The University of Agricultural Sciences
and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca
The University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca is the heir of the prestigious school of agriculture founded over 130 years ago in October 1869 under the name of the Cluj-Manastur Institute for Agronomic Education. In 1906 the institute's rank changed to that of The Cluj Academy of Agriculture. For nearly 50 years after its foundation, until the 1920-ies, studying agronomy in Cluj-Napoca meant studying agriculture. At that time the degree studies lasted three years. After the Romanian national state was established in 1918 opened up a new stage in the development of agronomic studies arise. Due to the efforts and competence of many generations of professors and their disciples, agronomic studies witnessed an increase and a true development in those years.
Since 1921 the length of the agronomic undergraduate degree studies increased to four years out of which three years were dedicated to theoretical studies and the fourth year to agricultural practice on a farm. From 1922 on the graduates received the Diploma of Agricultural Engineering and in 1929 the reform of the agronomic higher education lead to the new name of the Academy of High Agronomic Studies. The duration of the undergraduate degree studies increased from that date to five years.
Between 1940-1945 the Agricultural Academy of Cluj-Napoca - the professors, the students and a part of its agricultural implements took refuge in Timisoara, where it functioned under the name of 'The Cluj-Timisoara Faculty of Agronomy", and in 1945 the "faculty" returned to its native city. In 1948 the name of the university was changed again to that of The Agronomic Institute, initially having only one faculty: The Faculty of Agriculture and starting in 1959 a department for Animal Husbandry. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was founded in 1962 and the Faculty of Animal Sciences in 1968. Between 1970-1975 within the Faculty of Agriculture operated the Department of Agricultural Economics. In 1977 the Department of Horticulture joined the faculty of agriculture which thus became the Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture. Between 1978-1987 the Agronomic Institute had only two faculties: the Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture and the Faculty of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. These were joined in 1987 to be only one Faculty of Agronomy.
In 1990 the university reorganised itself and has since then four faculties: Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine. It has also increased its variety of offering degrees: Bachelor of Science (5 years), Master of Science (1 years), Ph.D. (4 years), distance learning (6 years) and college (3 years or short-term studies) system. In 1991 the Agronomic Institute changed its name to the University of Agricultural Sciences which since 1995 has become the University of Agricultural Sciences and of Veterinary Medicine.
The new strategy of the university includes besides an increase in international relations, modernised teaching and learning, modernised and extended research in agreement with the standards of the European Union. Since 1998 the university applies the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) making the assessment system more compatible with European standards.
At present the University of Agricultural Sciences and of Veterinary Medicine is one of the best of its kind in Romania. It is a member of the Romanian Consortium of the Universities of Agricultural Sciences and of Veterinary Medicine as well as a member of the Consortium of the Universities of Cluj-Napoca. USAMV is a member of the Association of European Universities and has established international co-operation relationships with universities and research institutes of more than 50 countries of Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.
National research founds: CNCSIS - over 50 grants per year, ANSTI - over 50 grants per year, Relansin Programmes; Orizont 2000 Programmes.
The research of the university results in:· production of plant varieties and hybrids and new animal breeds;
· production of new animal breeds;
· devising of new technologies in plant culture and animal breading;
· innovation and invention patents;
· publishing of research papers in Romanian and foreign journals
· publishing of books and university courses;
· presentations and participation in national and international symposia and congresses;
· organisation of national and international symposia and congresses.
The USAMV is part of the following European Research Programmes:
· EC Programme "Life Quality and Life Resource Management."
· NATO Programme "Basic Methods Development for Nutritionaland Therapeutic Applications of Carotenoids"
· Copernicus Programme "TUTOR Project"
The USAMV Cluj-Napoca publishes six research journals in which we publish about the researches carried out:
· the USAMV Scientific Bulletin of Agriculture and Horticulture;
· the USAMV Scientific Bulletin of Animal Science, Biotechnologies and Veterinary Medicine;
· "Agricultura" - Journal of Agricultural Science and Practice
· Notulae Botanicae - Plant Protection
· The Scientia Parasitologica journal -Journal on Medicinal Plants
· Veterinary Medical Journal of Cluj.
The Cluj-Napoca University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine has working relationships of international co-operation with universities and research institutes in over 50 countries of Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa among which are the following ones:
- Austria: Boku University, Viena
- Belarus: The Gorki Agricultural Academy;
- Belgium: Gent University, Liege University, The Gembloux Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, The Bruxelles Free University;
- Bulgaria: The Plovdiv Agricultural University, Kostinbrod Institute of Genetic Engineering
- Canada: Toronto University;
- Croatia: Zagreb University, The 'J. J. Strossmayera' Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek
- Switzerland: Bern University; Neuchatel University, Zürich University, Konstanz University;
- France: Bordeaux University, Maison Alfort University, Strasbourg University, The National Agricultural Institute Paris Grignon, The Dijon Superior School, The College of Viticulture and Oenology, The Lyon School of Veterinary Medicine;
- Germany: Kassel University, Hohenheim University of Stuttgart, Bremen University, Bremenhafen University;
- Greece: The Thesalonyki Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Italy: Perugia University, Bologna University, Bari University;
- Great Britain: Reading University, Bournemouth University, Albertay University of Dundee, Nottingham University, Heriott - Watt University of Edinburgh, Aberdeen University, The East University;
- Moldova: The Agrarian University of Chisinau;
- Holland: The Wageningen Agricultural University, The College of Lorenstein, The Dronten Christian Faculty of Agricultural Sciences,
- Portugal: Lisbon Technical University;
- Slovakia: The Nitra Slovak Agricultural University;
- The Ukraine: The State Academy of Ukraine
- Hungary: Szent István University Gödöllö, Veszprém University ,Kaposvár University, Debrecen University,
- U.S.A.: The Reno University of Nevada, The Iowa State University, The university of Maryland, Ridgewater College
Institutional Research:
- Austria: The Austian Agricultural Association
- France: The Union of the Chambers of Commerce
- Germany: The German Farmers Association
- Italy: The Chambers of Commerce Camera Regio Emilia, C.A.T.E.V.S.R.L. Faenza;
- England: The London Zoology Institute, The London Natural History Museum
- Holland: STOAS Wageningen, A.O.C. Friesland Leuwarden;
- USA: Beltsville Institute of Plant Science.
Libraries:
- The Library of Washington DC Congress
- The National Agricultural Library Beltsville
International Didactic and Institutional Programmes that the Cluj-Napoca University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine is part of:
- TEMPUS - PEC
- SOCRATES - ERASMUS
- PHARE
- LEONARDO DA VINCI
- CEEPUS
- EPI-RO-VET (Epidemiology and Veterinary Legislation in Romania)
- ECOS - OUVERTURE
- Network for Student Counselling Management
The USAMV activity in International Relations include:
· exchanges of teachers and students with like universities of Romania and abroad;
· research and training in foreign partner-universities and international scientific institutions;
· postgraduate training abroad for top ranking graduates;
· students' practical training in 8 European universities, research institutes, farms and prestigious laboratories in countries of the European Union;
· organisation of international scientific research meetings, seminars, conferences and the participation of USAMV teaching staff, students and researchers at similar events abroad.