A program funded by the European Social Fund brings industry, universities, and students to the same table in an educational initiative that is reshaping how internships are delivered in Romania.
In a labor market where technology evolves faster than any academic curriculum, the gap between theory and real industry needs is becoming increasingly visible. Against this backdrop, Meta-Pro—developed by Metaminds and financed through the Education and Employment Programme—proposes a pragmatic approach: students do not just learn concepts; they work on real applications, with real deadlines, under the guidance of industry professionals.
More than 190 students from four universities have already completed the Meta-Pro internship program, developing fully functional technology products: ICU monitoring applications, logistics platforms for farmers, intermediary-free marketplaces, personalized reading tools, and AI-assisted career counseling solutions. All projects were built in multidisciplinary teams, using real sprints and direct industry mentorship.
To understand how the program works from the inside, we spoke with three key stakeholders: Ramona Bâliș, CFO and Board Member at Metaminds; Ovidiu Solomon, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics (ASE Bucharest); and Bianca Rachieru, a third-year student and Project Manager of a Meta-Pro team.
INDUSTRY – Ramona Bâliș
“We need to think at the pace of industry, not academic semesters.”
For Ramona Bâliș, CFO and Board Member at Metaminds, the idea behind Meta-Pro did not emerge as a theoretical exercise, but as a response to a recurring challenge observed in recruitment. In recent years, she explains, the gap between academic knowledge and job-ready skills has become increasingly evident. Universities provide a solid foundation, but technology, working models, and industry dynamics evolve faster than a university semester.
This need gave rise to Meta-Pro—a structured internship framework where students work on real projects, with tangible deliverables, clearly defined roles, and direct mentorship from industry professionals. Universities quickly recognized the opportunity—not only to modernize internships, but also to continuously integrate industry feedback into their academic programs.
For Metaminds, the challenge was aligning three worlds that operate at different speeds:
- Universities, with their academic structures
- Industry, with its fast-paced execution
- Students, positioned between these two rhythms
The results are already visible. Some teams have launched early functional versions of their products, tested with real users, and several students received job offers even before graduating.
We spoke with Ramona Bâliș about how universities responded to this model, the organizational challenges involved, and the tangible outcomes of the program.
What did universities see in this project that convinced them to get involved?
Ramona Bâliș: I believe they saw exactly what we did: an opportunity to do things differently. The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, for example, has a strong tradition in training economics professionals, but the market has changed. Today, it’s no longer enough to master theory—you need to understand how projects run at real industry speed, how to communicate with clients, and how to manage critical situations under deadline pressure. We came with concrete resources—industry mentors, ESF funding, infrastructure—and a clear model: students would experience real working conditions, while still benefiting from the safety of the academic environment.
What was the biggest challenge so far, and how did you address it?
Ramona Bâliș: Convincing everyone to think at the pace of industry, not academic semesters! The logistics designed and executed by the Meta-Pro mentors were complex—coordinating 64 students across four parallel cohorts, alongside mentors who were also active in their day-to-day professional roles. In total, Meta-Pro involved 194 students from leading Romanian universities: the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Politehnica University of Bucharest, Transilvania University of Brașov, and Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu. It was like conducting several symphonies with a single conductor. We learned to be agile—literally. We introduced daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and weekly progress reviews. We treated the program as a real tech product.
Can you share a concrete success story?
Ramona Bâliș: Absolutely. One team developed an application that connects local producers directly with consumers—an intermediary-free marketplace for authentic Romanian products. They started with a simple university idea about sustainability and circular economy and turned it into a functional web and mobile platform with integrated payments and logistics. The application is already being tested with real producers around Bucharest. Two team members received job offers from e-commerce companies before graduating. That’s exactly the impact we were aiming for.
Participant selection focuses not on grades, but on attitude: curiosity, motivation, and teamwork. Evaluation is continuous and deliverable-based—just like in a real organization. Ramona Bâliș’s message to other companies considering similar programs is simple: focus on impact, not statistics.
ACADEMIA – Ovidiu Solomon, Vice-Dean, ASE
“We felt the need to accelerate the practical component.”
While Meta-Pro addresses a practical skills gap from an industry perspective, for universities it acts as a catalyst for change. For academic institutions, the collaboration with Metaminds represents more than a partnership—it creates a new learning infrastructure that connects curricula with market reality, provides access to industry mentors, and transforms internships from a formality into an applied experience.
We discussed this perspective with Ovidiu Solomon, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Cybernetics, Statistics and Economic Informatics (CSEI) at ASE Bucharest.
Why did CSEI choose to get involved in Meta-Pro?
Ovidiu Solomon: Because we saw it as an opportunity to complement our partnership portfolio with a collaboration from which all parties—especially students—benefit. Our faculty has trained IT and economics specialists for decades, but we felt the need to accelerate the practical component. Meta-Pro offered exactly that—a structure where students can experience “real life” while still studying. ESF funding made this hands-on training accessible also to students from less developed regions, increasing equal opportunities.
How does Meta-Pro fit into the faculty’s broader strategy?
