The Department of Human, Regional Geography and Tourism

The Department of Human, Regional Geography and Tourism history noted different transformations. The faculty of Geography was established in October 30, 1938 in the frame of Pedagogical State Institute from Tiraspol. The educational process was organized at two departments: The General Physical Geography and The Economic Geography. During 50 years the third department was founded – The Regional Geography and Geography Didactics Department. In 2002 the departments were reorganized and there was formed the Department of Human, Regional Geography and Tourism as a result of uniting the Economic Geography and the Regional Geography and Geography Didactics Departments.

The founder of Geography Faculty was Macarie Radul, a great scientist, who laid the foundation of Economic Geography of the Republic of Moldova. Professor Macarie Radul represented the polarizing and dynamic element in the process of organization and function of the Economic Geography Department. Macarie Radul elaborated the first socio-economic description of the republic during the post-war period, where he distinguished 4 economic regions with specific pecularities – the North, the Central, the South and the South-East regions. Macarie Radul guided the process of elaboration of the first Geographical Atlas of S.S.R.M., which included 128 maps that reflected all the components of the geographical environment, population and economic activity.

During that period a group of highly qualified teachers worked in the frame of the Economic Geography Department: Mihail Todica – Doctor in Geography, Associate Professor, Head of the Department, Iulita Rusu – Doctor of Geography, Associate Professor, David Mirski – Doctor of Pedagogy, Olga Negreanu – Lecturer, Ester Braţlavskaia – Lecturer, Ludmila Bealkovskaia – Lecturer. In 1964 Matei Mîtcu whowas employded as university assistentjoined the teaching staff. That group of professionals laid the foundation of the Economic Geography Department consolidated during the first decades of the post-war period. During 1960- 1970 the head of the department was Olga Negreanu.

During the years 1970-1980 the Economic Geography Department was completed with highly qualified staff: Sezont Ciubară, Valeriu Botnaru, Tudor Strişcă, Constantin Dobîndă, Mihai Burla, who continued their PhD studies in different scientific centres – Geography Institute of S.A., Soviet Union (S. Ciubară), Moscow State University (V. Botnaru, T. Strişcă, C. Dobîndă), Sankt Petersburg State University (M. Burla). During 1980-1998 the Heads of the Department were: Iulita Rusu, Valeriu Botnaru, Sezont Ciubară.

Highly qualified teachers have been working at the Department of Human, Regional Geography and Tourism during the period of 1954 to 1980 known in the republic and abroad: T. Şceglov, PhD, Associate Professor; N. Rîmbu, PhD , Associate Professor; D. Onilov, Lecturer; B. Mihul, PhD, Associate Professor; N. Boboc, PhD, Associate Professor; V. Guţuleac, PhD, Associate Professor; D. Grăjdeanu, Lecturer; V. Gorohovscaia, PhD, Associate Professor; V. Omelianov, PhD, Associate Professor. Since 1980 the teaching staff has been completed by young teachers: V. Efros, PhD, Associate Professor; A. Prepeliţa, Lecturer; P. Drumea, PhD, Associate Professor; P. Prunici, PhD, Associate Professor; V. Ţapeş, PhD, Lecturer. During this period, they acted as head of department Tatiana Şceglov (1954-1971), N. Boboc (1971-1982), E. Feldman (1983-1984), N. Rîmbu (1985-2001).

After the evacuation of Pedagogical State Institute from Tiraspol to Chișinău (1992) following the military conflict triggered by the separatist forces from Tiraspol, at the Economic Geography Department activated: S. Ciubară (Head of the Department), Valeriu Botnaru, M. Mîtcu, V. Mamot, V. Sochircă, M. Revenco, V. Fedco and others. At the Department of Human, Regional Geography and Tourism activated: N. Rîmbu (Head of the Department), N. Boboc, V. Efros, A. Prepeliţă, Gh. Niculiţă, P. Prunici, P. Drumea.

After 1992 young teachers of the departments continued their postuniversity studies at different scientific centres from Moldova and Romania: Valeriu Fedco (Cluj-Napoca University), Vitalie Sochircă, Victor Ţapeş şi Marcel Revenco („A. I. Cuza” University, Iaşi), Petru Prunici (Ecology Institute), Vitalie Mamot (M.S.U.).

In 2002 the departments were reorganized and the Economic Geography, Regional Geography and Geography Didactics Departments were united forming the Human, Regional Geography and Tourism Department. During that period, the number of specialization increased: Geography and Informatics, Tourism, Geography (single speciality), so the number of disciplines also increased. There were introduced some disciplines from Tourism, Geography, Economy, Statistics, methods of reseach in Geography etc. The department was completed with young teachers, former students of Geography Faculty of TSU: Tudor Castraveţ, Iurie Bejan and Elena Sochircă.

