Higher Education in Romania: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Opportunities

Contents
About the Editors
Educated Romania—Focusing on Inclusive Policymaking After 30 Years of Shifting Reforms in the Romanian Education System
	1 Context
	2 A New Reform Agenda and a New Approach
	3 Significance
	References
Increasing Participation and Success in Higher Education (Coordinated by Jamil Salmi)
Access Patterns in Romanian Higher Education. A Story of Asymmetry and Polarization
	1 Demographic Transformations and Higher Education Recruitment Patterns
	2 Data and Methodology
	3 Recruitment Typologies and Network Organization
		3.1 Diversity of Recruitment Basins: Narrow Verses Diverse Recruitment Networks
		3.2 Structure of Local Recruitment Environments: Open Verses Closed Recruitment Networks
		3.3 Network Self-Organisation: Vulnerabilities and Resilience
	4 Results
		4.1 Patterns of Enrolment: The Recruitment Basins
		4.2 Different Patterns of Depopulation Within University Recruitment Basins
	5 Discussion—Sustainable Universities?
	References
Access to Higher Education: Losing Precious Human Resources Before the Start Line
	1 Introduction
	2 Methodology
	3 The Losses of Human Capital in Romania
	4 Conclusions and Recommendations
	References
The Impact of Social Scholarships and of Reserved Places for Graduates from Rural High Schools in Improving Access to Higher Education and Academic Performance
	1 Introduction
	2 Literature Review
	3 Methodology
	4 Findings
		4.1 Evolution of the Number of Beneficiaries of the Two Policies and Aspects of Implementation
		4.2 Specific Analysis of Individual Data Relevant for the Two Policies
		4.3 Perception and Evaluation of the Two Policies by the Interview Respondents
	5 Discussion
	6 Conclusions
	References
The Socio-Economic Challenges in Access to Romanian Higher Education. Student Perception and Funding Policy Directions
	1 Introduction
	2 Social Background as a Limiting Factor in Access to Higher Education
	3 Romanian Challenges and Commitments to Increasing Access and Inclusivity
	4 Mature Students as a Target for Further Policy—Eurostudent Results and Emerging Trends
	5 Mature Student Inclusion—Public Policy Recommendations
	6 Conclusions
	References
Defining and Measuring Dropout Phenomenon in Romanian Public Universities
	1 Assessing Dropout Is Not One Size Fits All: Policy Highlights
		1.1 The International Perspective
		1.2 The Case of Romania
	2 Methods
		2.1 Data and Variables
		2.2 Model Specifications
	3 Results
		3.1 Dropout by Students\' Field of Study
		3.2 Dropout by Student Home
		3.3 Dropout by Student\'s Gender
		3.4 Dropout by Baccalaureate Exams
		3.5 Dropout by the Type of Study place in the First Year of Study
		3.6 Logistic Regression Analysis of the Factors Influencing University Dropout
	4 Conclusions
	References
Enhancing Quality in Higher Education. Employability and the Future of Work (Coordinated by Ligia Deca)
Doctoral Studies in Romania: Thriving or Surviving?
	1 A General Overview of Doctoral Studies in the Context of the Bologna Process
	2 Methodology
	3 Current State of Affairs—Doctoral Studies in Romania
	4 A Perspective on Doctoral Students\' Well-Being
	5 Results
	6 Implications for Policy and Practice
	7 Conclusions
	References
Measuring Students\' Perception of COVID-19 Impact on Higher Education Through the National Student Survey in Romania
	1 Introduction
		1.1 `Normal Led to This\': COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Education
		1.2 A Succinct Analysis of How Romanian Higher Education System Addressed the Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic
	2 Romanian National Student Survey and Its Transition into the COVID-19 Era
	3 Methodology
		3.1 Research Questions
		3.2 Data Collection
		3.3 Methods of Analysis
	4 Romanian Higher Education Transition into Online Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic
		4.1 Did Universities Manage to Tackle Student Dropouts?
		4.2 Was There a Proper Transition Towards an Emergency Remote Teaching Process?
		4.3 How Important Were the Teachers?
	5 Conclusions
	References
Romanian Universities: The Use of Educational Marketing to Strengthen Internationalization of Higher Education
	1 Introduction
		1.1 Research Questions and Aim of the Study
		1.2 Theoretical Framework
		1.3 Methodology
	2 Internationalization of Higher Education in Romania
		2.1 Data on International Students
		2.2 Strategic Perspective at a National Level
		2.3 Marketing Endeavors at the Institutional Level
	3 Educational Marketing in Romanian Universities. How Romanian Universities Use Media and Other Mechanisms to Promote Their Educational Offer Locally and Globally
		3.1 Romanian Universities\' Preferred Marketing Tools
		3.2 StudyinRomania Portal (www.studyinromania.gov.ro)—The Main National Marketing Tool
	4 The Main Strengths of the Romanian Higher Education to Better Attract International Students
		4.1 SWOT Analysis of the Romanian Higher Education System
		4.2 The Competitive Advantage of Romania
	5 Conclusion and Recommendations
	References
How to Cope with GDPR for Graduate Tracking: A Discussion at the Intersection of Law and Policy and Two Solutions
	1 Introduction
	2 Employability, Employment, and Personal Data Protection: A Conceptual Discussion
	3 Case Study 1: Sweden
	4 Case 2: Romania
	5 Discussions and Conclusions
	References
Losing Ground: Romanian Higher Education Since 2006 in Comparative Perspective
	1 Introduction
	2 The Dataset
	3 System Size
	4 Institutions and Institution Types
	5 Finances
	6 Student Finances
	7 Conclusion
	References
Performance-Based Funding—The Romanian Experience of the Last Five Years (2016–2020)
	1 Introduction
	2 Funding Systems in Higher Education and the Performance-Based Mechanisms
		2.1 Funding System and Performance-Indicators in Romanias\' Higher Education
	3 Research Design
		3.1 Analysis
	4 Discussion and Conclusion
	References
Competitive Funding for Institutional Development. The Romanian Experience Between 2016–2020
	1 Framework Setting and Methodological Considerations
		1.1 Introduction
		1.2 Historical Overview
		1.3 Methodological Framework
	2 A Concise Presentation and Analysis of the Finalised FDI Competitions
		2.1 Case Study: Equity and Labour Market Area
		2.2 Case Study: Internationalisation Area
		2.3 Case Study: Botanical Gardens and Didactic Research Parks and Facilities
		2.4 Some Preliminary Conclusions from the Case Studies
	3 Conclusions
	4 Several Proposals for Possible Implementation Measures
	References