heads of departments/chairs/research subdivisions elected through competition, as well as student representatives in the Senate and Faculty Councils, by majority vote. The process of electing the rector is initiated by the Council for Strategic Institutional Development by publishing an announcement before the expiration of the term of office of the incumbent rector, in accordance with the framework regulation approved by the Ministry of Education and Research. Candidates holding scientific and scientific-didactic titles and having at least 5 years of experience in higher education and research may be elected to the position of rector, in accordance with the institutional regulation developed on the basis of the framework regulation approved by the Ministry of Education and Research.

The rector appoints the vice-rectors for the duration of their term of office no later than 6 months from the date of inauguration into office.

The rector initiates, through the competition committees approved by the senate, the competition for the position of dean and head of department/chair, in accordance with the institutional regulation, no later than 6 months from the vacancy of the respective position.

The position of rector, vice-rector and dean may be held by the same individual for a maximum of two consecutive terms, each lasting five years. The term of office of the rector and vice-rectors automatically end upon reaching the age of 65 years. A rector who holds the position at the time when the institution is reorganised through the absorption of another higher education institution may serve three consecutive terms.

Rectors, vice-rectors, deans and heads of departments/chairs within educational institutions in the fields of military, security and public order are appointed to positions by the heads of the relevant authorities in these sectors, under whose subordination the respective institutions operate, in accordance with the special legal framework governing these areas (Education Code).

Retirement and pensions

In the Republic of Moldova, the standard retirement age for teachers is the same as for other employees, being established by Law No. 156/1998 on the public pension system. Retirement is carried out in accordance with the general legislation on the public pension system, according to the following scheme:

Thus, starting with 2028, both women and men will retire at the age of 63, according to the table presented.

The right to early retirement for long career is granted to people who have completed a contributory period of 5 years for men and 3 years for women longer than that provided by law.

Teachers can continue their activity after reaching retirement age, by concluding an employment contract for a period of up to two years, which, upon expiration, can be extended (Labor Code).