During 2004-2009 the Heads of the Department were: V.Mamot, Lecturer (2005-2006); V.Botnaru, PhD, Associate Professor (2006-2007); V. Maxim, PhD, Associate Professor (2007-2009). The department also was completed with young teachers: L. Căpăţînă, E. Jechiu, V. Cujbă, V. Guşan, E. Beregoi, who continued their doctoral studies.

Currently the Department of Human, Regional Geography and Tourism is completed with highly qualified teachers: 8 full time teachers and 6 part-time teachers. The full-time teachers are: Petru Prunici, PhD, Associate Professor; Elena Sochircă, PhD, Associate Professor; Elena Taban, PhD, Associate Professor; Vadim Cujbă, PhD, Associate Professor; Vitalie Mamot, Lecturer; Afanasie Prepeliţă, University Lecturer; Lucia Căpăţînă, University Lecturer; Elena Jechiu, University Lecturer; Silvia Suvac, University Lecturer. The head of the department is Elena Sochircă, PhD, Associate Professor.

During 2012-2018, the position of head of department was held by Petru Prunici, associate professor, doctor. During this period, teaching and research activities are carried out at the level of higher education standards in the Republic of Moldova. The teachers of the department have developed course materials, methodological guides for subjects taught at the department, teaching papers for students and teachers in general education (geography curriculum, textbooks, teaching aids). In this sense, the teachers from the department participated in the elaboration of geography textbooks and auxiliaries for the gymnasium classes (Prunici P., Sochircă E., Mamot V.); school geographical atlases (Mamot V.). The professors of the Department participate in the teaching of the courses in the Lifelong education and Retraining Programs of geography teachers in general education.

In order to exchange good educational and research practices, teachers benefit from continuing professional training, academic mobility in various academic institutions and universities both in the country and abroad: Pedagogical University of Krakow (Poland) – Mamot Vitalie; University of Craiova (Romania) – Mamot Vitalie, Cujba Vadim; Akdeniz University of Antalya (Turkey) – Sochircă Elena, Mamot Vitalie.

At the same time, the involvement of teachers in the accreditation process of the specialties from the first cycle, bachelor’s degree, to the fields of studies Education Sciences and Public Services is attested. During this period, all specialties from cycle I are accredited.

The scientific activity of the department is focused on the evaluation of human development in the Republic of Moldova from the perspective of socio-human, natural and tourist resources in the context of training staff/specialists in the general fields of studies Education Sciences and Public Services. The research directions of the department are focused on:

• Evaluation of human development in the Republic of Moldova – geographical and geoinformational approach;
• Changes and spatio-temporal trends of environmental components in the Republic of Moldova under anthropogenic impact;
• Tourism in the Republic of Moldova through the relationship efficiency-profitability-performance;
• Geography education – skills for the present and the future.

In 2019, the units of the Department of Social Sciences were attached to the Department of Human Geography, Regional and Tourism, and the department was completed with two more members: Rodica Maistru, associate professor, doctor and Vasile Creţu, doctor. In the last five years, the doctoral theses in geonomical sciences have been defended by Vadim Cujbă (2015) and Silvia Suvac (2020) and in history – by Vasile Creţu (2020). In 2021 the doctoral theses in geonomical sciences have been defended by Vitalie Mamot and Lucia Căpățînă. Currently, the department includes highly qualified teachers in the field, interested in carrying out teaching and research at an efficient level. Within the department there are 11 teachers, full-time and 4 full-time teachers. The tenured teachers of the department are: Petru Prunici, PhD, associate professor; Elena Sochircă, PhD, associate professor; Elena Taban, PhD, Associate Professor; Vadim Cujbă, PhD, lecturer; Rodica Maistru, PhD, associate professor; Vasile Cretu, PhD, lecturer; Vitalie Mamot, PhD, associate professor; Prepelița Afanasie, assistant professor; Silvia Suvac, PhD, assistant professor; Lucia Căpăţînă, PhD, lecturer; Elena Jechiu, university assistant. Elena Sochircă, PhD, associate professor, holds the position of head of department.

In fact, in recent decades, department heads have been constantly reshaping their work style, as required by the new Education Code. Teachers are concerned, on the one hand, with some problems of education in the middle and high school levels (elaboration of the high school curriculum, of the practical recommendations for the application of the curriculum, elaboration of the school textbooks, etc.); on the other hand, the development of university teaching is the key objective of teachers. Teachers have to achieve the following objectives: 1) the training of competent specialists, able to integrate as quickly as possible on the labor market; 2) cultivating moral qualities for young university students, such as: honor, honesty, sense of duty, mutual understanding, tolerance, etc .; 3) further modernization of the university curriculum in accordance with the requirements of the labor market; 4) the use in the didactic process of modern technologies; 5) intensifying the development of teacher-student relations in the direction of developing the independence of the latter.

The members of Human, Regional Geography and Tourism Department are well-known in the country and abroad. It is obvious from the number of invitations to participate in different conferences, congresses, scientific sessions.