16. Peace, Justice And Strong Institutions

SDG 16 – PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS

INTRODUCTION

Definition

Sustainable Development Goal 16 aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, ensure access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

As one of Romania’s oldest and most prestigious universities, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași (UAIC) contributes significantly to strengthening democratic institutions through education, research, and governance practices grounded in transparency, ethics, and social responsibility.

Policies and Institutional Framework

UAIC integrates SDG 16 principles—transparency, integrity, participation, and justice—across its institutional governance.

UAIC Code of Ethics

The Code is integrated into UAIC’s Charter, giving it an institutional and legal foundation. The Code is designed to promote a positive institutional climate built on cooperation, respect, collegiality, trust, discretion and solidarity. The Code prohibits discrimination, plagiarism, fraud, sexual harassment, defamation, and other forms of abusive behavior.

UAIC Strategic Development Plan 2024–2029

Includes commitments to:

strengthen institutional integrity and ethical governance,
enhance transparency in decision-making,
support academic freedom and democratic values,
promote safe, inclusive, and supportive university environments.

Operational Institutional Development Plan 2026

Reinforces:

anti-corruption and anti-discrimination measures,
quality assurance and accountability in university management,
improved access to information and administrative digitalization,  community-oriented initiatives promoting civic responsibility.

GENDER EQUALITY PLAN 2025-2029

equal opportunities in academic and administrative roles,
preventing discrimination and harassment,
implementing procedures to address grievances, rights violations, and ethical concerns.

University-wide Governance Commitments

Ethics Code, Ethics Commission, Anti-plagiarism procedures
Transparent financial and administrative management
Inclusive student governance structures
Ombudsperson
Student support services
Digital platforms for transparency, open data, and public reporting
Academic integrity training for students and staff

These policies form a solid institutional foundation aligned with SDG 16 goals: creating a fair, safe, transparent, and democratic academic community.

UNIVERSITY-LEVEL ACTIONS SUPPORTING SDG 16 – IMPLEMENTATION

Research and Academic Expertise

UAIC focus in research areas central to SDG 16, especially through the educational programmes and research developed at:

Key research areas include:

human rights and constitutional law
public administration transparency and digital governance
anticorruption policies and institutional ethics
conflict prevention, international relations, and security studies
cybersecurity, digital risks and data protection
social inclusion, inequality and public trust in institutions
migration, cohesion, and democratic participation

These research efforts contribute to stronger institutions and improved governance at national and European levels.

Governance, Ethics, Quality, and Institutional Capacity

UniE–Quality Project: UAIC runs a project called UniE–Quality: ocused on quality culture, ethics, and institutional performance, leading to the creation of a Center for Competence in University Management and Quality.

This contributes to institutional accountability and transparent processes, core to SDG 16’s “effective, accountable institutions” target.

University ethics and deontology at UAIC – integrity in academic activity through continuous training of teaching staff (UniEthic), ATASIEI, Daniel. Main objectiv og the project was to strengthen the institutional culture of university ethics at UAIC and reflecting it in academic activity by developing the ethics and deontology component of the continuing education program for university teaching staff.

ARACIS Report on Quality Assurance: UAIC’s external evaluation by ARACIS (the Romanian Quality Assurance Agency) shows the university holds a “high confidence” institutional rating.

Capacity–Building for Research: Through a FDI-funded institutional capacity project, UAIC supports new techniques, instruments of research with a view to integrity and ethics among staff and researchers.

Social Innovation, Peacebuilding, and Participation

Think Tank on Social Innovation for Peacebuilding: UAIC organized (June 2024) a “Think Tank on Social Innovation for Peacebuilding” involving students, researchers, civil society (including Romanian Red Cross, community foundations), and local government

The objective was to generate inclusive, innovative solutions to societal problems, building trust and strengthening social cohesion — directly related to peaceful and inclusive societies (SDG 16).

The event was part of the EC2U (European Campus) alliance , which aims at policy recommendations and knowledge-transfer for societal challenges.

Conference on Equality of Opportunity: UAIC hosted a conference titled “Egalitatea de șanse în fața provocărilor contemporane” (“Equality of Opportunities in the Face of Contemporary Challenges”) in March 2025.

Call for Papers: Gendered Violence: The Faculty of Philosophy and Social–Political Sciences at UAIC has issued a call for academic work on “gendered violence:

phenomenology, prevention, and reintegration.

Inclusion and Social Equity

Training for Staff — Disability Inclusion: UAIC is a training workshop for the staff on (“Effective ways to interact with students with disabilities”. This supports inclusive education, equal access, and institutional responsiveness — relating to SDG 16’s focus on inclusive institutions and non-discrimination.

Access to Education for Disadvantaged Youth: Through the “AccEd” project (CNFIS-FDI 2024), UAIC supports students from underprivileged backgrounds, disseminating information about its educational offer, and providing student engagement in outreach („Caravana UAIC” in high schools from disadvantaged areas).

Public Engagement and Policy Dialogue

UAIC organizes:

conferences on rule of law and governance
debates on democracy and public policy
events on human rights and cybersecurity
civic education and participation initiatives

“City: Future Organisation of Changes in Urbanisation and Sustainability ” — developing a model of governance urbană (urban governance) and resilience.

“SAGES: Spatial Analysis of Growth Environment and Sustainable Well –being ” — analyzing well-being in relation to policy, inclusion, and sustainable development.

These events enhance public understanding, strengthen civic culture, and promote peaceful and inclusive societies.

Results and Impact

UAIC demonstrates measurable impact in strengthening institutions and promoting inclusive societies through:

Institutional integrity
– fully operational ethics framework and governance structures
Quality assurance
– “high confidence” rating from ARACIS
Capacity building
– establishment of specialized centers for quality and ethics
Social inclusion
– targeted programs for disadvantaged groups and students with disabilities
Civic engagement
– active collaboration with NGOs, public institutions, and communities
Knowledge transfer
– research outputs informing public policy and governance reforms

These outcomes contribute directly to building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions, in line with SDG 16.

Conclusion

Through its policies, research, academic programs, and partnerships, UAIC plays a significant role in advancing SDG 16.

The university:

promotes transparency and ethical governance
trains professionals in justice, administration, and public policy
supports human rights and democratic values
strengthens civic participation and social cohesion

UAIC’s integrated approach reflects a strong institutional commitment to fostering peaceful, just, and inclusive societies, positioning it as a key contributor to sustainable development at national and international levels.