The activity report of the Doctoral School of Automation and Computers (SD-AC) for the 2021–2022 period, presented by the SD-AC Director during the General Assembly on December 14, 2022, provides an overview of the institution’s achievements, projects, and future directions.
In the 2022–2023 academic year, SD-AC admitted a total of 74 doctoral students (41 in CTI and 33 in IS) and awarded 37 scholarships. The community comprises a total of 321 doctoral students and 17 postdoctoral researchers, with women making up approximately 40% of the group. During 2022, 33 doctoral theses were defended (19 in CTI and 14 in IS), 13 of which received the “Excellent” rating. Additionally, several habilitation procedures and new affiliations took place.
Regarding research, over 50 international, national, and transnational projects were conducted. Publication activity included approximately 350 scientific papers, more than 100 of which were ISI publications. A key highlight was the OPTIM Research project (2022–2023), dedicated to optimizing applied research and involving a target group of 35 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers. Furthermore, the year’s notable events included “Doctoral Students’ Days” (June 24–25, 2022), a symposium that combined scientific sessions and the presentation of the “Studio et opere excellens” awards with recreational activities. SD-AC plans to launch a biannual periodical with an ISSN.
The presentation also addressed the national context, analyzing data from the 2022 UEFISCDI report regarding the high doctoral dropout rate (70% nationally and 76.39% in ICT/IS fields). Looking ahead, SD-AC management has identified areas for improvement: updating the website, adapting the admissions platform, creating a unified thesis template, and recruiting international specialists for examination committees. Additionally, work is underway to automate contract generation, admissions, and thesis defense procedures. The 2023 agenda includes periodic evaluation meetings in March, June, October, and December.
