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”POLITEHNICA” UNIVERSITY OF TIMISOARA

EXTERNAL INSTITUTIONAL EVALUATION

FILE

INTERNAL INSTITUTIONAL SELF EVALUATION REPORT

Timisoara, May 2009

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 The file was approved by the Executive Board of „Politehnica" University of Timisoara Senate in the meeting from the 4th of May 2009.

The self evaluation file editing panel:

Prof. Dr. eng. Nicolae Robu, Rector of UPT

Prof. Dr. eng. Toma-Leonida Dragomir, Head of the General Directorate for Quality Assurance (DGAC), contact person ([email protected])

Prof. Dr. eng. Corneliu Davidescu, Vice-Rector of UPT Prof. Dr. eng. Viorel Aurel Şerban, Vice-Rector of UPT Prof. Dr. eng. Radu Vasiu, Scientific Secretary of UPT Dr. eng. Florenţiu Staicu, General Managing Director of UPT Eng. Dorina Ruşeţ, Head of Human Resources

Economist Florian Miclea, Head Accountant of UPT Prof. Assist. Liliana Todorescu, Accreditation Officer

Eng. Florin Bodin, Representative of the Center for Student Counseling and Information (CICS)

Eng. Carmen Ardelean, Computer Specialist in the General Directorate for Quality Assurance (DGAC)

Eng. Mircea Botea, DGAC

Student Valentin Oros, 2nd year of study in Computers and Information Technology (CTI) Prof. Dr. eng. Lia Dolga, Head of DPRI

Eng. Anca Drăgan, DPRI Referent Adriana Iacob, DPRI Referent Mihaela Gădian, DPRI Referent

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Foreword (Presentation of University and Its Performance Dynamics)...1

I.1. Legal Framework for the Organization and Functioning of „Politehnica” University of Timisoara. University Board...1

I.2. Mission, Objectives and Performance Indexes...5

I.3. University objectives and performance between 2004 and 2009....6

I.3.1. The teaching process...6

I.3.2. Research process...10

I.3.3. Human Resources...14

I.3.4. Financial Resources...15

I.3.5. Real estate patrimony...16

I.3.6. Intranational relations...19

I.3.7. International relations...20

II. The quality assurance process for study programmes and standards, respectively, for reference standards, as part of the strategic institutional management...22

II.1. Processes for quality assurance of study programmes and complementary processes...22

II. 2.Structures for quality assurance in UPT...32

III. Presentation of the measures for assuring the accuracy, the complete and reliable character of the information disseminated by the institution...34

III. 1. Legal status...34

III. 2. University Charter and Regulations Specified by It...34

III. 3. Institution Board, Managerial Structures...35

III. 4. Academic Staff...36

III. 5. Infrastructure...37

III. 6. Financial Activity...39

III. 7. Students...39

III. 8. Research Activity...40

Annex List...42

Chapter I Annexes...42

Chapter II Annexes...42

Chapter III Annexes...44

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I. Foreword (Presentation of University and Its Performance Dynamics)

I.1. Legal Framework for the Organization and Functioning of „Politehnica” University of Timisoara. University Board

“Politehnica” University of Timisoara, located at 300006 Timisoara, Piata Victoriei, nr.2, is a state higher education institution, founded in 1920 through the Decrees no. 2521/ 10.06.1920 and 4822/11.11.1920, under the name “Şcoala Politehnică din Timişoara” (Annex I-01_Creation Act of Politehnica School).

The current name of the university has been established by HGR no. 568/1995 (Annex I- 02_HG_Referring_to_UPT_Functioning_Authorization) and confirmed by HGR no. 294/ 1997 and HG 535/1999 (Annex I-03_UPT Name Confirmation), respectively HG 676/2007 and HG 635/2008. During its continuous existence and functioning, the university bore the following names: Şcoala Politehnică din Timişoara (1920-1948), Institutul Politehnic Timişoara (1948-1970), Institutul Politehnic “Traian Vuia” din Timişoara (1970-1991), Universitatea Tehnică din Timişoara (1991-1995). In this report the university will frequently be referred to as UPT.

“Politehnica” University of Timisoara – higher education and scientific research institution, of national interest, belongs to the national education system from Romania and contributes through its activities to the global education strategy, integrating itself in the tradition of the Romanian university education and contributing to the scientific, professional and civic formation of the young people, to their integration in the economic and social life, to the permanent education of university graduates, and to the production of science and technology.

The activity of “Politehnica” University of Timisoara concurs with the principles in Magna Carta of European universities – since September 2005 UPT being one of the universities which signed Magna Carta Universitatum – and with the ideals of the Romanian education system, aiming at the free, complete and harmonious development of the human individuality and at the formation of competent, autonomous and creative professional personalities. The university is affiliated to:

The National Council of Rectors in Romania (CNR), The European University Association (EUA), The European Conference of Technology Universities Rectors, The University Alliance for Democracy (AUDEM), The Association of Francophone Universities (AUF), The Association of Universities with Partial or Integral Teaching in French (AUPELF), The National Association for Computerization of University Management (ANIMU) and The National Consortium of Technical Universities (CNUT).

As a state higher education institution “Politehnica” University of Timisoara is a legal person and has university autonomy according to the Law of Education and to its own University Charter (Annex I-04_UPT_Charter). In its relations with the society the university identifies itself

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through: name, seal, logo and flag, established through Senate decision, and it is presented by a public online image at www.upt.ro (Annex I-05_Site UPT_Home Page).

The UPT academic community consists of full time, associated or invited academic staff, consulting professors, research graduates, students in all university cycles, participants to postdoctoral studies, honorary academic staff and Doctori Honoris Causa. It is supported in its activity by administrative and maintenance staff.

The university management takes place according to the current laws and University Chart.

