Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași

The Gheorghe Asachi Technical University (Romanian: Universitatea Tehnică „Gheorghe Asachi” din Iași; acronym: TUIASI) is a public university located in Iași, Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania. Classified by the Ministry of Education as an advanced research and education university, it has the oldest tradition in Romania in engineering education.[5][6] Gheorghe Asachi Technical University is a member of the Romanian Alliance of Technical Universities (ARUT).[7]

Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași
Universitatea Tehnică „Gheorghe Asachi” din Iași
Former names
Gheorghe Asachi Polytechnic School (1937–1948)
Gheorghe Asachi Polytechnic Institute (1948–1993)
MottoIpsa scientia potestas est (Latin)
Motto in English
Knowledge itself is power
TypePublic
EstablishedMarch 1937; 87 years ago (1937-03)
1910 - School of Industrial Electricity
1813 - School of Surveying and Civil Engineers
RectorDan Cașcaval
Academic staff
1,100
Students16,382 (2012–2013)[1]
Undergraduates11,939
Postgraduates4,443
Location,
CampusUrban
Websitewww.tuiasi.ro
University rankings
Global – Overall
QS World[2]1201–1400 (2024)
THE World[3]1501+ (2024)
USNWR Global[4]=1786 (2023)

History

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Portrait of Gheorghe Asachi

In 1813, the scholar Gheorghe Asachi set up within the Princely Academy of Iași, the first Romanian language higher education courses,[8][9] as the School of Surveying and Civil Engineers (Școala de Ingineri Hotarnici și Civili), beginning with a civil engineering class which was later developed within the Academia Mihăileană (1835), and the University of Iași (1860).

In November 1910, within the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Iași, an independent section, named School of Industrial Electricity, was set up. Soon renamed as the Institute of Electrical Engineering, the school was the first of its kind in Romania.[10]

On 7 November 1912, within the Faculty of Sciences, the electrotechnical, applied chemistry and agronomy departments are established. This event represents what may be called the birth certificate of what later became the Polytechnic School of Iași.[11]

In March 1937, when the Parliament of Romania voted a new Law of Education, the technical higher education departments of the University of Iași were reorganised as faculties and integrated into the newly established Gheorghe Asachi Polytechnic School, which was, at that time, one of the few higher education institutions in Romania qualified to issue engineer's degrees.[12] The new institution took from the very beginning the name of Gheorghe Asachi, the founder of the Romanian technical education, while professor Cristea Niculescu-Otin was elected its first rector.

In 1948, it was renamed as the Gheorghe Asachi Polytechnic Institute, and the Faculty of Agronomy became independent as the Agronomic Institute of Iași. On 17 May 1993, the Polytechnic Institute of Iași became known as the Gheorghe Asachi Technical University.

Ranking

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Gheorghe Asachi Technical University has ranked the first among the technical institutions of higher education, and the fourth among all universities in Romania, in the national research ranking compiled on the basis of Shanghai criteria.[13]

According to the Scimago Lab, based on data collected between 2007 and 2011, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University ranked 1258 in the World, 70 regionally and 7 in the country by number of publications.[14]

Academics

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The old wing (1893-1897) of the University Palace houses Technical University Central Library and Aula Magna "Carmen Sylva", as well as the Faculty of Electronics
 
Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Engineering
 
Faculty of Machine Manufacturing

Gheorghe Asachi Technical University is organized into 11 faculties and 3 departments:[15]

Library

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Established as a reference and research technical library, the “Gh. Asachi” Technical University Library holds 1 million-plus volumes covering a wide range of subjects on engineering and technology, science, economics and law. It is organised in a Central Library, 6 branches and 8 departments.

Programmes

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Faculty of Chemical Engineering
 
Central portion of the university grounds seen from the Bahlui River

Gheorghe Asachi Technical University offers 4-year programmes, awarding the degree of Bachelor of Science ("Engineer"), and graduate/postgraduate programmes awarding the degrees of Master and Doctorate/PhD. The degree of "Architect" is awarded at the end of a 6-year programme as a combined Bachelor/Master's degree programme. There is also a postgraduate school of Management and Business Administration.

The academic year consists of two 14 weeks semesters, each of them ending with an examination session. The weekly workload is about 28 hours. There is also a 3-week period of industrial placement during summer, while half of the final semester (the eighth) in the last year of study, is devoted to completing the diploma thesis and dissertation.

The first two years of the 4-year programmes are devoted to providing an introduction to engineering as well as the necessary background in Physics and Mathematics. Beginning with the third year, students can choose from a number of specializations.

Students who obtain a score of at least 8 out of 10 in the "licence exam" at the end of their "Engineer" degree courses are eligible to take an entrance examination for 1.5 to 2-year Master's course, the length of studies depending on the chosen specialization. All graduates awarded a master's degree, are eligible to enrol on a PhD Programme - full-time (3-year) courses.

Administration

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The university is administered by the University Senate, which is made up of representatives from the eleven Faculty Councils. The Senate elects the rector, the vice-rectors and the chancellor every four year.

Student life

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Roadster built by engineering students at TU Iași

Student housing

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The University Campus accommodates 8,100 students, in 21 residence halls, in the Tudor Vladimirescu Campus area,[16] which is near the university grounds and is situated at 5 minutes by car from the center of the city. The buildings in the campus have a number from 1 to 21 and are prefixed with letter T. The T17 students residence hall was, as of 1987, the biggest student residence hall in all of Southeastern Europe.[17]

The neighborhood of the campus is dominated mainly by retail and commercial centres and the Bahlui River.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ About TUIasi Archived 2017-12-16 at the Wayback Machine (in Romanian)
  2. ^ "QS World University Rankings: Romania". Top Universities. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  3. ^ "World University Rankings 2024: Romania". Times Higher Education (THE). 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  4. ^ U.S. News. "Best Global Universities in Romania". Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  5. ^ The history of the technical education in Romania
  6. ^ Institutii de invatamant superior clasificate ca universitati de cercetare avansata si educatie
  7. ^ Prima alianță a universităților tehnice din România Archived 2021-11-13 at the Wayback Machine (in Romanian)
  8. ^ Gheorghe Asachi – întemeietorul învăţământului în limba română
  9. ^ Alex Drace-Francis (2006). The Making of Modern Romanian Culture: Literacy and the Development of National Identity. I.B.Tauris. pp. 50–. ISBN 978-1-84511-066-6.
  10. ^ The history of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine (in Romanian)
  11. ^ A Brief History of the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University
  12. ^ Metropolitan Area Iasi Archived 2011-01-25 at the Wayback Machine (in Romanian)
  13. ^ "Ad-Astra Project". Archived from the original on 2018-07-29. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
  14. ^ Scimago Institutions Rankings
  15. ^ Technical University of Iași at aracis.ro
  16. ^ About Tudor Vladimirescu Campus (in Romanian)
  17. ^ "Studenţii s-au revoltat în 1987". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
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