Romania will continue to support partnerships in higher education and will make every effort to become an attractive destination for international mobility, while at the same time being a promoter of European values, said Education Minister Ligia Deca on the occasion of the Education Council meeting in Brussels.

Education Minister Ligia Deca attended the Education Council meeting in Brussels on Monday, where the proposal for a Council Recommendation ‘Europe on the Move’ – learning mobility opportunities for everyone – was adopted.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, Romania will contribute to the achievement of three new European mobility targets by 2030:
* At least 23% of higher education graduates will have an educational mobility experience, compared to the current target of 20%;
* At least 12% of VET students will have an educational mobility experience, compared to the current target of 8% for 2025;
* At least 20% of all learners benefiting from learning mobility abroad should be people with fewer opportunities.

Education ministers also approved the conclusions on promoting evidence-based policies and practices in education and training for the achievement of the European Education Area, which creates the framework for evidence and research evidence to play a significant role in decision-making in member states, given the complexity of factors influencing decision-making in an education system, including in Romania.

The Council agenda also included a debate on Artificial Intelligence in education and training: combining technological innovation with quality education for all, which highlighted member states’ concerns about the benefits and risks of using AI in education.

Ligia Deca pointed out that AI has an increasing impact in education and that it can essentially transform the teaching-learning-assessment process.

She also pointed out that specific tools need to be developed with the support of teachers to ensure an ethical and participatory approach to the use of AI in education. In this context, the minister said that Romania has accessed European funds for the development of teachers’ digital skills – about 100,000 teachers will be trained in digital pedagogy – and for equipping schools and high schools with modern equipment to support digitisation.

According to the source, in the context of her presence at the Meeting of Education Ministers, Minister of Education Ligia Deca had a meeting with Hungary’s State Minister of Innovation and Higher Education Balazs Hanko, the main topic of discussion being the importance of international collaboration and increased mobility in higher education.

AGERPRES