The highest decision forum in university is the Senate (Annex I-06_Senators_2008-2012). It is organized and functions based on the Organization and Functioning Regulation of the UPT Senate.

(Annex I-07_UPT_Senate_Regulation). The Senate oversees all the domains of the university autonomy and establishes the general development strategy of the university. Its activity takes place in plenum and in committees (Annex I-08_Structure of UPT Senate Committees). The decisions regarding the university are made by the Executive Board of the Senate consisting of rector, vice- rectors, scientific secretary, general managing director and the representative of the student organizations legally constituted at university level. In accordance with the above mentioned regulation the president of the Senate Bureau is the University Rector (Annex I-09_UPT Rector Confirmation). The Senate Bureau may invite outsiders to the Senate sessions providing their presence has been a priori approved by the Senate.

The time interval 2004 –2009 brought in UPT significant changes regarding the structures providing education and research: departments, chairs and collectives. These changes reduced division and implemented new structures, conducive to performance.

- „Collective”-type structures (comprising less than 15 positions) were dismembered and department-type structures (comprising 30 or more positions) were created. Such changes took place in the Faculty of Hydrotehnics, Faculty of Industrial Chemistry and Environmental Engineering and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

- The former Chair of Modern Languages from the Faculty of Civil Engineering joined in 2004 the pre-existent independent departments / chairs, becoming the Department of Communication and Foreign Languages.

- The Chair of Electrotechnics from the Faculty of Electrical and Power Engineering merged in 2007 with the Chair of Physics, directly subordinate to the university board, forming the independent Department of the Physical Bases of Engineering.

- Another notable structural change was the creation in 2005 of the Faculty of Architecture by separating the former department and the former specialization of Architecture from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, the latter keeping the name of Faculty of Civil Engineering.

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- During the university year 2007-2008 it was decided to create a virtual department – evidently as an independent department - : The Department for Complementary Preparation in Informatics and Information Technology.

The structural components of „Politehnica” University are comprised, from the managerial point of view in the university flowchart (Annex I-10_UPT_Flowchart_2008), which is a component of the Charter approved by the Senate. The main elements of the charter – represented by faculty, department and chair – are also shown in the simplified flowchart below (upper management level) and satisfy integrally the requirements from the charter.

The Academic Council and The Administration Council have the roles specified in the Charter. The simplified flowchart shows the roles of the Senate Bureau members (http://www.upt.ro/cond.php), and the detailed flowchart specifies the subordination relations down

Budgetary execution  Coordination of administrative, financial and accounting activity  Coordination of social services units Educational process and student issues  Independent chairs and departments  Professional orientation / information 

Cultural, artistic and sport activities

Human Resources  Financial politics  Doctoral studies  Coordination of International Relations  IT infrastructure 

Mobilities

Administrative coordination, investment, repairs, maintenance and development of patrimony  Acquisition coordination

Image  Orientation – monitoring of research activity  Research centres  Internal and international affiliations 

Scientific activities  Bulletins

 General coordination  Representation  Coordination of strategic development  Coordination and control of General Administrative Direction  Coordination and control of General Secretariate  Coordination and control of General Directorate for Quality Assurance  Coordination and control of Legal Office

 Coordination and control of Audit Office  Internal and international cooperation  Communication – cooperation with

syndicates and professional organizations of employees and students  Communication – cooperation with alumni associations  Personnel hiring - termination  Granting

honorary titles

ADMINISTRATION COUNCIL

RECTOR C

O M M I T T E E S

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S E N A T E

VICE-RECTOR

1

VICE-RECTOR

2

General Managing Director VICE-RECTOR

3

Scientific Secretary ACADEMIC

COUNCIL

F A C U L T I E S

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D E P A R T M E N T S / C H A I R S (5+1)

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to secretarial and service level, allowing following how authority is exercised for the attributions mentioned in the simplified flowchart.

The faculties, departments and chairs of UPT are the following:

No. Faculty Department Chairs

1 Faculty of

Architecture Architecture -

Automation and Applied Informatics - 2 Faculty of

Automation and

Computer Science Computer Science -

Applied Chemistry and Engineering of

Inorganic Compounds and Environment - 3 Faculty of Industrial

Chemistry and Environmental

Engineering Applied Chemistry and Engineering of Natural

Organic Compounds -

Civil, Industrial and Agricultural Engineering - Metallic Constructions and the Mechanics of

Constructions

- Geotechnical Engineering and Terrestrial

Communication Pathways -

4

Faculty of Civil Engineering

- Installations in Constructions

Communications -

Applied Electronics -

5 Faculty of Electronics and

Telecommunications Measurements and Optical Electronics -

- Power Engineering

6 Faculty of Electrical and Power

Engineering - Electrical Engineering

- Hydrotechnical Constructions and Land Improvement

7

Faculty of Hydrotechnics

- Hydraulics, Sanitary Engineering and Water Management

Electrical Engineering and Industrial

Informatics -

8 Faculty of Engineering of

Hunedoara Engineering and Management -

Management - 9 Faculty of

Production and Transportation

Management - Social Humanistic Science

Technology of Machine Construction

Material Engineering and Manufacturing

Materials and Welding Science Mechanics and Vibrations Mechanics and Strength of Materials

Strength of Materials Machine Components and Mechanisms

Mechatronics and Fine Mechanics Mechatronics

Descriptive Geometry, Technical Drawing and Computerized Graphics

Transportation Engineering Technology of Materials

Thermotechnics, Thermal Machines and Motor Vehicles

10

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Machines, Technology and Transportation

Hydraulic Machines

11 The Physical Bases of Engineering -

12 Communication and Foreign Languages -

13 Permanent Education -

14 Mathematics -

15 Preparation of the Academic Staff 16

Independent departments /

independent chairs

Chair of Physical Education and Sports

The following structural elements also act under the coordination of the Senate Bureau members: Department for Preparation of the Academic Staff, Department of Permanent Education,

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Department for International Programmes and Relations, Centre for Students’ Counselling and Information (CICS), Library, Directorate for Quality Assurance (DGAC) and research centres.

