Moldova State University (MSU) hosted the launch of a new University of the Third Age (U3A) academic year. The event, titled "Welcome to U3A", brought together 100 seniors over the age of 60 from Chisinau, who chose to actively engage in the learning and socialization process, proving that education has no age limit.
U3A is a unique project in the Republic of Moldova, created at the initiative of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ministry of Education and Research, Moldova State University, and the Moldcell Foundation, with the financial support from the Czech Development Agency. The project aims to support lifelong learning and promote the active development of older persons’ potential, offering them opportunities to expand their knowledge, explore new fields, and actively contribute to community life.
Through this program, participants will have the opportunity to study 4 of the 6 available courses, adapted to the specific needs and interests of seniors:
- Legal Education for Seniors
- Digital Skills Development
- Our History in the 20th Century
- Healthy Longevity
- English for Seniors
- Well-being and Intergenerational Communication
Each course will have a duration of 14 hours (1 hour = 45 minutes), and meetings will be held once or twice a week, 90 minutes each. Courses will be taught in Romanian and Russian to ensure the accessibility of the program for all seniors in the Republic of Moldova.
Among this year's students is Filimon Nastas, 84 years old, from Chisinau, who worked for 45 years as a teacher and always wanted to remain active and socially involved. "I have loved children and students very much. After retiring and ending my professional activity, I missed communication a lot—I wanted to meet someone, to discuss, and I wished to break free from those monotonous days. When I found out that U3A had opened, I insisted on coming and enrolling in these courses. I chose the basic course—'Digital Skills Development'—because back in my day, the internet wasn't as well developed. I want to learn more, interact with other seniors, and exchange experiences."
Nina Tihon, 81 years old, from Chișinău, is among the ladies eager for socialization. “I chose the basic course—'Contemporary History'—because I have been passionate about history my whole life, and it's a shame that not everyone appreciates it as they should. I was a teacher at the Medical College in Chișinău, and after my husband's passing, life became sad, and I want to escape this state of loneliness”.
Ecaterina Belostecinic, 72 years old, from Chișinău, is just as excited to start her studies. "I enrolled in four courses, and I am very eager to begin. I continued working for 14 years after retiring, and now I feel I deserve to age gracefully. However, for that, the brain also needs to work and not decline. That's why I chose to come to the University for Seniors. I have high expectations; I hope to make new friends and perhaps reconnect with former classmates. Most of all, I am looking forward to the English course because everywhere we go now, we need to know a foreign language.”
In parallel, this year, the Third Age University has expanded to the North and South of Moldova where over 80 seniors from across the country will have access to studies at the University of Third Age (U3A), a program recently inaugurated at the State University "Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu" in Cahul and the State University "Alecu Russo" in Balti.
So far, the University of the Third Age has over 240 senior students enrolled at the universities in Chisinau, Cahul, and Balti.
"The University of 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 in partnership with UNFPA.
About the University of the Third Age (U3A)
U3A is an innovative initiative dedicated to seniors in the Republic of Moldova, providing opportunities for lifelong learning and socialization for older persons. The "University for Third Age" project is developed at the initiative of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA Moldova), the Ministry of Education and Research, the State University of Moldova, and the Moldcell Foundation, with financial support from the Czech Development Agency. In the Republic of Moldova, the first cohort of the University for Thirds Age was launched on October 1, 2023, following the U3A model from the Czech Republic. At the end of the first academic year, 57 senior students aged 60 and over successfully completed the U3A courses and received diplomas. For the first time, this academic year, U3A was expanded to the State University of Bălți and Cahul.
