Dear colleagues, Honourable Guests,  I feel honoured to be among the first speakers at this meeting and, as co-chairman of the Conference, allow me to welcome all participants to this event and, especially those arriving from abroad. I welcome you dear colleagues and wish you a pleasant stay in Moldova. Honourable guests, The theme and the content of this Conference are of great importance for all universities, but also for business environment in Moldova and in the entire region of the Black Sea Basin, taking into account the fact that the education system in general and higher education in particular, play a fundamental role in ensuring sustainable economic development, and building a knowledge-based society in the Republic of Moldova. Universities should be aware that education has no borders, and that in the future they will work in a highly competitive environment created within a single European higher education area, with a considerable increase of academic mobility and greater opportunities for young people to study in a European university. The above mentioned require radical changes and improvements in higher education, and will impose the elaboration of strategies aimed at ensuring development and capacity of being competitive in the new conditions of the educational environment. I express my firm conviction that only a genuine university autonomy, together with adequate funding, along with increasing responsibility of university, state, business environment will increase the university’s capacity in training highly qualified professionals, competitive on labour market, and will develop a knowledge-based economy in our country, where cooperation between universities, research institutions and business environment representatives have an essential role. I like to believe that issues discussed above, along with others, equally important, will be discussed during the conference. I use this opportunity to thank everyone who got involved in organizing this event, of course, His Excellency, Ambassador Victor Tvircun for his initiative in organizing this event and also wishing good luck to all participants.