I.2. Mission, Objectives and Performance Indexes

The specification and the execution of the UPT mission, goals and activities declared in the UPT Charter are based on applying the principles of university autonomy and academic freedom.

The UPT mission is defined along the lines of the current and future individual and societal needs and consists of:

initial and permanent training at graduate and postgraduate level in engineering, interdisciplinary and complementary domains;

scientific and technological research;

scientific transfer, of technology and know–how, production and specific services.

The goals of the activities taking place in UPT are:

a) competitive training of specialists:

at graduate and postgraduate level, according to the levels agreed upon in the Bologna process (bachelor, master, doctoral) or to their equivalents in the structure prior to the Bologna process;

at postgraduate level in the global context of Higher Education European Space (specialization, improvement, permanent education and others);

b) scientific research and technological development, design, consultancy, technical assistance, expertise, production and others in the global context of the Research European Area;

c) improvement of education, scientific research and services delivered through:

 ensuring the UPT members a professional and social status according to the importance for the society of the assumed mission;

 developing the infrastructure of the university;

 adapting the educational content, teaching technologies and evaluation methods, scientific research and technological development, production and services, to the global technological and scientific progress tendencies and to the social and economic development dynamics of the country;

 subordinating all the processes in the university to the principles of quality management systems;

d) cooperation with national and foreign universities for the development of a modern and efficient education system;

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e) integration in global, European and national informational circuits through scientific, technological, teaching, cultural and of general information - including online - activities and publications.

For the execution of the activities defined through its mission and goals, „Politehnica”

University of Timisoara creates partnerships with national and foreign institutions and economic agents, creating common interest activity structures, and cooperates with international, national and local governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Through the Senate’s Decision No. 5/2006 (Annex II-01_HS 5 din 2006), the UPT adopted the following performance indicators for the internal self-evaluation of the quality of the processes within the university: selectivity in the selection of students, adequacy of human and materials resources, professional success of the graduates, visibility of research and technological transfer, attracting revenues from research and technological transfer, the degree of internationalization, the reputation in the local and international environment, thus aligning the mission and objectives it took upon itself to the international performance requirements and standards.

I.3. University objectives and performance between 2004 and 2009. 

The general objective of the university’s top management for the period 2004-2009 was: the development and reinforcement of the image of the university as an trainer of specialists and a generator and synthesizer of scientific knowledge, in tune with the needs of the society, with a proper internal climate, favourable to the transformation and to the professional and human capitalization of its academic staff and students. Reaching this objective implied significant efforts on several characteristic coordinates for the university which will be presented further on together with its performances.

I.3.1. The teaching process

During the reporting period, the connection between the teaching process and the needs of the society – a constant concern – was created as far as the offer of specializations, the curricula and syllabi are concerned, as well as regarding the total number of students. This was achieved on the basis of three parameters: i) the feedback associated with the departure of students from university, containing data from the labour market, regarding the need for graduate specialists in each field, ii) the feedback associated with the entry of students into the university, represented by the admission exam and iii) the education capacity of the university, with all its components: human resources, educational facilities, technical equipments, etc., for each field.

With this kind of approach corroborated with the campaigns of career guidance in high schools – including in Hungary, after Romania has joined the European Union – but also on the Internet, we managed in each year to fill almost entirely the budgeted student places and to attract a

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considerable number of self financing students. The number of budgeted places financed from the central budget granted to UPT has been in perfect tune with UPT’s strategy (see Annex I-11_

Student numbers); it is worth noticing the increase in the number of student places in Civil Engineering, a field which was in full development in our country between 2004 and 2008). The proven capacity – not just the one pretended to exist – of UPT, to fill in every time the places it was granted, was due to the realistic distribution of places per field and to the usage of selection methods for the candidates that were adapted to the particular context.

Each year, an important number of graduates and specialists were provided into society, all having a good reputation on the labour market from a professional and a behavioural point of view.

The existence in Timişoara, in the Timiş district and in the V - West region of numerous important companies is due, largely, as the officials from these companies publicly state (see Annex I- 12_external opinions about the UPT, connected to some of programs which are to be accredited during the institutional accreditation), to the way in which UPT answers their needs for highly qualified work force.

Briefly, the student number at the admission exam for the period 2004/2005 – 2008/2009 was (the comparison was made against the 2004/2005 academic year):

The following aspects are worth underlining: i) the constancy at bachelor level, with an upward trend in 2008/2009 (this considering that at national level the number of high school graduates is decreasing); ii) the constant progress at the master level, approximately a 16 % increase from one year to another; iii) the gradual augmentation of the number of doctoral students after the sudden decrease registered following the time when HG 567/2005 regarding the organisation of doctoral studies became effective.

The students who were admitted to master degree programmes had, considering the faculties they graduated, mostly came from UPT. However, a not negligible number of students came from other universities, mostly from the West part of the country. From the debates between the academic staff of UPT and the bachelor graduates at the presentations of the master degree programmes, it resulted that the interest for master degrees would have been much higher if there would have been an official national statute for the graduates of these studies, expressed through well defined qualifications, recognized on the labour market.

