Digital Tools in Romanian Higher Education: The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Digitalization of Universities

Abstract

The goal of this research is to find out how much digital tools are used in Romanian institutions on a daily basis. These tools can be used for both administrative and instructional tasks and processes. Furthermore, we investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic aided or hampered the ongoing digitalization process, which had already begun prior to 2020, and whether any online tools implemented in response to lockdowns and a reduction in face-to-face interactions were kept or abandoned after the restrictions were lifted in the spring of 2022. We conducted interviews with Chief Information Officers (or comparable positions) at the top 5 Romanian universities and surveyed 15 of the most important Romanian universities to determine the changes in teaching and administrative procedures brought about by digital technology.