Vladimir Gutu

Hall of Fame Class of 2016

Vladimir Gutu is an active participant in initiating and promoting reform in the education of Moldova in the post-communist period. He coordinated and directly participated in drafting the 2014 Education Code and is responsible for drafting the articles of reform addressing lifelong education, professional standards in lifelong learning, and professional standards for school managers. 

The system of continuous training of teacher’s education in Moldova is largely focused on ideas and approaches offered by Guțu, namely the diversification of education, the introduction of transferable credits, the Moldovan effort to comply with the Bologna system, continued training hierarchy levels, and the correlation of individual and institutional needs in forming lifelong teacher continuing education. Through Gutu’s contributions, a legal framework was created to ensure the functioning of an adult education system in Moldova. Gutu promoted the continuity and interconnection between pre-university and adult education, vocational and adult education, higher and adult education, and adult education and labor market requirements. The most important impact of these activities is the development of the adult education system according to labor market necessities and changes in the national education system.

Immediately after the proclamation of independence of the Republic Moldova in 1991, Gutu became a key leader who participated in the establishment of the Moldovan educational system. He outlined the role of adult education in Moldova and the teacher’s continuing education. He also coordinated the organization of international scientific conferences where he presented the strategy "Higher Education and the Labor Market" for Moldova. He developed the key policy documents in 2005 when Moldovan higher education integrated the Bologna Process. He played a leading role in the last decades of his professional career as president of the National Council for Curriculum, contributing to education reform in former Soviet countries and as an expert within the Committee for Educational Polices and Practice as part of the European Council.

Projects coordinated by Gutu are examples of best practices in adult education and contributed to the development of the adult education system and ensured effective professional training of teachers and managers. As a research coordinator for doctoral students, he studied motivation in adult education and approaches in continuous training through the interconnection of personal and institutional needs. The impact of his scholarly investigations  can be seen in the initiation of scientific research on adult education, active involvement of researchers in investigating adult education, and the number of national and international projects in the field of adult education. As a result, the adult education system has been transformed thanks to Gutu’s commitment  balanced against European and international values.