Academic year

UPT_Bachelor studies

UPT_Master studies

UPT_Doctoral

studies UPT_Total 2004 / 2005 2978 100.00% 608 100.00% 222 100.00% 3808 100.00%

2005 / 2006 2921 98.00% 706 116.00% 113 51.00% 3740 98.00%

2006 / 2007 2924 98.00% 814 134.00% 93 42.00% 3831 101.00%

2007 / 2008 2910 98.00% 950 156.00% 131 59.00% 3991 105.00%

2008 / 2009 3219 108.80% 1185 194.90% 139 63.00% 4543 119.30%

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During the reporting period from UPT graduated the following number of students as seen in the table:

Academic

year UPT_5 years UPT_ Master Degree

UPT_ Doctoral

Degree UPT_total

2003 / 2004 1570 100.00% 381 100.00% 85 100.00% 2036 100.00%

2004 / 2005 1753 112.00% 442 116.00% 69 81.00% 2264 111.00%

2005 / 2006 1828 116.00% 595 156.00% 63 74.00% 2486 122.00%

2006 / 2007 1766 112.00% 39 10.00% 86 101.00% 1891 93.00%

2007 / 2008 1736 111.00% 515 135.00% 51 60.00% 2302 113.00%

Since in this period the graduates of UPT were mainly students from the 5 years study cycle, a correlation cannot be made with the number of accepted students(former table). The low number of master degree graduates in the academic year 2006/2007 is due to the fact that from the fall of 2006, UPT switched to master programmes with a length of 2 years and, consequently, in 2007 only the students from the master programme of the Faculty of Architecture (the only 1 year master programme) graduated. It can be noticed that in 2008 the number of master degree graduates (study programmes with a length of 2 years) was higher than in 2004. Regarding the number of those who finished doctoral studies we appreciate that compared to the average value of 70 confirmed doctors / academic year there have been variations. We consider as positive the fact that joint doctoral programmes began to function and binomials were formed between a scientific coordinator from UPT and a coordinator from other university – especially from abroad, but also from Romania, as well as between two scientific coordinators from UPT, from different fields, in the case of interdisciplinary theses.

The detailed account of the accepted students and of the graduates is presented in Annex I- 11_Student numbers, Annex I-13_Graduate numbers and Annex I-14_Joint degree doctoral students 2004-2009. At graduation diplomas and diploma supplements were granted according to the current legislation (see Annex I-15_Diplomas and diploma supplements where some supplements are partially presented).

Overall, regarding the changes that incurred during the reported period at the level of the student body of UPT, we mention the following distribution per levels and type of study:

2004 /

2005 2005 /

2006 2006 /

2007 2007 / 2008 2008/

2009

Multiplication factor 2008 / 2009 vs. 2004 / 2005

Percentage modification

2008 / 2009 vs. 2004 / 2005

Bachelor 13067 13215 12928 12679 12998 0,995 - 0.5 %

Master 597 746 818 1.583 1956 3,27 + 227 %

Doctoral 1066 862 790 736 651 0,757 - 24.5 %

- intramural 140 163 163 175 156 1,114 +11.4 %

- extramural 926 699 627 561 495 0,534 - 46.6 %

Total 14730 14823 14536 14998 15605 1,06 + 6 %

The doctoral programme involves 4,2% of the total number of students of UPT and the master programmes: 12.53%. Within the doctoral programme spectacular structural changes took

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place. Thus, if at the beginning of the reported period, only 13% of the doctoral students of UPT were intramural students, while 87% were extramural, to date the ratio between these categories changed to 24% and 76%.

In the field of distance learning no notable progress has been registered. The public interest for this type of learning in the technical field, at bachelor level has proven to be low (letter A from Annex I-16_Distance learning & continuous learning). There are reasons to state that, at master level, the interest for the distance learning would be much higher, both in Romania and abroad. It is necessary however to go from the actual system used by UPT, based on printed materials, to an on- line system. Based on the current resources, this change can be made starting with the academic year 2009/2010.

An important number of students were and are interested in the methodical and pedagogical module run by the Department for Teacher Training (Annex I-17_ Regulations DPPD_Project). On average, the courses are attended each year by around 1260 students and graduated by around 182 students who receive a graduation certificate of the so called „ Psycho-pedagogical Studies Programme”. The ratio between the ones who graduate and those who attend is on average around 14.5%. Taking into account the fact that this module interests the students from the Bologna cycle as well, the university will continue to offer this course, with the same content and in the same format.

UPT – the psycho-pedagogical module 2003 / 2004 2004 / 2005 2005 / 2006 2006 / 2007 2007 / 2008

Registered students 1367 1402 1152 1288 1097

Students that graduated 97 230 175 173 239

The detailed account is presented in Annex I-18_The psycho-pedagogical modul-students.

UPT offers through the Department of Continuous Education (DEP) opportunities for supplementary studies based on the lifelong education concept. The detailed status is presented at letter B in Annex I-16_Distance learning & Continuous education. The activity of the department had increased substantially over the past years, both in its spectrum of involvement and in the revenues it generated. The cooperation of DEP with CISCO Networking Academy, Microsoft IT Academy, SAP Universities Alliance, VUE, as well as with Romanian organizations like SIVECO, ACPART and ”Petrol şi Gaze” University in Ploiesti, has proved to be a real success. Actually, besides of organizing courses, DEP is recognized as well as a testing centre: PEASON VUE – from 2005 and PROMETRIC – from 2007.

DEP has been a member in consortiums of international projects among partners like the University of Palermo or the University of Salzburg. Also, DEP obtained by itself European funds in a PHARE project aiming at the development of human resources of SMEs from the region V West and participates at the implementation of a TEMPUS IV project on the topic of “Higher

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Education Learning Partnership”. Additionally, DEP had contracts with third parties regarding the writing of projects for the absorption of European fund, oriented towards “The development of human resources and of the career opportunities through the development and implementation of a modern computer based system for the management of the human resources” and “The consolidation of the institutional capacity of the Regional Consortium”.

We consider that in the future, the continuous education in UPT must show a positive trend, with even higher growth rates than it has now.

