General information

I. SHORT HISTORY

The faculty of Geography was founded in October 30, 1938 in the frame of Moldovan Pedagogical Institute. The founder and first dean of the faculty was the famous geographer Macarie Radul. The first graduation of the faculty took place in 1946 that was remarkable by the graduates: D. Onilov, I. Srira, M. Todica, T. Şceglova who subsequently became teaching staff in colleges.

The period 1960-1990 is marked as a stage of professional, didactic and scientific advance in the history of the faculty. During this period the position of Dean was replaced by: D. Grăjdeanu, B. Mihul, I. Goras, A. Ianachevici, M. Coşcodan, S. Ciubară. In this period of performance, a great appreciation deserves the work of professors A. Lungu, I. Goraş, N. Rîmbu, M. Coşcodan, N. Boboc, S. Ciubară, V. Botnaru, who have made considerable efforts to provide the staff departments with new teaching aids, specialized laboratories and solid material resources.

During the years 1992-2015 the following persons N. Boboc, I. Boian, I. Mironov, V. Sofroni, I. Codreanu, Elena Sochirca worked as deans of the faculty.

Since 2015 the managerial activity of the faculty has been carried out by: Mironov I., Dean of the faculty, PhD, Associate Professor; Crețu V.- Vice Dean, PhD, University Lecturer. The faculty has two departments: the Department of General Geography and the Department of Human Geography and Tourism. The Head of the General Department is Volontir Nina, PhD, Associate Professor and the Department of Human Geography and Tourism is ruled by Sochircă Elena, the Head of the Department, PhD, Associate Professor. Nowadays, the teachers are active in the faculty (Prunici P., Codreanu I., Puţuntică A., Bejenaru Gh., Taban Elena, Mamot V., Dilan V., Căpăţînă Lucia, Cujbă V., Castraveţ T., Taban Elena, Maistru Rodica, Jechiu Elena, Suvac Silvia) who have a prodigious scientific and methodological training, thanks to which the quality training of specialists in the field of Education Sciences, Natural Sciences and Public Services is ensured, specialists whose competence corresponds to didactic and research activities and managerial, as well as those imposed by interdisciplinary domains.

The teaching activities of the departments comprise a wide range of courses, practical and laboratory work, seminars, field applications, individual work with students and master students, as well as continuous training courses for pre-university teachers. The teaching staff of the departments elaborate university and school textbooks, didactic and methodical papers, maps, school atlases. They have continuous training in academic and university institutions both in the country and abroad.

II. TEACHERS STAFF

The faculty has an experienced teaching staff. About 85% of the faculty professors presented scientific titles of doctoral skills. Currently, 22 professors work at the faculty departments.

III. MATERIAL BASE

The faculty of Geography is located on 26 A, Drumul Viilor Street, and has a sufficient material base. Educational classrooms for lectures, seminars and labs correspond to the standards that ensure the development of a quality education and research process and are equipped with adequate furniture, teaching material, audio-video presentation equipment, interactive tables, projectors, film projection screens, internet access and computer rooms.

IV. FACILITIES AND COMPETENCES

During the years of study, the students take part in scientific conferences, international summer schools, internships in Romania (Eastern Carpathians, Dobrogea, etc.), Greece, Turkey and mobility stages in Romania, Poland, Turkey. The students of the second cycle (master) have the possibility of obtaining the double diploma in the collaboration agreement with “Stefan cel Mare” University, Suceava, Romania.

The graduates of the faculty work not only in the educational system of our country, but also in Romania, the Ukraine, etc. They are employed in different companies and enterprises as specialists in different fields (scientific researcher, environmental inspector and designer, geographic engineer, consultant in the field, manager in the education system, coordination of tourism transport operations, administration of tourism agencies, sustainable management of resources, environmental protection). An appreciable number of university graduates have held or hold leading positions in the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and the Environment, Institute of Ecology and Geography, Institute of Geology and Seismology, within the State Hydro meteorological Service. They are part of the teaching staff of the Academy of Economical Studies of Moldova, ULIM, USM, UASM and most of the colleges in the country.

Education and research at the faculty ensure the development of professional competences related to:

Training of highly qualified specialists able to work in the field of education, research and public services, meeting the challenges and requirements of the modern economy;
Ensuring the general and specific competences of each study program and the observance of the quality standards developed for a higher quality education;
-Skills training in fundamental and applied research, enriching scientific heritage and developing personal skills and professional performance throughout life;

Developing the skills of building awareness and environmental culture.

V. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The faculty of Geography promotes regional, European and international cooperation. The dominant emphasis is put on promoting and developing existing agreements, as well as on the conclusion of new agreements. The departments maintain scientific and didactic-methodological collaboration with academic and university institutions from the republic and abroad: Institute of Ecology and Geography; Institute of Geology and Seismology; Institute of Zoology; State Hydro meteorological Service of the Republic of Moldova; National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History of Moldova; „Al. I. Cuza” University, the faculty of Geography and Geology, Iasi, Romania; ”Stefan cel Mare” University, the faculty of History and Geography, Suceava, Romania; „Babeş Bolyai” University, the faculty of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; University of Craiova, the faculty of Sciences, Craiova, Romania; Pedagogical University of Krakow, the faculty of Geography and Biology, Krakow, Poland; the Institute of Systematic and Animal Evolution, AS of Poland, Krakow, etc.

VI. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

The scientific research is a preoccupation of the teaching staff within the faculty and is one of the essential criteria for assessing professional competences. The range of research fields is generated by naturalistic and socio-human concerns, which include the following directions: Biostratigraphy and Paleogeography; Climatic and hydrological resources; Environmental protection and rational use of natural resources; Population Geography; Didactics of Geography; Regional Geography; Tourism. The research is carried out in the scientific laboratories of the faculty, as well as in the institutional and academic projects.

The research is also oriented towards the elaboration of the works necessary for the didactic process, the coordination of the scientific research activity of the students, master students and doctoral students. The results of the scientific researches are discussed at the congresses, symposia, conferences, national and international seminars. They published in monographs, scientific articles in magazines and national and international volumes. The faculty has initiated and organized numerous national symposia, conferences and seminars with international participation.

In 2008 there was organized the first edition of the Scientific Conference with International Participation “Environment and Sustainable Development”, followed by a second one in 2014. The third edition was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Alexandru Lungu, Habilitated Doctor (2016). In 2018 there was organized the 4th edition dedicated to the 80th anniversary jubilee of the faculty of Geography. In 2020 there was organized the 5-th edition dedicated to the 90th anniversary jubilee of the TSU.

Research activities are also carried out with the involvement of the students. Since 2018, the Faculty of Geography, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research, organized the National Contest „Local Environment and Sustainable Development” for students from the high schools of the Republic of Moldova. The Republican stage took place at the Faculty of Geography, which was attended by the students selected at the regional stage. The winners of the contest were awarded with diplomas and prizes, offered by the Ministry of Education and Research.