OREANDA-NEWS. August 09, 2012. Prime Minister Vlad Filat today visited a site for the construction of an Excellence Centre in the Information Technology and Communications (ITC) sector at the Moldovan Technical University (UTM), the government's communication and press relations department has reported.

Attending the event were Education Minister Maia Sandu, the rector of the Technical University, Ion Bostan, as well as more UTM professors.

Ion Bostan made a presentation of the construction works carried out so far, as well as of the projects that are to be implemented.

The UTM rector noted that the project on the opening of the Excellence Centre in the ITC area was launched in April 2010. Representatives of the firm that carries out the construction works said they will complete the work till next November. The rector also said a part of the works will be finished on the basis of a project worth 1.2 million euros, financed by the European Commission, of which 260,000 euros will be earmarked for the centre's technical equipment.

Bostan emphasized that the centre is placed on an area of 2,400 square metres, and will be made up of six functional structures. They will include an education data-centre, a multi-media library, a multi-media conference hall, laboratories, computer rooms, a multi-purpose hall and a terrestrial command centre of a satellite that is scheduled to be launched by the 50th anniversary of the Moldovan Technical University.

The UTM rector stressed that more departments of the university contributed to the centre's designing. Bostan also said an appeal was launched to IT companies to open laboratories here, where students could make researches.

The prime minister appreciated the way the process of construction of the centre is carried out, and the objectives set by the UTM leadership. Filat said this visit was paid in the context of a today's meeting with the rectors of the Moldovan universities.

"The building of this centre is a proof of the progress that can be made within the public-private partnerships, which provide solutions to more current problems," Vlad Filat said.

For her part, Education Minister Maia Sandu made a proposal to establish an agreement on cooperation and create a database at the Centre, to which more higher education institutions will be inter-connected.