I.3.2. Research process

Research is managed and monitored by the Scientific and Technological Research Committee of the “Politehnica” University of Timişoara’s Senate which, together with the Scientific Council of UPT (http://www.upt.ro/cercetare/consiliul.php) implements The scientific research strategy of the „Politehnica” University of Timişoara for 2007 – 2013, its own policies and programmes for research, development and technological transfer, as well as the specific actions meant to ensure their achievement (Annex I-19_Research Strategy_UPT_2007- 2013_Strategic priorities). Convinced that the research activity must benefit from an organization and development framework where one of the fundamental principles is the freedom of the researcher in choosing the directions and topics he/she approaches and considering the fact that a substantial research activity needs an adequate infrastructure and proper retributions – in other words: financial resources -, the upper management of UPT established in 2005 “The strategic priorities regarding research at UPT between 2005 and 2008” – on the base of which it was developed the strategy mentioned above. The 2005 document highlights the importance UPT gives to the research activities and aims to induce through the tracing of priorities a modern course:

UPT considers that scientific research is a priority of the university missions, conferring personality and distinction to the university, and that reaching excellence in scientific research is a target on medium and long term. Therefore, the regulations of the university regarding the scientific research must insure a framework within which:

the scientific research becomes one of the most important source of income for the university;

one allows the consolidation, development and enrichment of the material base for research;

one stimulates pecuniary and morally staff that is involved in research activities;

one increases the importance and raises the contribution of doctoral education;

one selects the human resources which are capable of research from the bachelor and master levels;

one increases the degree of responsibility and involvement of the departments in the planning of research activities, in setting up research centres and developing research laboratories;

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one promotes in the university the new European culture of research and it supports the integration of the members of the university in research networks and major European programmes;

one encourages the creation of a real added value on both the theoretical and the practical fields;

one directs scientific research on the major directions of the European Union as for to answer the needs for development and consolidation of the local, regional and national environment;

one ensures the conditions for an efficient orientation and access to scientific information;

one informs the public opinion, the decision-makers and academic environment about the results obtained in the scientific field by the members of the academic community of the university.”

One of the first measures taken by the Executive Board of the Senate regarding research was to establish a system in which of the funds attracted through the research activities will benefit almost entirely, after all the expenses have been covered, its provider.

Thus, from June 2004, the overheads quota levied by the Rectorate for the amounts gathered from research activities was reduced from 25% of the labour costs foreseen in the research contract, to 3% of the contract’s value, and subsequently another 3% of the contract’s value remains at the disposal of the contract’s manager, as working capital, which can be spent especially after the end of the contract, for any purpose, except for salaries. The rest of the amounts attracted through research activities – that is 94% of them! – were left at the disposal of the research team, counting on the fact that the research team will take care that it will be used in reasonable proportions for the benefit of the people who did research work and the laboratories where they do the research and/or teaching activities, which is what really happened. At the same time, it was correctly counted on the fact that a part of these funds would be allocated by their managers to support the printing of their works and their direct participation at major scientific events. In the stimulating framework that was established, various research structures were created and/or consolidated – congregates, laboratories, centres, institutes, excellence centres, research facilities with multiple users, interdisciplinary research platforms (Annex I-20_Research structures in UPT), some having a statute governed by the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth, while others have an ad-hoc existence.

Taking into account that a technical university has to demonstrate its research capacity through the degree by which the results of the research can be applied in the economic area, the UPT emphasised applied research through direct contracts with the beneficiaries from the industry, who are capable of financing and put to use the research’s results. In 2007 were signed 230 such contracts, with a total value of 3,765,832 lei, while in 2008 were signed 187 contracts having a total value of 2,144,167 lei.

In 2007 the top management of UPT noticing that “… only a small percentage of the members of the teaching and research community of UPT are de facto active in the research field in

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real teams, with research subjects soundly based, with a systematic work plan and an internal organisation adequate for high performances” took the initiative of creating in UPT several interdepartmental research centres, open to each and every potential researcher from the university, irrespective of which chair/department he/she belongs to. Five such institutes were approved and specifically: the Interdisciplinary Research Institute, the Renewable Energy Research Institute (ICER-TM), the Automotive Research Institute, the Environmental Protection Research Institute and the Materials Research Institute.

Till 2007 it has been effectively established the Renewable Energy Research Institute. In order to create its infrastructure a project with a length of 36 months and a value of around 17 million Euros won the selection (and was launched in 19.3.2009) for structural funds from the European Union, within the Sectorial Operational Programme “Increase of the Economic Competitiveness” - Priority Axis II.

In order to facilitate the contacts between the university and the society, to reach the goal of better focusing the research towards the society’s needs and for a more consistent implementation of the innovative ideas generated within the university, in 2004, the Research and Technologic Transfer Centre of the „Politehnica” University of Timişoara was created, to which was allocated a space of 400 square meters – the 1st floor of the R Building of UPT – equipped at high standards with funds raised from L-Bank Stuttgart. Within the Centre are currently active German companies interested in cooperating with UPT – a certain amount of collaboration has already taken place – and an office of the Fraunhofer Association of Research Institutes from Germany – the largest research organisation in Europe, with which UPT is already working on two major research/technological transfer projects: ”Timişoara Vision 2030”, aiming at the traffic optimisation in Timişoara and its vicinity, as well as ”Informatisation of data management at the Timiş County Council”.

In the institutional and managerial framework here described, in the context of a high competitiveness at national and international levels, at the “Politehnica” University of Timişoara have been organised numerous scientific events (Annex I-21A_UPT Scientific Activities_2004- 2008 and Annex I-21B_Scientific Activities 2009) and has been published a large number of books and articles encompassing the scientific work of various researcher categories, some of them providing according to the citations reference elements in their respective fields. The results from the annexes I-21 show UPT has been significantly involved in the international circuit of scientific manifestations as organiser/ co-organiser. We highlight as an example of international cooperation the SACI International Symposium, organized by UPT – the Faculty of Automation and Computer Science, in collaboration with the BMF Applied Sciences University from Budapest, under the patronage of IEEE. In 2010 three events with a distinct international impact will be held at UPT: the

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IAHR Symposium on Hydraulic Machinery and Systems (September), the International Conference on Software Maintenance (September) and the IFAC Symposium on Telematics (October).

