The University of Bucharest at the 2026 Cairo International Book Fair, with Romania as guest of honour

University of Bucharest is participating in the 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair, held from 22 January to 3 February 2025 – one of the world’s most prestigious events dedicated to publishing and culture. The 2026 edition holds special significance, as Romania has been designated Guest of Honour, marking 120 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Egypt.

The University of Bucharest is represented by Professor Marian Preda, PhD, Rector of the University, and Associate Professor Mugur Dan Zlotea, PhD, Vice-Rector for International Relations, Public Relations and Students. On 29 January 2026, they took part in the panel discussion “New Horizons: discussing academic cooperation and potential new initiatives between Romanian and Egyptian top academic institutions”, which focused on current trends in higher education and research in both Romania and Egypt.

In his address, Rector Marian Preda highlighted the advantages Romania offers to Egyptian students, including the opportunity to obtain a European degree. He also emphasized that, since 2019, the University of Bucharest has been a member of the CIVIS – European Civic University Alliance, providing access to a prestigious international academic network.

“We want Egyptian students to discover Romania as an academic destination, while Romanian students benefit from valuable educational experiences at universities in Egypt,” stated the Rector of the University of Bucharest.

During the Fair, Rector Marian Preda also met with Professor Mohamed S. Abdelsadek, PhD, Rector of Cairo University. The two agreed to establish a joint working committee to identify areas of shared interest and to draft a Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at developing joint academic programmes, research projects, and academic mobility initiatives.

The panel discussion brought together presidents and representatives of leading academic institutions from Egypt and Romania, including Ain Shams University, Helwan University, the British University in Egypt, the French University in Egypt, the University of Bucharest, and the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest. The event was moderated by Mostafa Rifat Ahmed, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Universities.

Through its participation in this major cultural and academic forum, the University of Bucharest reaffirms its commitment to strengthening international partnerships, expanding institutional cooperation, and identifying new opportunities for collaboration in higher education and research.

The Center for Arab Studies, official partner of the Cairo International Book Fair’s cultural programme

The Center for Arab Studies of the University of Bucharest is an official partner of the Cairo International Book Fair’s cultural programme. The Center is represented at the event by Associate Professor Laura Sitaru, PhD, Director of the Center and Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures; Professor George Grigore, PhD, Habil., Emeritus, a faculty member of the same faculty; and Assistant Professor Bogdan Cojanu, PhD.

Under the coordination of Associate Professor Laura Sitaru, the Center contributes to the cultural programme through the organisation of – and participation in – a series of conferences, round tables, and book launches dedicated to Arabic studies, literary translation, and Romanian–Egyptian intercultural dialogue.

Among the Center’s featured events are:

• the conference “Studiile de arabistică în România: istorie și prezent. Traducerea, instrument în înțelegerea interculturală”; 
• the round table “Întâlniți profesioniștii: cum pot instituțiile și experții să sprijine mai multe traduceri literare între Egipt și România”; 
• a performance of Matca by Marin Sorescu; 
• book launches and conferences dedicated to Romanian literature and its circulation in the Arab world; 
• the launch of ”Tinerețe fără bătrânețe și viață fără de moarte” and ”Punguța cu doi bani”, with the participation of translator Professor George Grigore and Associate Professor Laura Sitaru; 
• the lecture ”Scriitorul român Panait Istrati în Egipt”, delivered by Professor George Grigore.

In addition to their on-site activities, members of the Center for Arab Studies – working in collaboration with the Writers’ Union of Romania and the Romanian Ministry of Culture – contributed to the translation into Arabic of an anthology of contemporary Romanian poetry, as well as to the translation into Romanian of an anthology of modern and contemporary Egyptian poetry

The University of Bucharest Publishing House is also participating in the Cairo International Book Fair, with a presence at the Romanian national stand, where it showcases a selection of recent publications in widely spoken international languages.

Within this context, Associate Professor Laura Sitaru, Director of the Center for Arab Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, gave a series of interviews addressing the University’s activities at the Fair, the role of translation in strengthening Romanian – Arab cultural relations, and the contribution of the Romanian academic tradition to intercultural dialogue. These interviews are available here and here.

The Cairo International Book Fair is the most prominent publishing event in the Arab world and across Africa, attracting millions of visitors annually. The 2025 edition recorded a record attendance of 5.5 million visitors.

The participation of the University of Bucharest forms part of a broader programme of cultural diplomacy, academic dialogue, and international cooperation, coordinated by the Romanian Ministry of Culture and the Embassy of Romania in the Arab Republic of Egypt. This initiative reflects the University’s active role in promoting Romanian education, research, and culture on the international stage.