UVT - bachelor's and master's degree programs in the field of youth

The diversification of the study area in the university field is meant to attract more and more young scholars. The University of West Timisoara is developing the first bachelor's and master's degree programs in the field of youth in Romania, to meet the training needs of specialized personnel.

The first such program, aimed at high-quality academic training for those who want to pursue a career in the youth sector, will start in 2025, after being subject to legal approval, authorization and accreditation processes. The higher education institution was also the first to organize, in 2017, a postgraduate study program dedicated to youth, in collaboration with the National Youth Foundation (FITT) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports at that time. Rector Marilen Pirtea spoke about this initiative: "University study programs in the field of youth are offered in many countries and higher education institutions around the world, including Europe and the European Union. (...) At UVT, we contribute to the training of better versions of our students, but we also want to contribute to the development of some sectors of activity that may not have received enough attention in Romania until now and to protect young people, and for this we need well-trained youth workers and counselors and even developed new occupations. Through this partnership with the most important organizations in the youth sector in Romania, UVT assumes a commitment to brings to the attention of those interested educational programs with relevance for the future and which align us with European practices in the field". According to the educational institution, the development process of these study programs will be a collaborative one, the UVT representatives will work together with experts in the youth sector in Romania in the elaboration of their content proposals, so that they will then be subject to consultations with representatives of the European Agency for Information and Counseling for Youth - ERYICA and with other international experts in the field of youth. Oana Şîntar, president of ANOSR, said: "As a national federation that represents the interests of all students in Romania, the National Alliance of Student Organizations in Romania (ANOSR) has always looked for examples of good practice to constantly contribute to the improvement of the higher education system One such example, identified from the European level, is precisely these university studies programs in the field of youth, which have demonstrated their usefulness in terms of improving youth initiatives in countries such as Estonia, Malta or Great Britain. (...) We are proud to be part of this first step aimed at revitalizing the way youth workers are trained". Such a program is also a challenge for future students, but young people respond very well to challenges.