The participation of the teaching staff to scientific events organized by other institutions has been notable. The decision of the UPT management to support the participation of youth to such manifestations by allocating from its own extra-budgetary centralized revenues a sum of 300 EUR during the academic years 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 and of a sum of 500 EUR during the academic year 2007/2008 has contributed to the current situation.

The Senate of the UPT aims to stimulate the diversity of types of participation at scientific research activities through the national funding organisms (MECI, ANCS, CNCSIS, the Romanian Academy, etc.) as well as the international organisms (the European Commission – through the programme PC7, foundations, and other organisms). Following competitions, a significant number of research grants and contracts have been won bringing funds on one side and prestige on the other. UPT appears in the Central Registry of Potential Contractors under the number 3284 and is eligible for funding through the national programmes administrated by the National Authority for Scientific Research ANCS.

The financing programme of interdisciplinary research platforms represents an important source of funding the research infrastructure. In its framework three grants with a total value of 20,500,596 lei were awarded to “Politehnica” University of Timişoara.

In the framework of the National Plan for Research, Development and Innovation II, initiated in 2007, UPT won in the following programme categories that were financed for the year 2008: 14 research programmes for young doctoral students in the HUMAN RESOURCES Programme (2008 value: 482,545 lei); 7 projects in the IDEAS programme (2008 value: 1,844,656 lei); 3 projects in the CAPACITIES programme (2008 value: 2,232,099 lei); 1 project in the INNOVATION programme (2008 value: 101,717 lei); 34 projects in the PARTNERSHIPS programme (2008 value:

4,390,451 lei). At the 2008 call for applications of the National Plan for Research, Development and Innovation II another 29 projects were successful and will be financed in 2009.

An increased attention was attached in the previous years to the internationalisation of the research activity. In 2007 UPT implemented international contracts as well as Sixth and Seventh Framework Programme contracts.

Throughout the period concerned, the management of the university encouraged the publication of the research results undertaken by the research body of the university – composed of teaching staff, researching engineers and doctoral students – in journals and at prestigious conferences. For this purpose, it was established that it is a sine qua non condition for the promotion on the position of associate professor and professor, before the national regulations were issued on this matter, to publish a certain number of articles in this type of journals and at this kind

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of conferences. It has been promoted with determination the objective of visibility correlated with impact metrics of an as high as possible level, mainly the ISI standard. In the table below is presented a comparative situation regarding the published articles. A detailed situation is provided in Annex I-22_Articles 2004-2008.

Year

Articles with ISI –

Journal quotation

Articles with ISI – Proceedings

quotation

Articles with other quotations

Articles without quotations but recognized by

CNCSIS

Articles without quotation at

various international conferences

Articles with quotations –

total

Articles - total

TOTAL

2004-2008 555 452 590 1799 3123 1597 6519

2004 73 18 25 401 484 517 1001 2008 213 243 398 304 571 854 1729

The data reflects the progress recorded and it must be correlated with the mentality change in the university regarding the need of focusing the publishing activities towards visibility. In this context, we take the liberty to consider that the current way in which CNFIS and various regulations at national level encourage the organization of scientific events by all the universities in as many fields as possible is of such nature that it leads to a dispersal of efforts and a reduction of the average level of these events.

During this period, the Scientific and Technical Bulletin of UPT continued to be published in all the fields it is well-known for. We highlight the fact that the Electrical Engineering series of the Scientific and Technical Bulletin of UPT, under the name „Journal of Electric Engineering” is INSPEC indexed and has appeared for the past 9 years in an electronic format (http://www.jee.ro/) as well. Even if in the case of the other series (http://www.upt.ro/cercetare/publicatii_upt.php) some progress was obtained as far as the internationalization of the Editorial Board and the internationalization of the authors are concerned, unfortunately we did not succeed in making them part of any high visibility circuit.

I.3.3. Human Resources

The teaching staff of UPT being, without any doubt, its most priced asset, actions are taken incessantly within the university to ensure a proper internal climate, based on reciprocal respect, comity and cooperation between the members of the community, whichever their category or hierarchic position would be. The top management of UPT has shown a particular interest in increasing the incomes of its staff. Gradually, the incomes of the whole staff of UPT – but especially, by percentage, of young teaching staff and intramural doctoral students – have increased considerably in the timeframe here analyzed. Furthermore, (food and gift vouchers have been offered to all employees), in certain years in larger amounts, in other years in a smaller amount, but nevertheless, with a record level in the year 2007/2008 (Annex I-23_Gross Income & Vouchers).

The financial resources required for all these actions were raised by:

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increasing the budgetary allocations, corresponding to “the base financing”, by increasing the number of students, but also the amount per student and by the improvement of performance indicators on the base of which MECT allocates financing to universities (each year, based on these indicators UPT has been ranked no. 1 in the country among the technical universities and the universities with a significant technical component);

improving the turning into profit of the potential for research, development, innovation, consultancy, expertise, certification, etc. of the university;

improving the turning into profit of the real estate patrimony of the university;

curtailing the expenses of the instruction process by a more rational definition and administration of the curricula;

cutting back on the utility expenses through autonomisation and the usage of modern technologies.

Regarding the promotion of the staff in the didactical hierarchy, UPT has led a balanced policy in which it took into account both the needs of the institution – immediate, short term and long term – and the individual interest of each person (see Annex III-10_HBES_36_2005). This approach, accompanied by the unyielding enforcement of the proven value criteria, has created opportunities for an important number of academic staff to accede – evidently through competition – to upper positions.

