Academician Ion Tighineanu was elected president of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. As a result of the secret ballot held in the General Assembly of the Academy on April 9, 95 members of the Assembly voted in favor of the candidate. The members of the vote count commission distributed 100 ballots, but there were only 99 ballots in the ballot box. Of the 99 votes, three were against, one ballot was declared invalid and the rest were in favor of the candidate. The term in office of the president of the Academy of Sciences is of four years, IPN reports.
In his speech centering on the plan of action in the new post, Ion Tighineanu spoke about the problems he considers pressing in the Academy’s activity. He noted that the financing for science and research decreased drastically during the last few years, to 0.3% of the GDP. The number of doctoral students in science and research is rather low and a larger number of teaching staff should be trained in these areas.
Ion Tighineanu said he will act to return all the institutions transferred under the management of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research as a result of the reform of the Academy of Sciences back in the Academy’s subordination. He also aims to reorganize the Academy’s presidium and to constitute the bureau of the Academy’s presidium. He also intends to attract extra-budgetary financing, to provide the institution’s museum with new exhibits and to take action to improve the Academy’s image.
Academician Valeriu Pasat had a separate opinion about the candidacy of Ion Tighineanu. He said that the candidate’s tenure of vice president expired in March 2017, but this bypassed the law and continued to hold the post. As to the situated created at the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Valeriu Pasat said the institution, as a result of politicization and acts of corruption, was turned into a club of interests and wrongdoings were witnessed at the Academy during the past few years.
The president of the Academy of Sciences is elected from among academicians. The candidate must not be older than 65. Ion Tighineanu is 63 and is a specialist in nanoelectronics and nanotechnologies. Until now he held the post of vice president of the Academy.
The post fell vacant after ex-president Gheorghe Duca tendered his resignation at the end of last November, invoking health reasons. He noted his decision coincided also with his investigation within a criminal case.
