Dr. Ovidiu Bagdasar is a Professor of Mathematics, International Lead for the School of Computing, and coordinator of the maths support project at the University of Derby (UK). He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Mathematics from Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania); a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Applied Mathematics from the University of Nottingham (UK); a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education/Higher Education Administration from the University of Derby (UK); a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Pastoral Theology from the University of Alba Iulia (Romania); and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mathematics from Babeș-Bolyai University.
Dr. Bagdasar’s research interests include Number Theory, Recurrence Sequences, Dynamic Geometry, Optimization, Computational Mathematics, and Mathematical Education. He has authored or co-authored three books, most recently, Topics on Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics (2023)[1], as well as numerous journal articles.
Ovidiu discusses the cultural acceptance of poor mathematics proficiency compared to reading difficulties and identifies closing the numeracy gap as a meaningful mission for mathematicians. He describes his background in applied and pure mathematics teaching and research at the University of Derby. His experience teaching students with mathematics anxiety led him to develop new programs of study, tailored courses, educational resources (including a textbook), and extensive computer-based assessments with a formative component featuring a wide variety of questions. The assessments help students practice, understand their errors, and reduce mathematics anxiety. This digital approach to learning and assessment significantly increased student confidence, satisfaction, and success rates. His students have provided positive feedback about the e-assessment approach, stating that it helped them learn through practice.
Eventually, in collaboration with Dr. Graham Orpwood and Vretta (Derby’s education technology partner) and using the Elevate My Math platform, the partnership developed 12 tailored courses with digital badges and student and institutional dashboards integrated with the Blackboard teaching and learning environment. Dr. Bagdasar considers the resulting ecosystem scalable to other higher-education institutions and aims to demonstrate the links between numeracy improvement and broader student outcomes. In keeping with his view that Derby’s mathematics teaching and learning approaches are transferable to other contexts, Dr. Bagdasar and Derby, in collaboration with leading Canada-based technology partners such as Vretta and Harris Learning Solutions, have launched the Numeracy Without Borders initiative that promotes mathematics, problem solving, and practical numeracy internationally.
Dr. Bagdasar is involved in developing international collaborations, facilitating joint research projects, student and staff exchanges, placements, workshops, research opportunities, and other collaborative activities. He has delivered teaching, training, and presentations in countries including India, Thailand, China, Romania, Ecuador, Greece, Turkey and Ethiopia.
Ovidiu has a passion for mathematics education and believes that being a teacher and having the opportunity to inspire students is a great privilege. He expresses pride in the positive impact his projects have had on his students’ success and their employability, as well as the broader societal impact of his numeracy work. As he says, “I enjoy teaching my students who are always an inspiration for me” and “every problem solved or numeracy gap filled is a step closer to a world where everyone enjoys mathematics” a vision he shares with and was inspired by Anand Karat (CEO & President of Vretta), and Dr Graham Orpwood.
Dr. Bagdasar serves as the Eastern Europe Conference Ambassador for the 51st Annual International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) Conference, to be held in Toronto, Canada, from September 27 to October 2, 2026. The conference is hosted by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) in collaboration with its technology partner, Vretta. You can learn more about the conference on the conference website: https://www.eqao.com/iaea-annual-conference/.
Apart from his professional responsibilities, Ovidiu’s personal interests include conducting and singing in a church choir, traveling and learning about other cultures, and staying physically active, particularly through jogging. Please feel free to connect with him at the IAEA conference and/or reach out to him at: o.bagdasar@derby.ac.uk.
