President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu attended a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of Moldova State University and a century of Romanian-language higher education in Bessarabia, TRIBUNA reports.

In her speech, the head of state spoke about the path higher education has taken over the past century — from the beginnings of Romanian-language university education in Chisinau to the national revival, independence, and restoration of academic freedom.

“From this history, we must learn, first and foremost, to value freedom. The freedom to learn and conduct research. The freedom to ask questions. To tell the truth. The freedom to think for ourselves,” President Maia Sandu said.

The head of state spoke about the role Moldova State University has played in educating generations of professionals and stressed that the mission of universities is even more important today, in a world where artificial intelligence and new technologies are rapidly transforming the way we learn and work:

“We need good teachers, researchers, lawyers, and specialists in science and technology. But above all, we need people who think for themselves and use their knowledge for the good of society,” the President said.

Maia Sandu noted that the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the European Union will open up new opportunities for research, cooperation, and academic exchanges, but will also bring greater competition.

“We want universities in the Republic of Moldova to be able to compete on an equal footing with European universities. We want our young people to choose to study at home. And we want young people from other countries to choose universities in the Republic of Moldova,” the head of state said.

In conclusion, the President expressed confidence that Moldova State University will continue to educate free and well-prepared people who will contribute to the development of a European Moldova.

Moldova State University was founded in 1946. The tradition of Romanian-language higher education in Chisinau dates back to 1926, when the Faculty of Theology of the University of Iași was opened.