Skytte Delegation Presented the Main Results of the EST4MORE Project at Moldova State University

On December 19th, a delegation from the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies participated in the final event of the EST4MORE project, where the main results and outcomes of the initiative were presented and evaluated.

The final event of the “Estonia's Best Practices for the Enhancement of Moldova's Higher Education Capacities” (EST4MORE) project was organized at Moldova State University (MSU). Funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) and coordinated by the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu (UT), the project was carried out in partnership with MSU.

EST4MORE builds on the successful collaboration previously established between UT and MSU through the “Enhancing Moldova's Europeanization through Innovative Teaching Practices” (Best4ME) initiative. The project expanded its scope to cover new areas and reach broader audiences, ensuring sustainability and lasting impact.

Over the past year, EST4MORE addressed challenges within Moldovan higher education institutions by targeting three key audiences. Its objectives included equipping educators with digital skills, enhancing MA students' understanding of European integration and competitiveness in the job market, and improving doctoral students' professional skills. The latter was achieved through networking opportunities with Estonian researchers, enabling the transfer of knowledge and best practices.

The final event’s program included a detailed overview of project activities and deliverables. Teaching staff, master’s, and doctoral students who participated in the program shared their feedback and testimonials. In addition to representatives from Moldova State University and the Skytte delegation, attendees included members of Moldova’s academic administration, such as  Vladimir Dolghi (Vice-rector for Economic Activity and International Relations of Moldova State University (MSU) and Alexandru Solcan (Dean of Faculty of International Relations, Political and Administrative Sciences (FIRPAS), Moldova State University). Distinguished speakers included  Olga Goncearov (Estonian Development Cooperation in the Republic of Moldova);  Lilia Parhomenco (Head of Direction of Public Policies and European Integration Coordination, Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova);  Eugen Vizir (Director of Diplomatic Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova) and Ion Stăvilă (Former Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in the Republic of Estonia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova). 

The project managed to achieve the following outcomes: 

• 90 educators from Moldovan HEIs enrolled in the "Digital Educator ABC" course, which was offered twice during the autumn semester and introduced teaching staff to the essential elements of digital didactics. 
• More than 30 students in the master's degree programs in "European Studies" and "Diplomatic Studies" at Moldova State University attended online webinars offered by the J. Skytte Institute’s staff. 
• 10 master’s students and 3 teaching staff members visited Estonia in October for an intensive 1-week study experience at our Institute, including visits to key institutions in Tallinn. 
• 14 doctoral students participated in a doctoral seminar offered by our Institute: “Introduction to Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences.” During this seminar, MSU students had an excellent opportunity to engage with the same types of assignments required of our UT doctoral students, and collaborate with their peers. 
• 4 doctoral students also attended an intensive 1-week academic writing bootcamp in Tartu and Kääriku, which included multiple workshops and sessions focusing on academic writing, peer review, and digital skills.