Romania Includes Artificial Intelligence as Discipline in University Degree Programs

On Thursday, August 3, the Romanian Government approved several new specializations and university degree programs, including Cybernetic Security and Artificial Intelligence. This comes at a moment when AI is more than a trend, and ordinary people understand and learn how to use software built with deep learning and artificial intelligence functionalities.

Romanian companies started developing lots of software programs which integrate AI. Last year, reputable company MCRO launched Docviser, the first oncology platform in Romania to integrate Artificial Intelligence in its algorithm. And this example is not the only one.

On the other hand, there is also the concern about how AI will interfere with our lives in terms of developing artificial intelligence responsibly. Initiatives, such as AI4RO, aim at regulating this field, which could bring chaos if not properly handled. From this perspective, teaching students what responsibility means in cybersecurity and AI development is an excellent opportunity.

Several undergraduate specializations/programs are being established, such as Cyber Security – within the Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications and Information Technologies undergraduate field, Artificial Intelligence within the Informatics undergraduate field. This means that students will be able to specialize in these fields, which will offer them proper knowledge and, maybe more critically when it comes to employers, a diploma to show their abilities in the field.

Fifty-two state universities in Romania include 2,228 specializations/undergraduate programs, of which 84 specializations/undergraduate programs have undergone changes in capacity and name, 22 specializations/programs have obtained accreditation, and 32 are new specializations.

The Government’s decision will attract thousands of students to these new specialties. Also, Romanian companies can hire specialized employees and develop their internal teams to deal with cybersecurity and AI development.

One year ago, on August 2, a study showed that Romania trailed behind the other European states regarding digitalization. Such measures, such as this one taken by the Government, can put the country back on track to digital progress.