Gheorghe Duca was born on February 29, 1952, to Grigore and Nina Duca in the commune of Copăceni, Sîngerei District, during the Soviet Union era (now part of Moldova). He pursued his higher education at Moldova State University, where he studied chemistry from 1969 to 1974. During this time, he served as the secretary of the university's Komsomol organization, which had approximately 5000 members, and later became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.After completing his initial degree, Duca continued his studies in physical chemistry, earning a Doctor of Science degree with a thesis titled Catalysis of oxidation of tartaric acid and dihydroxyfumaric acid in 1974. His outstanding contributions led to him being awarded the Moldovan State Prize for Youth in Science and Technology in 1983.From 1985 to 1988, Duca underwent postdoctoral training at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Subsequently, in 1989, he obtained a habilitation in environmental protection sciences from Odessa University, focusing on the mechanisms of ecological chemical processes in the aquatic environment.Duca furthered his education through various international training courses, including environmental engineering at Sapienza University of Rome, ecological management in the Netherlands, ecological impact assessment in Budapest, ecological education in the United States, managing programs in West Virginia, and water and waste analysis in New Orleans. These experiences broadened his expertise and contributed to his distinguished career in science and academia.