Ovidiu Solomon: Very well. Our goal is to prepare graduates who don’t just meet employment requirements, but become top candidates for the companies they apply to. Meta-Pro adds a practical, applied, and entrepreneurial dimension to the curriculum. It also keeps us closely connected to industry. Mentors provide constant feedback on in-demand skills, allowing us to adjust course content accordingly.
How do you balance research and practice?
Ovidiu Solomon: Research and practice cannot be separated. In the fast-evolving IT sector, research is the foundation for innovation, while practice expands and validates theoretical frameworks. In our field, the two exist in symbiosis.
Your message to students?
Ovidiu Solomon: Believe that there is a place for everyone in this field. But also understand that it requires dedication, constant learning, engagement, and the courage to step outside your comfort zone.
STUDENT – Bianca Rachieru
“I learned more about leadership in six months of Meta-Pro than I ever expected.”
If industry brings expertise and universities create the framework, the true measure of Meta-Pro lies in the student experience—the moment when theory turns into real responsibility. To understand this transformation from within, we spoke with Bianca Rachieru, Project Manager of a Meta-Pro team and third-year student at ASE – CSEI.
Bianca, how did you join Meta-Pro, and why?
Bianca Rachieru: Honestly, I was skeptical at first. I saw the announcement on our faculty group and thought, “another polished program with lots of slides and little practice.” But I applied because they promised real technologies—React, Node.js, cloud infrastructure. After a coding challenge and an interview, I was accepted. What followed truly impressed me.
What does it mean to be a Project Manager in a student team working on a real project?
Bianca Rachieru: It means learning real management—time, resources, and emotions! I coordinate five colleagues, stay in touch with our industry mentor, meet deadlines, and make sure everyone contributes. Meta-Pro taught me that leadership isn’t just about organization—it’s about empathy, balance, and turning different perspectives into ideas that move the project forward. It was challenging, but one of the most rewarding experiences so far.
What project are you building, and what stage is it at?
Bianca Rachieru: We’re building an application that allows customers to buy directly from local producers—farmers, artisans, and small-scale food producers—without intermediaries. The backend is fully functional, with a database, secure authentication, and order management. We’re now focusing on the mobile interface and payment processor integration to make the experience as intuitive as possible.
What did you learn about teamwork?
Bianca R.: It’s completely different from university projects, where you split tasks and only create the illusion of working together. Here, real synchronization is essential—we have daily stand-ups at 9 a.m., work in Git, review each other’s code, and track everything on a shared board where progress is fully transparent. I also learned that it’s okay to ask for help. There was a moment when I wasn’t sure how to prioritize a critical task. We discussed it as a team, agreed on the best approach, and moved forward together. As a Project Manager, I realized how important it is to stay calm, make decisions collaboratively, and genuinely support every team member.
How did this experience change you?
Bianca R.: This experience helped me truly understand what it means to be part of the tech world. It’s not just about lines of code—it’s about understanding real people and their real problems. I remember our first interview with a cheese producer from Brașov, who told us he was losing nearly a third of his profit to intermediaries. That was the moment I realized we weren’t just building an app—we were creating a solution that could make a tangible difference for small local businesses.
Since then, I’ve applied for three internships. At every interview, when I showed them our application and explained how we directly connect producers with consumers, I immediately saw their reaction—interest, curiosity, enthusiasm. One recruiter even told me: “We usually train junior hires for months to understand business logic and user experience—you’ve already gone through that in the Meta-Pro program.”
What advice would you give to other students considering applying?
Bianca R.: If I had one piece of advice, it would be this: take the leap. You don’t need to know everything—you just need the courage to start. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it’s the kind of effort that changes you. Here, every day matters. If you don’t deliver, the team feels it—and that’s when you truly learn what responsibility and teamwork mean.
The experience brings you close to the reality of the industry: its pace, its pressure, and its sense of achievement. It challenges you to make mistakes, correct them, and grow. And perhaps most importantly, it helps you understand whether technology is truly for you. Discovering that in your second or third year of university is a real advantage for your future career.
How do you see your future after Meta-Pro?
Bianca R.: I feel confident. I have solid skills, a real portfolio, and an application that solves a concrete problem. But what matters most is the community I gained—mentors have become part of my professional network, people I can reach out to at any time.
The most unexpected discovery was realizing that I don’t just enjoy writing code—I enjoy coordinating product development, especially in e-commerce and marketplace environments. I like understanding real user needs and turning them into solutions. Maybe in a few years I’ll work as a product owner in a socially impactful startup or within a circular economy platform. Meta-Pro didn’t just open doors—it opened horizons I hadn’t even considered.
About META-PRO
Meta-Pro demonstrates that partnerships between academia and industry can truly work when there is a shared vision and genuine commitment on both sides. Students gain practical skills and confidence, universities become more relevant to the labor market, and companies gain access to young professionals who are already job-ready.
The program continues with new cohorts and plans to expand to additional faculties and domains. For students, the message is clear: opportunities exist—the only step left is to take them.
Meta-Pro is a project funded by the European Social Fund, implemented by Metaminds in partnership with Romanian universities, with the goal of developing students’ digital and entrepreneurial skills.