Seniors go to university: In the Republic of Moldova, the "University of the Third Age" has been launched for the first time

Out of the 40 enrolled students aged 60 and above, 33 are from the Republic of Moldova, and 7 are refugees from Ukraine. In the next 7 months, they will attend free courses on "Digital Skills Development" and "Well-being and Intergenerational Communication" taught in both Romanian and Russian languages.

Among the admitted seniors is Ms. Claudia Jalbă, 76 years old, who says she came to university to maintain her connection with younger generations.

"Learning knows no age limits. I have always been passionate about knowledge and want to prove that it is never too late to pursue dreams and contribute to personal development," said Ms. Claudia Jalbă.

UNFPA Moldova is the primary partner of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the Government of the Republic of Moldova, and all national stakeholders in implementing the Active and Healthy Ageing Program.

"At present, 1 in 5 people in the Republic of Moldova is over 60 years old, and by 2040, 1 in 3 will be over 60. On the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, I call upon all of us: let us treat ageing not as a threat, but as an opportunity. Older persons are a driving force in society, with their skills, talents, experiences, perspectives, and resilience," emphasised Nigina Abaszada, UNFPA Moldova Resident Representative.

According to the "Generations and Gender" (GGS) Survey, only 2% of people aged 55-74 in Moldova are involved in lifelong learning activities, which is below the EU average of 4.5%. The development of the concept of the "University for the Third Age" is part of the objectives of the National Program for Active and Healthy Ageing 2023-2027 implemented by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection with UNFPA support.

"Besides ensuring the development of new skills and showing society that the older people of Moldova want to become active, are active, and can be active, an important aspect we must not ignore is that it will provide the opportunity to socialise, create new relationships, and friendships. I believe that this pilot project is already a success, for the reason that it has generated much more interest than we expected, and together with our colleagues from the Ministry of Education and Research and development partners, we will seek solutions to expand it as quickly as possible," said Minister of Labor Alexei Buzu.

During the event, Maria Pancu, a member of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, reiterated support for initiatives that provide opportunities for active and healthy ageing in Moldova.

U3A is hosted by the State University of Moldova. Due to a high number of applications, approximately 200, it was decided to pilot two groups instead of one, as originally planned.

"The 'University of the Third Age' is a new concept for the Republic of Moldova, but an important one for the social inclusion of seniors and the sustainable development of such projects, as evidenced by the number of applications, which pleases us," noted Igor Șarov, the Rector of USM.

During the event, the Moldcell Foundation donated smartphones with internet access to the 40 students to facilitate the learning process and connect them with the necessary educational and digital resources.

"Active ageing and digitalization of the older people are one of the main directions of the Moldcell Foundation, as demonstrated by the multitude of projects implemented in this regard, including 'Digital Skills Connect Generations.' Today, we are delighted to launch the 'University of the Third Age' project and encourage the digitalisation of the seniors, creating a dialogue between generations to promote lifelong education," said Irina Strajescu, Executive Director of the Moldcell Foundation.

The University of the Third Age is part of the National Program for Active and Healthy Ageing for 2023-2027, which is implemented by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection in partnership with UNFPA. U3A is a pilot program taking place from October 2023 to April 2024 with technical and financial support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education and Research, the State University of Moldova, and the Moldcell Foundation.