On 17 June, the Technical University of Moldova honours the memory of Academician Sergiu Rădăuțanu, the first rector of the Chișinău Polytechnic Institute. Sergiu Rădăuțanu holds a lasting place in UTM’s institutional history. His name is closely tied to the beginnings of higher engineering education in Moldova.
Sergiu Rădăuțanu was a physicist, researcher and specialist in the physics and chemistry of semiconducting materials. He also understood education as a public responsibility. His academic path began in Chișinău. Between 1937 and 1942, he studied at “B.P. Hasdeu” High School, graduating at the top of his class. From 1950 to 1955, he studied physics at the State University of Moldova, graduating with distinction.
His scientific training continued in Leningrad, at the A.F. Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, where he earned the degree of Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Beyond his academic achievements, his life story also reveals a deeply human side. He came from a family of intellectuals. His grandfather had studied at the Sorbonne. His father, Ion, was a French teacher and writer.
Those who knew him remembered him as an exceptional person. Ion Holban, Doctor of Technical Sciences and Associate Research Professor, says:
“I was particularly impressed by his innate intelligence and by the wisdom he showed in delicate situations. Rădăuțanu had the rare quality of hearing people — and I mean not only listening to them, but truly hearing them. When you spoke with him, you had the full certainty that you were heard and understood.”
This capacity to truly listen shaped his leadership style. Sergiu Rădăuțanu supported young people, including those who came from villages. For him, technical education meant professional opportunity and development for the country.
In 1961, he founded the Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials at the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. His work laid the foundations of a scientific school in the field of ternary and multinary semiconductors.
“In 1964, he began creating the main work of his life — the Chișinău Polytechnic Institute, today the Technical University of Moldova. In the early 1960s, some members of the country’s leadership recognised the need for industrial development and the creation of new factories. The need to train highly qualified engineering specialists had become extremely urgent,”
On 6 May 1964, at the age of 38, Sergiu Rădăuțanu was appointed founding rector of the Chișinău Polytechnic Institute.
Within a few months, Rădăuțanu organised the structure of the institution. By 1 September 1964, the institution already had five faculties. Around 30 departments and 50 laboratories were created. A key moment in UTM’s development was securing the land in the Râșcani district. In 1967, after considerable effort, the first rector obtained 34 hectares for the future university campus. At that time, the land was empty. For Rădăuțanu, however, it was the place where the institution could grow. That decision shaped the development of today’s Technical University of Moldova. The site now includes academic buildings, student dormitories and a Park-Museum.
Seen today, the Râșcani campus shows how practical and far-reaching the first rector’s vision was. Sergiu Rădăuțanu saw the Polytechnic Institute as a platform for generations. He imagined it as a living space where students, professors and research could develop side by side. During his nine years as rector, the number of teaching staff tripled. The number of students doubled. Thousands of young people began their path in engineering.
His vision of academic quality remains relevant today. In September 1970, Sergiu Rădăuțanu said:
“The name of the higher education institution from which a student graduates should stand as proof of their training in the field in which they were taught and examined, while the diploma of a higher education institution should serve as a kind of ‘quality mark’ for the specialist in that field.”
Sergiu Rădăuțanu published more than 1,000 scientific papers. He authored 33 monographs and held more than 130 patents. He supervised more than 60 PhD holders and 12 habilitated doctors. One of his favourite aphorisms reflects his rigour:
“It is not enough to know where to begin. You must also know where to stop. To stop in order to gather momentum.”
In his work, this idea was visible through construction, research and education.
Sergiu Rădăuțanu often said: “Our wealth is the intellect of the nation.” At UTM, this idea continues through every generation of engineers, researchers and professors trained within the university.
Sergiu Rădăuțanu passed away on 6 March 1998, in Saint Petersburg. At UTM, however, his name remains associated with the university’s beginnings, with academic rigour and with a deep commitment to people. Through the institution he founded, his contribution continues.