In order to facilitate for the teaching staff, students and essentially the whole academic community of UPT, the participation to cultural events, series of conferences and cultural-artistic evenings with important guests (writers, historians, journalists, etc.) were organized by the faculties.

Concurrently, in order to promote a climate of closeness and comity at the level of various structures – mainly at faculty and rectorate levels – the organization of reunions during the winter holiday season or at the beginning or end of various activities have been endorsed. These initiatives have been appreciated by the participants, giving us reasons to declare that they reached their objectives.

I.3.4. Financial Resources

As it is the case with any organization, for UPT too the financial resources play an essential part. Subsequently, these have been handled with maximum care.

First of all, a particular attention was directed towards the strict implementation of all active regulations. The degree to which this has been successful is probably most eloquently illustrated by the fact that at none of the annual control missions undertaken within the university, the Court of Accounts has not identified other than minor, rectifiable and immediately rectified unconformities.

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Within UPT it has been relentlessly enforced the principle of decentralized financial administration, up to the department/chair level, which made both the decision makers and the simple members of the academic community more responsible.

In order to increase the revenues of the university specific measures were taken for each type of revenue:

 To increase the revenues for the “base financing” category, actions were initiated in order to improve the CNFIS quality indicators, whose importance in the funds allocation has become more and more significant over the years, as well as to boost the number of students at master and intramural doctoral levels, which have a better financing coefficient.

 To increase the revenues from the “complementary financing” category, actions were taken to support a large number of rehabilitation and development projects of the university’s teaching and research infrastructures as well as the social and sports infrastructure – regarding the spaces themselves, as well as their furnishings and technical equipment.

 To increase the revenues from the university’s own extra budgetary sources, actions were taken to motivate the substructures of UPT to attract such financial resources, by rising from 60% to 80%, the percentage of the founding that is allocated to the substructure that obtained it. Afterwards the fees for the self-financing students and the fees for retaking failed classed were increased. The number of research contracts and grants multiplied, the value of these contracts and grants became more substantial and the rents for the real estate that was temporary unnecessary for the good functioning of the university were raised.

Thus, from the precarious financial situation of the university as it was at the end of the anterior reporting period, we managed to reach a financial situation that can be qualified as excellent, which allowed significant salary raises, as it has been shown regarding the teaching staff, the rehabilitation and updating of numerous teaching and research places – as well as the social and sport facilities – their refurnishing and equipment with ultramodern technical installations, as well as building some new ones. There would be no exaggeration to state that, between Mars 2004 and December 2008 the image of the university has been radically altered for the better.

In Annex I-23_Gross Income & Vouchers, letter A, an analytical image on the evolution of the financial resources of UPT for the reporting period is presented and in Annex I-24_UPT Income Evolution, letter B, a comparative analytical analysis over the financial resources for the period 2004-2008 is being offered.

I.3.5. Real estate patrimony

As it had been shown during the report, the real estate and technical patrimony of UPT became, after dozens of years of under financing, not just out of date, worn out, but literally to a

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large extent damaged. In this context, actions were taken to generate projects and afterwards to obtain financial resources for their implementation. The whole university has been, in one way or another, to a larger or smaller extent, targeted by this type of projects which had a total value of around 1700 milliard ROL.

First it was attempted the rehabilitation and/or updating of the existing real estate patrimony, at the level of the Rectorate, the faculties and the social complex.

Then, the furniture was renewed almost entirely (for example in 2007, only for the lecture rooms there were over 15 milliard ROL invested in furniture, and for the student residences another 5 milliard ROL).

In the student residences – in all the 16 that are at the discretion of UPT – a connection to the Internet by optic fibre was established, up to room level. Moreover, video surveillance systems were installed in a good percentage of student residences, while in the remaining ones the problems are on their way to be solved.

Complex rehabilitation and updating works were initiated and finished for new departments or departments that changed their location:

− The IT Business Incubator – 3rd floor, R building

− The Technological Transfer Centre – 1st floor, R building

− The Mathematics department – 2nd floor, Rectorate building

− The Physical Education and Sports Chair –1st floor, student residence 2MV

− The Department of Physical Basis of Engineering – 3rd floor, Electro. C building

− The CA1 and CA2 amphitheatres of the Faculty of Civil Engineering (around 250 places each)

− The 151 amphitheatre at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (around 150 places)

− The A101 and "Alexandru Rogojan" amphitheatre at the Electro group of Faculties (around 220 places the first one and around 380 places the second one)

− The Fast-food of the 1C student restaurant

− The 1MV, 22C, 21C, 20C and 19C student residences (with a total of around 2500 accommodation places)

In all the 16 student residences individual central heating systems, double-glazed uPVC windows, polystyrene heath and sound insulators were installed and the exterior painting was renewed. In all the student residences the furniture was changed. Each student residence room – and UPT has a total of over 2000 such rooms – was equipped with a refrigerator.

Double-glazed uPVC windows were installed and the walls of all the faculties were painted.

Capital repair work of the roof of the Rectorate building – a particularly complex project – was performed.

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The capital repair work of the Electro group of Faculties – an especially complex project – has begun and is to date close to its completion.

The capital repair work of the Faculty of Management in Production and Transportation was initiated and is to date close to completion.

The capital repair work of the Faculty of Civil Engineering begun and is currently close to completion.

The capital repair work of the Faculty of Hydrotechnical Engineering begun and is completed.

The building of the new UPT library – on its full name: the Centre for Documentation, Continuous Education and Technological Transfer – has begun and is at an advanced stage, after the financial resources for this objective were allocated in 2005 through a Governmental Decision from the national budget.

The building of the Swimming Pools Complex from the Sports Base no. 2, comprising one indoor and one outdoor swimming pool has begun and it has been completed.

