Online Economic Higher Education in a Multidisciplinary University in Romania—Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Consequences of Returning to Traditional Face-To-Face Interaction

Ovidius University of ConstantaOvidius University of Constanta hasEconomic higher education existedRomania forFace-to-face six decadesCOVID-19 pandemic (as a higher educationHigher education institution) andMultidisciplinary university is considered theChallenge largest multidisciplinary European university in the Black Sea area, comprising 16 faculties and around 18,000 enrolled studentsStudents. The study presented in this chapter is supported by two direct surveys, based on a questionnaire, carried out in May 2020 and May–June 2022, respectively, the samples used being formed by students of the Faculty of Economic Sciences. The objective of the research was to identify the way students perceived the changeChange in the format of teaching–learning activities (from traditional to online educationOnline education and vice versa). In the content of the study, we emphasize that the two-year period of teaching activity in the online environment has determined a series of behavioral changesChange on the part of all actors involved: studentsStudents, teaching staffTeaching staff, university management, university administrative staff, as well as changes regarding the way in which the collaborationCollaboration with the businessBusiness environment was carried out, in the developmentDevelopment of scientific/research activities, and the organization of specialized internship for students. Our research highlights that the students were confused with the transitionTransition to online education, they encountered various difficulties, but which, gradually, were solved (to a large extent), so that, after one semester, this new form of education was accepted and perceived as an opportunity to combine participation in the didactic activity with a professional activity. The return to face-to-faceFace-to-face activity was perceived by many studentsStudents as less flexible for their preference to learn and work at the same time. The conclusions formulated in this research may constitute the basis for initiating some measures leading to the improvement of the activity within the Faculty of Economic Sciences (in particular), but also at the level of Ovidius University.