FACTORS OF COMPETITIVENESS OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA UNDER CONDITIONS OF MARKETIZATION OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

In spite of the fact that the term, marketization" is relatively new in the academic language of the Republic of Moldova, market laws have been functioning for some time in the educational market, especially through competition in attracting potential candidates to study. This investigation is focused on the following objectives: a) synthesizing the conceptual approaches of higher education marketization; b) analyzing Moldova's higher education market through the evolution of supply and demand; c) identifying the basic factors determining the attractiveness of higher education institutions for potential candidates. In order to achieve the stated objectives, the following research methods were used: the synthesis of theoretical approaches regarding the marketization of higher education, opinion survey, comparative analysis and generalization. In conclusion, there were identified and ranked the attractiveness factors of the higher education institutions and there were made recommendations in order to increase their competitiveness in the market of educational services.