Partners : USAMVBT

Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine "King Michael I of Romania", Romania (USAMVBT)

Calea Aradului 119, 1900-Timisoara, TM, ROMANIA

Phone: +40256441424 ext 239; Fax: +40256200296

As a member of the educational system of Romania, the BUASVMT is a state institution operating in higher education and scientific research. The traditions of the BUASVMT are connected to the establishment of the Faculty of Agronomy on July 30, 1945, by Decree No 2394 issued by King Mihai (Michael) I of Romania and Law No 617, published in the Monitorul Oficial (Official Gazette) of Romania on August 1, 1945,. The Faculty initially functioned along with the Polytechnics Institute. The BUASVMT has largely developed after the year 1990, when it started as the Agronomic Institute of Timisoara, having a single faculty with 3 departments (Agriculture, Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine). In the 2011-2012 academic year, it has come to include 6 faculties and 22 undergraduate specializations, 26 master specializationsand two doctoral schools: Veterinary Medicine and Engineering of Plant and Animal Resources.

a) THE FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE comprises the following undergraduate specializations: Agriculture, Plant Protection, Environmental Protection and Engineering in Agriculture, Biology, Agricultural Machines and Food Processing Equipment, Land Measurements and Cadastre; b) THE FACULTY OF HORTICULTURE AND FORESTRYcomprises the following undergraduate specializations: Horticulture, Landscaping, Genetic Engineering in Agriculture, Forestry; c)THE FACULTY OF AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENTis made up of the following undergraduate specializations: Economic Engineering in Agriculture, Engineering and Agri-tourism and Catering Management, Engineering and Management in the Tourism Industry; d) THE FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINEcomprises the undergraduate specialization Veterinary Medicine with teaching in Romanian language and in English language; e) THE FACULTY OF FOOD PROCESSING TECHNOLOGYcomprises the following undergraduate specializations: Natural Extracts and Food Additives, Food Chemistry and Biochemical Technologies, Food Quality Control and Expertise, Agricultural Produce Processing Technology; f) FACULTY OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGIESis comprises the following undergraduate specialization: Animal Science, Fishery and Aquaculture, Agricultural Biotechnologies.

The duration of undergraduate studies is 4 years in Agricultural education, 6 years in Veterinary Medicine, and 3 years in Biology. The BUASVMT has come under the provisions of the "Bologna Process" starting with the academic year 2005-2006. The BUASVMT offers 26 master programmes. In the doctoral studies programme, the BUASVMT trains PhD students in 5 areas: Agronomy, Horticulture, Veterinary Medicine, Food Processing Engineering, Animal Science. As an institution organizing doctoral programmes (I.O.S.U.D.), the BUASVMT has 62 PhD coordinators, 263 PhD students, of which 142 are in the attendance form.

In the recent university ranking exercises carried out by the competent authorities in Romania, the university received the qualification of High Degreeafter the institutional evaluation carried out by the Romanian Quality Assurance Authority in Higher Education (ARACIS). According to the national classification performed by the EUA, the university is an educational and scientific researchinstitution (2011).

The mission of the university.The missions of the BUASVMT are teaching, research, university extension, and consultancy. At the beginning of the XXI century, the Romanian rural and agro alimentary system currently undergoes an ample process of reorganization and development. The university contributes to designing guidelines for agricultural development and to forecasting in agriculture. The university cannot function "independently" of the system within which it works, and must adapt to the market economy in that its main products – the specialist and science – be sought and valued on the market. The main goal of the BUASVMT is the achievement of the highest academic and technical competences by graduates. Their ability to integrate professionally in the agro alimentary system and other related systems represent the major concern of the BUASVMT’s management. The university continues to diversify the academic curricula by means of a constantly updated educational offer, so as to cover a wide range of activities in agriculture. The BUASVMT assumes fundamental roles in education, while being aware of the function and position it occupies within national highereducation, properly assessing its level of competence and responsibilities to the community, and constantly analyzing social demand. Thus, the learning process is envisaged so as to confer higher education degrees and qualifications in agricultural sciences, horticulture, landscaping, forestry, animal science, veterinary medicine, biology, biotechnology, food processing technology, fish farming, genetic engineering, environmental engineering,plant protection, machinery and equipment for agriculture and food industry, economic engineering, management, marketing, rural planning and development and other related specializations. Moreover, another mission of the BUASVMT isthe training of specialists with higher education for domains like economy, industry, education, science, social activities, as well as the continuous improvement of graduates in the spirit of the progress of knowledge and continuing education in a free and democratic state. A great emphasis is laid on the master degree and PhD studies.

Research. The university is opened to European and international research, a fact reflected by the university research strategy, which is correlated the Research Strategy from Lisbon, 2007.

The university is an EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) member, it holds RENAR research laboratories, what allows usto participate in national and international contests for accessing new research projects. We cooperate with a number of European and American universities and research institutes. The university’s research strategy and top priority research fields are harmonised with FP 7, COST programmes, and with programmes financed from EU structural funds (POSDRU, POR, POS). For instance, during 2006 – 2011, we initiated 337 national research topics, of which 108 in economic environment, 36 international research agreements, 171 ISI and 1,898 BDI papers published.

Human Resources. The current teaching staff of BUASVMT numbers up to 336 members, of which: 84 professors, 59 associateprofessors (professors + associateprofessors 42.55%), 99 assistant professors, 86 assistant lecturer and 8 junior teaching assistant to be, fulfilling all legal requirements for occupying their position. Of the total number of 542 teaching positions on university level, 61.99% (336) are covered and 38.01% (206) are vacant. The 336 titular teaching staff members perform the specific processes and activitiesperformed in BUASVMT. Their number is quite balanced regarding their gender, 167 men and 169 women respectively, and their age, from 336 total, 93 persons are under the age of 35. Full time teachers per University represent 61.99% form the total number of legal positions, 42.9% of which are professors and associateprofessors. From the total number of full time teachers per university (336) 84.22% possess a PhD title (283).

Students. The student number was a constant one during the last years and the teacher number was kept in certain limits, allowing for a balance in insuring academic process quality and financial efficacy. At present, BUASVMT has 6.990students registered in study programmes of all 6 faculties, full time, as well as distance learning (ID). Of these, 5.339students come under cycle I - graduate, 1.242students in postgraduate studies and 263PhD students. The number of students on budget is 3.263, and 3.727are fee-paying students. There are 39 foreign students (29 graduate, 6 postgraduate and 4 PhD cycle students). In 2008, our university obtained accreditation as an institution of research and development, component of the research and development system of national interest, in accordance with G.O. No. 551/2007, by A.N.C.S. decision No. 9673/17.06.2008.Our strategy for scientific research has been developed in the context of new perspectives available for our country through joining the European Union, through the National Strategy for Research, Development and Innovation for 2007-2013, the National Plan for Development 2007-2013, the European Commission documents centred on the European Research Area - ERA, as well as through the opportunities of participating in national and international programmes for financing research.