The landscaping of a park in the area between the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering was initiated and completed.

The improvement of two new UPT Senate halls – the “Large Hall” and the “Small hall” – in the Rectorate building were initiated and completed. In the same building it was improved to a level of refinement the entry hall and the stairwell up to the mezzanine.

The works for transforming the 1st floor of the 1C student restaurant into a multifunctional adjustable space (these works were accompanied by the consolidation of the building) have begun and were completed.

The capital repair of “Casa Politehnicii 2” was initiated and completed.

The rehabilitation and updating works at the Sports Base no. 1 were initiated and completed.

The rehabilitation and updating works at the Sports Base no. 2 have begun.

Construction works for building penthouses on top of the D building of the Electro faculties group, a part of the SPM building belonging to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and a part of the building with the heating system of the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry and Environmental Engineering were initiated.

Three new projects have been launched: the headquarters of the Faculty of Architecture and new general spaces for teaching and research on Traian Lalescu Street, new general teaching and research spaces as an extension of the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry and Environmental Engineering on Vasile Pârvan Boulevard and a Polyvalent Hall with 2500 places on Fagului Street.

Also, the headquarters of the Renewable Energy Research Institute is going to be built on Muzicescu Street and equipped using structural funds from the European Union (around 17 million Euros).

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In Hunedoara a new ultramodern student residence with a student restaurant at the ground floor has been built, while consolidation, rehabilitation and complex revision works that affected all the UPT buildings in this city were and are still carried on.

Laboratory equipment with a value of around 200 milliards ROL has been bought for all the faculties, making the current status radically different from the one presented at the end of the past report period. In order to illustrate the range of the progress, we mention that in this timeframe over 3500 high-performance computers have been bought.

To offer our students the possibility of travelling in a cheap and safe way to their internship placements, in field trips, to attend cultural or sports events, etc., in 2007 were bought a bus with a capacity of 54 people, another one with a capacity of 28 people and a van with 9 places. Obviously, all these are available equally to the teaching staff and to the other categories of employees of the university. We highlight the fact that an important number of UPT students – from the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, the Faculty of Hydrotechnical Engineering, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, The Faculty of Civil Engineering, the Faculty of Architecture and the Department for Communication and Foreign Languages – had the opportunity to do study trips or group internships at companies in their respective fields.

In Annex I-25_Investment status, a summary of the investment, consolidation, rehabilitation and capital repair works of the real estate patrimony of UPT executed between 2004 and 2008 is being presented.

I.3.6. Intranational relations

All along the reported period, UPT has maintained very good relations with the other universities from Timişoara and from around the country, as well as with the Timiş Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and the companies that work in Timişoara, the county, the region and the country.

Close relations were kept with the larger companies in the area in order to receive feedback that can be used to better adapt the teaching and scientific research activities but also with the target of determining these companies to provide support in the updating of the teaching and research infrastructure. This target has been reached in many occasions.

Careful and successful collaboration was continued with the local, county, regional and national authorities. UPT assumed a complex role of a development catalyst and a link between the different institutions. UPT was actively involved in establishing the strategy and the local, county, regional and national policies in the fields it is most competent for. For example, the rector of UPT participated at the elaboration of the national research, development and innovation strategy for the period 2007-2013.

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The relations of the university with the Timiş County Education Inspectorate and the high schools from the county were good, but not consistent enough. This collaboration was poor from the point of view of the common activities. In the future, more attention should be given to these relations.

Regarding the connections with the Timiş County Council, the Timişoara Local Council, the Timişoara City hall and the Timiş Prefecture we can say that they were excellent. To support such affirmation we mention the collaboration between UPT, Timiş County Council, the Timişoara Local Council, the Timişoara City hall and IBD/GTZ for the creation and maintenance of the IT Business Incubator, an objective particularly appreciated by our guests, itself and the partnership that sustains it.

We insist on making a special note on the relations the university had with MEdCT.

In 2004, the Alumni and Former Employees Association (AFSAPT) was created.

Unfortunately the management of this association has not proven itself capable to put to good use the huge support potential for UPT that this association could have generated.

I.3.7. International relations

Another priority of the upper management of UPT in the period in question was to increase the visibility and improve the image of the university.

Signing bilateral cooperation agreements, consortium agreements, ad-hoc or generic, with as many universities as possible was one of the methods used. International cooperation agreements were signed especially with European universities, but also with universities from USA, Canada, South Africa and Japan. We can state that UPT is more present now in the international academic circuit than in its whole history. All kinds of mobility are based on the bilateral agreements between UPT and the host university. In April 2009 were active:

‐ 156 bilateral Erasmus agreements for the academic year 2008/2009 and 174 for the academic year 2009/2010;

‐ 2 CEEPUS networks where UPT is a partner and a beneficiary of mobilities;

‐ 76 framework agreements that include mobilities;

‐ 5 agreements with foreign companies that allow the mobility of students interested in internships;

Each year there have been around ten partnerships on European research programmes (PC6, PC7). There were documentation visits and experience exchanges in which a large percentage of the teaching staff was involved. There has been a consistent collaboration in the area of joint doctoral degrees.

Most partnerships were made within the ERASMUS programme, the direct beneficiaries being the students. The evolution of the Erasmus agreements and of the number of framework

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agreements is shown in the table below. The main analytic and synthetic aspects regarding the mobilities are presented in Annex I-26_DPRI Synthesis and Annex I-27_Framework agreements UPT.

Evolution of international agreements 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008

Erasmus agreements 38 52 72 126 121

Framework agreements 6 37 48 65 63

UPT achieved some successes in the area of mutual recognition of the studies undertaken and the double-degree programmes. In the context described above, UPT has 15 cooperation conventions for double-degree programmes with universities from France, Germany, Japan, etc., 7 of which have been signed between 2004 and 2008.

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