The university academic exchange program between Moldova and Romania will be launched in the second quarter of the 2013-2014 academic year. According to Minister of Education Maia Sandu, talks were held with universities from both banks of the Prut River and the institutions expressed interest in this partnership, IPN reports.

Under the program, students form both banks of the Prut will go to study in the neighboring country for a quarter or two. Maia Sandu said the first applications within the program were submitted and accepted. The costs incurred by Moldova will amount to 1 million lei. For the time being, the program is supported only by state universities. Negotiations with the private ones haven’t been carried out yet.

The largest part of the money is intended for scholarships. The Romanian students who will come to Moldova will have a scholarship of at least €100, said the head of the Education Ministry’s Secondary Professional and Vocational Education Division Nadejda Velishko. Another part of the money will go to pay for accommodation in dorms.

The exact number of students in the academic exchange program will be specified this month.

The Erasmus academic exchange program between Moldovan and Romanian universities was earlier discussed by Maia Sandu with her Romanian counterpart Remus Pricopie during an official visit to Bucharest.