Fourteen second- and third-year students at the Faculty of Power Engineering and Electrical Engineering of the Technical University of Moldova (TUM) will receive scholarships from the Ministry of Energy, funded by donations from two members of the Supervisory Board of Moldovagaz. They have decided to donate 30% of the remuneration they received for their work on the Board during the third quarter of 2026.

The students receiving the scholarships will be selected by the faculty management based on their academic performance.

Since 2021, Gazprom, the majority shareholder of Moldovagaz, has not acted on repeated requests from the Moldovan side to reduce the remuneration paid to members of the Supervisory Board. In response, State Secretaries Carolina Novac and Vitalie Mîța have chosen to allocate part of this money to supporting the education of future energy specialists.

In recent years, the energy sector has been developing rapidly and requires an increasing number of specialists in various fields, from natural gas to renewable energy and energy efficiency, which contribute to reducing fossil fuel consumption and energy imports.

The decision by the two state secretaries is therefore aligned with efforts to build capacity in the energy sector, particularly as demand for studies in this field has grown in recent years. This year alone, 322 students were admitted to TUM's bachelor's programmes in power engineering and electrical engineering: 163 full-time students and 159 part-time students. A further 71 students were admitted to master's programmes. Enrolment in the Power Engineering programme increased by almost 40% compared with last year.

The recently approved Energy Strategy 2050 emphasizes investment in people and education alongside infrastructure modernization. Against the backdrop of graduate emigration and an ageing technical workforce, training and retaining a new generation of professionals is a priority. Through these scholarships, the Ministry of Energy aims to encourage young people to apply their professional skills in the Republic of Moldova, in a critical sector with strong prospects for the future.