Refugees from Ukraine can learn Romanian language at courses conducted with the support of the European Union's Mayors for Economic Growth initiative, implemented by UNDP. The courses are held at the Alecu Russo State University of Bălți and the State University of Comrat. 

The courses last for three months and take place three times a week. They are adapted to the needs and level of knowledge of the participants and the teaching is interactive, using audio and video learning materials. Up to 20% of participants are Moldovan citizens working in public institutions.

The Alecu Russo State University organizes these courses both with physical and online presence. The courses are mostly attended by refugees from Ukraine, who learn Romanian from scratch. “Among the audience there are several Ukrainian students who have transferred to the Bălți university and a woman in her 70s. All participants want to socialise, to fit into the community and to find a job,” says Violina Dănilă, a university assistant who teaches Romanian. 

In Comrat, the courses are held online, attended by refugees settled in different regions of the country. The Romanian lessons are taught by the teachers of the Romanian Language Department of the Comrat State University. 

“Most of those who participate in this training programme have a job in the Republic of Moldova, who want to learn Romanian to be able to communicate with people from host communities, to interact with colleagues,” says Natalia Topal, acting director of the Continuous Training Center from Comrat.

The institution will soon launch the second cohort of the Romanian course, with 17 more men and women to benefit from this opportunity. 

By the end of the year, around 80 refugees from Ukraine will benefit from Romanian language courses at the Alecu Russo State University of Bălți and the State University of Comrat. 

“This initiative aims to contribute to the social and economic integration of people who have been forced to settle in our country because of the war in Ukraine. We are offering them the chance to learn Romanian and, as a result, to find a job easier,” says Valentin Croitoru, project coordinator at UNDP Moldova. 

The Mayors for Economic Growth initiative, second phase (2021-2024), aims to ensure inclusive economic growth and job creation by supporting local authorities in the Eastern Partnership countries.

Under the initiative, five Moldovan localities hosting refugees from Ukraine will benefit from EU support for the development of infrastructure and public services this year.

Five communities will benefit from grants totalling €355,000: Cărpineni, Volintiri, Copceac, Cimișlia and Drochia. They will use EU funds to improve local infrastructure and facilitate the socio-economic integration of Ukrainian refugees settled in these localities.