This comparative study focuses on the barriers to social and economic inclusion, as well as the integration and coping strategies of Arab and Moldovan migrants in Romania. We explored the integration barriers they face, the main individual and societal aspects that lead to their resilience, and their self-perception of vulnerability, by carrying out 35 psychosocial interviews and four focus groups with young migrants (aged 18 to 29), belonging to the two different subgroups (of Arab and Moldovan origins, respectively). The comparative analysis revealed that migrants from Arab countries face harsher integration barriers compared to Moldovan migrants, they have a more severe self-perceived vulnerability, and their integration may be a longer and more complex process. Results showed that mastery of the language and the network of acquaintances play an indispensable role in inclusion. Moldovans integrate more easily than Arabs, thanks to their fluency in Romanian, the native language shared with the majority local population, the geographical and cultural proximity to the country of destination, and the larger personal network. We highlight the need for improving integration policies for young migrants, tailoring them to the specific problems and barriers that migrants are facing.

This study focuses on the integration facilitators of young migrants in Romania, as resulting from the information gathered through a Photovoice participatory action research method. Young third country nationals were asked to take photos which they thought best summed up their migration experiences. Next to the photos, the migrants were also asked to submit short texts describing the captured images and the meanings that these had for them, thus adding richness and nuance to the data. The evidence gathered reveals that several factors, such as access to education, interacting with a new culture, and with new places and people, are perceived as opportunities and positive migration outcomes. Therefore, human and social capital, as well as the natural or urban environment in the host country, contribute to the enhancement of integration opportunities for young migrants. The paper sets out to analyze how such factors which can facilitate integration are captured in a PAR. Research results show that young migrants perceive their experiences in Romania as enhanced by some factors through which they advance in their integration paths.

This study approaches migration from the perspective of an effect of the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals. In order to analyse this relationship, several indicators used to measure the SDGs attainment level were employed. These indicators are also the ones related to migration. The results show that most indicators that are used to measure the achievement of SDGs have an impact on the migration flow. Consequently, GDP per capita and unemployment rate, as main indicators used to measure the Goal 8 (Sustainable economic growth, productive employment and decent work for all), have significant impact on migration, being main factors of immigration. The main conclusion is that there is a bilateral relationship between migration and SDGs. Not only that migration can influence the achievement of sustainable development, but, at the same time, it is itself influenced by how well the Sustainable Development Goals are attained.

Sustainable university refers to the active involvement of higher education institutions in elaborating policies to protect the natural environment. The sustainable university is the one that, besides the governmental involvement, contributes to the safety of the environment by adapting the curriculum to the ecological needs and through the progress of the scientific knowledge, as a result of the didactic and research activities. As a vector of society’s development, the primary role of the university consists of educating future decision-makers. From the point of view of sustainable education, the concept of sustainable literacy has been shaped. Sustainable literacy involves educating future generations for sustainable development, considering the social, environmental, and cultural aspects specific to each country. In our opinion, “Sustainability literacy” in the academic environment is the formation and transmission of knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes that will allow students/graduates to engage deeply in building a sustainable future and improve their decision-making towards sustainability. The purpose of this research paper is to identify the context of ensuring and promoting sustainability in Romanian tertiary education. For this purpose, data obtained from the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education were used regarding the number of students (as an element of the university demand) who follow a study program related to sustainable development, as well as data on the number of study programs in sustainability (as an element of the university offer). The results show that the number of students decreases, mainly due to demographic reasons, and the low graduation rates following the baccalaureate examination. Nevertheless, the number of programs in the sphere of sustainable development was higher in 2018 than the previous year. This fact demonstrates the importance given and the serious concerns regarding sustainability literacy in Romanian universities.

Spatial data analysis approaches have grown in popularity in recent years as there has been an increased interest in studying migration at the regional level. We employed in our analysis the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) level, which offers a more thorough view of migratory patterns inside a nation as well as among EU countries.Using spatial data analytic tools, this research aims to investigate the key determinants of international migration at the NUTS2 level. Using data from the Eurostat database, we undertake an extensive analysis of migration movements in a sample of European Union countries. We apply spatial econometric models to examine the relationship between crude rate migration and other relevant variables as independent variables. Although the available data at the NUTS2 level of regional ranking are limited, we believe that we included the most comprehensive set of relevant variables in our analysis.Our study contributes to the existing literature on migration determinants by highlighting the importance of spatial analysis techniques in understanding migration factors at the NUTS2 level.