Webinar: Ethical Research Practices in Moldovan Context

On December 21, 2023, IEED hosted the webinar “Ethical research practices in Moldovan context: Applications in higher education policies“. It occurred within the HESPRI project as part of Dr Sanda Caracentev’s 3-month secondment from the American University of Moldova to IEED.

The talk explored ethical and methodological challenges in the context of Moldovan research practices. Legislative lacunes and unfavourable research environments fuel the disconnect between institutional bureaucracies and researchers’ real-life experiences in the field. The talk highlighted the need to address the challenges of conducting ethical research and employing appropriate methods within institutional frameworks in Moldova. As insufficient attention has been given to the importance of communication between scholars working in different disciplines and socio-cultural contexts, the discussion contributed to better-informed practical solutions to research issues at the core of scientific enquiry, and qualitative research in particular. The insights on fieldwork methodologies as applied to Moldovan higher education will be used to develop guides to interview academics for the piloting developed within WP3. Within the HESPRI project, the talk also provided an updated overview of the Moldovan case in the context of pan-European fieldwork practices and methodologies.